Burning Of Joan

The Claim for the Burning of Joan
Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw illustrates the story of Saint Joan; a young woman who took charge of the French Armies during the Hundred Years' War. Joan is set on this course through voices that she believes come from a heavenly source. Although Joan is guided to victory, she is ultimately burned at the stake because many religious and secu-lar officials are threatened by the power Joan holds. The officials try to legitimize her death by reasoning that Joan disregarded many of the beliefs and customs of The Church, therefore making her a heretic. However, Joan was not only burned for being a supposed heretic, but also for political reasons tied to The Church and feudal hierarchy.
Joan was convicted her of heresy

If more people joined Joan in her beliefs, it would pose an even greater threat to The Church. When the heresy Joan supposedly embodies is first men-tioned, Cauchon says "For now you have only Mahomet and his dupes, and the Maid and her dupes; but what will it be when every girl thinks herself a Joan and every man a Ma-homet? " (104). In this instance, Cauchon is worried that more people will believe that they do not need The Church to be spiritually connected with god. They will instead adopt Joan’s view of Protestantism, which the church adamantly objects. The people may see Protestantism as an alternative to the more traditional methods of The Catholic Church. Alternatively, during Joan's trial, the inquisitor iterates that the most vital charge Joan being tried with is heresy. Along with Cauchon, The Inquisitor is worried that Joan will begin her movement, but will then be followed by scores of people who will be even more extreme than Joan is. He continues his speech by rationalizing that women who wear clothes outside of their gender roles “…are followed, as surely as the night follows the day, by bands of wild women and men who refuse to wear any clothes at all. “(128). This could be considered a comparison for the aforementioned Protestantism, in that Protestantism is a denomination that could be seen as a catalyst for a larger movement where the followers are even more opposed to the way of worship within Catholicism. Joan could be the spark that lights the flame, causing members within society to create a contrasting religious