Charles lurches between grandiosity and despair, and he falls into infatuation easily — watch how rapidly he goes from testing Joan to worshipping her. His speeches tend to end in extravagant praise of whoever last impressed him, which makes him a useful index of who's currently winning.
Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens
So in the earth, to this day is not known.
Late did he shine upon the English side;
Now we are victors; upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment but we have?
At pleasure here we lie near Orleans,
Otherwhiles the famish’d English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.
ALENÇON.
They want their porridge and their fat bull beeves.
Either they must be dieted like mules
And have their provender tied to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.
Mars's true movement—understood as in the heavens—governs war's fortunes. Who can tell where the fault lies when destiny turns against us?
War's like the planets—it moves where it wants and we can't control it. No one knows why everything's falling apart.
Mars the planets war moves where it wants we can't stop it why are we losing
Reignier is the French court's pragmatist — he talks sense when Charles is swooning, and he's often the one who points out that the army needs to actually move. Watch for how little credit he gets for being consistently right.
Let’s raise the siege. Why live we idly here?
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear.
Remaineth none but mad-brain’d Salisbury,
And he may well in fretting spend his gall;
Nor men nor money hath he to make war.
Let us lift this siege. Why do we sit idle here?
Let's leave. Why are we just sitting here doing nothing?
leave stop wasting time go
Now for the honour of the forlorn French!
Him I forgive my death that killeth me
When he sees me go back one foot or fly.
Now for the honor of the broken French nation!
For French honor! Let's fight!
for France for honor let's fight
Who ever saw the like? What men have I!
Dogs, cowards, dastards! I would ne’er have fled
But that they left me ’midst my enemies.
Who ever saw anything like this? What kind of soldiers do I have?
What just happened? What am I watching?
how what was that who IS she
Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey.
ALENÇON.
Froissart, a countryman of ours, records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands bred
During the time Edward the Third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Samsons and Goliases
It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!
Lean raw-bon’d rascals! Who would e’er suppose
They had such courage and audacity?
Salisbury is a desperate killer—no code, no mercy, no restraint.
Salisbury's a desperate killer. He doesn't fight by rules.
Salisbury he's desperate he kills no restraint
Let’s leave this town; for they are hare-brain’d slaves,
And hunger will enforce them to be more eager.
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they’ll tear down than forsake the siege.
Let us leave this town—they are wild, hare-brained fools who will destroy us through sheer desperation.
Leave. These English are crazy—they'll kill us all.
leave they're insane they'll destroy us
I think by some odd gimmers or device
Their arms are set like clocks, still to strike on;
Else ne’er could they hold out so as they do.
By my consent, we’ll even let them alone.
ALENÇON.
Be it so.
I think some strange magic or supernatural device has turned the tide—there is no natural reason for this reversal.
Something unnatural is helping them. No regular army fights like that.
magic sorcery something not human helps them
Where’s the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him.
Where is the Prince Dauphin? I have important news for him.
Where's the Dauphin? I've got something that might change things.
Dauphin where is he I have news important news
Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
Bastard of Orleans, you are thrice welcome to us.
Bastard! Thank God you're here. What do you have?
Bastard welcome what's the news please tell us
The historical Joan of Arc was burned in 1431, about 160 years before this play was written. By 1591, she was being rehabilitated in France (her trial would be officially annulled in 1456), but to an English audience she was still the witch who drove English armies out of France. Shakespeare's Joan is the English version: she'll be given genuinely impressive speeches and battlefield victories, but also a scene with demons, a denial of her father, and a claim of pregnancy at the last moment. She is simultaneously the most capable character on the French side and a figure the play ultimately condemns. This ambivalence — brilliant but demonized — makes her one of Shakespeare's most contested characters. Modern productions vary wildly in how they handle it.
Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall’d.
Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay’d, for succour is at hand.
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege
And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,
Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome.
What’s past and what’s to come she can descry.
Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,
For they are certain and unfallible.
It seems your eyes are sad, your expression broken.
You look defeated. What happened?
you look broken what happened say something
Go, call her in.
Go, call her in.
Bring her. Now.
get her now
Fair maid, is ’t thou wilt do these wondrous feats?
Fair maid, is it you who will perform these astonishing deeds?
So you're going to do all these incredible things?
you're going to save us really
Reignier is ’t thou that thinkest to beguile me?
Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind;
I know thee well, though never seen before.
Be not amazed, there’s nothing hid from me.
In private will I talk with thee apart.
Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.
Reignier—is it you trying to trick me? You are not the king.
Are you trying to fool me? You're not the king. Why would you test me?
you fake king testing me I see it
She takes upon her bravely at first dash.
She takes on the role of authority boldly from the first moment.
She's handling this like she knows what she's doing.
she's bold she knows this woman
Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter,
My wit untrain’d in any kind of art.
Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased
To shine on my contemptible estate.
Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs,
And to sun’s parching heat display’d my cheeks,
God’s mother deigned to appear to me,
And in a vision full of majesty
Will’d me to leave my base vocation
And free my country from calamity.
Her aid she promised and assured success.
In complete glory she reveal’d herself;
And, whereas I was black and swart before,
With those clear rays which she infused on me
That beauty am I blest with which you may see.
Ask me what question thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated.
My courage try by combat, if thou dar’st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this; thou shalt be fortunate
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.
Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter, but the voices of the angels came to me and filled me with purpose. In dreams I saw the crown of France resting on your head. I have abandoned my home, my flock, everything—to come and fight for you and claim your kingdom from the English thieves.
I'm a shepherd's daughter. But angels spoke to me. I've seen visions—your crown, France restored, the English driven out. I left everything to come here and make it happen.
shepherd's daughter angels spoke visions your crown France I came for you
Thou hast astonish’d me with thy high terms.
Only this proof I’ll of thy valour make:
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me,
And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
Otherwise I renounce all confidence.
You have astonished me with your grand words and confident bearing.
I wasn't expecting... your words are impressive. You sound like you believe every word.
wow you talk like you're the chosen one she believes
I am prepared. Here is my keen-edg’d sword,
Deck’d with five flower-de-luces on each side,
The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine’s churchyard,
Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.
I am prepared. Here is my sharp sword. If you doubt me, let us fight in single combat. My courage can be tested only through steel and blood.
I'm ready. See this sword? You want proof? Fight me. Right now. Let's see who's stronger.
sword fight me prove it with blood with steel
Then come, o’ God’s name; I fear no woman.
Come then, in God's name. I fear no woman.
Fine. Let's go. I don't fear you.
god's name let's fight I don't fear you
And while I live, I’ll ne’er fly from a man.
And while I live, I will never flee from a man.
And I will never run from anyone.
I don't run not ever not from anyone
Joan's first move on stage is to identify Reignier through the Dauphin's trick; her second is to demand single combat. Both moves work the same way: she establishes her authority not through argument but through direct action. In a court full of men who have been talking about fighting without winning, she fights and wins. The single combat is the play's most concentrated dramatization of the contrast between English military heroism (embodied in Talbot) and French sorcery/marvel (embodied in Joan). Charles's instant infatuation is also dramatically precise: he has just been humiliated in battle, and Joan's defeat of him in combat somehow makes him desire her rather than resent her. The eroticization of military defeat is uncomfortable and intentional.
Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon,
And fightest with the sword of Deborah.
Wait—stop—your hands—you are a warrior woman beyond compare, worthy of worship.
Wait. Stop. You're not human. You're... I've never seen anything like you.
stop wait you're impossible wonderful
Christ’s Mother helps me, else I were too weak.
Christ's Mother helps me—without her grace, I would be weak.
The Virgin Mary helps me. Without her, I'd lose.
