write the character sketch of Joan according to Steward
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Answer:
Explanation:
Joan, often referred to by others as “the Maid,” is Saint Joan’s protagonist. She is based on the historical figure Joan of Arc from Lorraine. Shaw portrays Joan as a simple teenage girl who is uneducated and somewhat naïve. However, she is also witty, intelligent, pragmatic, and a highly capable military strategist: until her capture at the end of Saint Joan, she celebrates only victories in her martial pursuits. Throughout the play, Joan presumes to communicate directly with God through the voices of Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret, and the archangel Michael, which she hears in her head. Joan’s voices inform her military strategizing, her decision to don men’s clothing and armor, and her decision to crown the Dauphin King of France. Joan gains enemies in both the religious and secular spheres of medieval society because authority figures like Peter Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais and the Earl of Warwick believe that the confidence she places in her voices poses a threat to existing systems of institutional power. For example, Cauchon and the Church see Joan as a threat because, in listening to her voices, she presumes that she, rather than the Church, is the ultimate authority on the word of God. Such a view eliminates the need for the Church to understand God and consequently lessens the power religious authorities like Cauchon hold over the common people. What sets Joan apart from most other characters in the play is her strong sense of moral integrity. Unlike Charles VII, Cauchon, or Warwick, Joan has no interest or obligation to uphold the values and power structures of an institution, choosing instead to act solely on behalf of her own conscience and moral compass. While other characters repeatedly contradict their individual beliefs in order to fuel the strength of their respective institutions, Joan’s individuality allows her to maintain a sense of honesty and integrity in everything she says and does.