Saint Joan : The Trial Scene
G.B.
Shaw is the father of comedy of ideas. His saint Joan is considered to
be the best play. Intellectually and emotionally, its trial scene is one of the
most effective scenes. In this scene Joan is tried for heresy. This scene is
the most romantic and thrilling part of the play. It has contributed much to its
popularity. Its artistic excellence and beauty received high praise.
The
sixth scene of the play is the great trial scene. It is the best scene of the
play. Joan is captured and tried for heresy in the castle of Rouen. Cauchon,
the presiding judge at the trial, the promoter and many others are present. In
the beginning of the scene Earl of Warwick warns them to be quicker with the
trial.
When Warwick points out the political necessity of burning the maid,
Cauchon becomes fierce and says that the church does not recognize any
political necessity. But the Inquisitor points to him that the maid herself
appears determined to be burnt. After this Warwick leaves the court and the
trial begins.
Joan
is brought in. Many questions are asked to her. She is called a heretic. She is
surprised at this accusation. She calls the Inquisitor a fool. Cauchon warns
Joan and says that such a rude manner would not help her. She is informed that
the Executioner is ready to carry out the orders for burning her and the stake
is ready in the market place.
But if she agrees to recant, the church will be
merciful to her. Joan is afraid of death. Thus she agrees to recant. The
recantation is drafted and she signs it. The Inquisitor then pronounces she is
sentenced to solitary confinement for the rest of her life. She is shocked to
learn that she will not be set free.
She tears up her incantation and prefers
death by burning to imprisonment. She is then pronounced a relapsed heretic and
is led away through the courtyard to the stake.
The
justice to Joan has been questioned. In his preface to the play Shaw has tried
to establish that Joan received a fairer trial than many a culprit gets in a
modern secular court. The judges might have committed an error of judgment but
certainly they did not act out of malice or enmity.
There can be no question of
their being corrupt or hostile. Their sincerity is above doubt. It is another
matter that they committed an error in sending Joan to the stake. This
assertion has been hotly debated.
Some
critics are of the view that Joan did not receive fair trial. They mention a
lot of evidence. They say that Cauchon is the personal enemy of Joan. He is in
league with the English Earl of Warwick who regards Joan as an enemy of
feudalism. All the judges are appointed by Cauchon. Thus they are guided not by
sincere love of truth and religion. The case against her is not explained to
her. She is not allowed to see evidence against her. Questions put to her are
ambiguous. She is threatened with torture. These are against all judicial
procedure.
Some
other critics are of the view that Shaw has tried to establish the honesty and
sincerity of Bishop Cauchon. He is entirely uninfluenced by the political enemy
of Joan. He really believes that the girl is heretic and the church is in
danger from her. But her burning is not a political necessity for him. During
the trial he has been shown as completely impartial, just and fair. He permits
Joan’s trial only on grounds of heresy and brushes aside all types of charges.
He does not permit torture and gives her ample opportunity to recant. But Joan
is ultimately convicted. She herself does much harm to her own case because her
behavior is often rude and insulting. Thus Joan’s murder is a judicial murder,
a pious murder, a murder that is not committed by murderers. Joan’s judges are
not villains but honest men guided by best of intentions.
Thus it may be said that Joan is given a fair
trial. The artistic merits of the scene are also beyond question. Its
intellectual eminence is generally recognized. The scene is also emotionally satisfying.
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