Mary the Virgin she helps me grace
Whoe’er helps thee, ’tis thou that must help me.
Impatiently I burn with thy desire;
My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy servant and not sovereign be.
’Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.
Whoever helps you, it is you who must help me. You are my salvation.
Whoever's helping you—you're what I need. You're everything.
you're my salvation I need you everything
I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profession’s sacred from above.
When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompense.
I must not yield to any rites of love. My body is consecrated to France alone.
I don't do love. I'm here for France, not for romance. That's not my purpose.
no love no romance France only my body for the war
Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.
Meanwhile, look upon me kindly—I am your devoted slave.
Just... look at me. Let me serve you. I'll do whatever you ask.
look at me please I'll serve whatever you want
My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
ALENÇON.
Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock;
Else ne’er could he so long protract his speech.
My lord, it seems he talks for a very long time.
He's been talking forever.
he won't stop talking forever
Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean?
ALENÇON.
He may mean more than we poor men do know.
These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.
Should we interrupt him, since he shows no restraint?
Should we stop him? He's not coming up for air.
should we stop this he's gone
My lord, where are you? What devise you on?
Shall we give over Orleans, or no?
My lord, where are you? What are you planning?
Your Highness? Earth to Dauphin. What's the plan?
hello where are you what now
Why, no, I say. Distrustful recreants!
Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard.
No more delays. Faithless cowards! Take your weapons and fight.
No more talking. Stop doubting. You're soldiers—fight like it.
enough no more doubt fight now
What she says I’ll confirm. We’ll fight it out.
Whatever she says, I confirm. We will fight this through to victory.
Whatever she says goes. We'll fight. We'll win.
whatever she says yes we fight we win
Assign’d am I to be the English scourge.
This night the siege assuredly I’ll raise.
Expect Saint Martin’s summer, halcyon’s days,
Since I have entered into these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself
Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought.
With Henry’s death the English circle ends;
Dispersed are the glories it included.
Now am I like that proud insulting ship
Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once.
I am appointed to be the English plague—their scourge, their doom.
I'm here to destroy the English. That's my mission.
I'm the English scourge their doom my purpose
Was Mahomet inspired with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired then.
Helen, the mother of great Constantine,
Nor yet Saint Philip’s daughters, were like thee.
Bright star of Venus, fall’n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?
ALENÇON.
Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
Was the Prophet Muhammad blessed by a dove? You seem blessed by something greater than any earthly power.
Was Muhammad blessed with a dove? You're like heaven sent. Better than any miracle.
heaven sent blessed she's impossible god-blessed
Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;
Drive them from Orleans and be immortalized.
Woman, do whatever you can to save our honor. Drive them from Orleans and be immortal.
Do whatever you need to do. Get the English out of Orleans. You'll be a legend.
save us from Orleans drives them out immortal legend
Presently we’ll try. Come, let’s away about it.
No prophet will I trust if she prove false.
Let us try at once. Come—let's go about it now.
Let's go. Now. Let's test this.
now let's try let's see if it works
The Reckoning
Joan's entrance is the play's first genuine surprise. The Bastard promises a prophetess; what walks in is someone who immediately out-maneuvers the Dauphin's little trap, then out-fights him in combat, then out-talks everyone in the room. Her speech about her divine calling is extraordinary — specific, embodied, confident — and Charles's instant infatuation sets up a dynamic the play will exploit all the way to her death. The French have their miracle. Whether it's God's or the devil's is the question the English will obsess over.
If this happened today…
A startup is getting crushed by a better-funded competitor. The founders are demoralized and making excuses. Then someone walks in — unscheduled, unreferenced, from nowhere — and says she has a plan. They try to catch her out with a trick (Reignier pretending to be the CEO). She walks past the decoy, addresses the real founder directly, delivers a pitch that leaves the room speechless, then offers to arm-wrestle for credibility. She wins. The founder is immediately obsessed. The rest of the team is skeptical but out of better options. They say yes.