The Virgin Warrior: the Life and Death of Joan of Arc.

Introduction

When thinking of famous women throughout history, Joan of Arc (also known as Joan the Maid) is almost always one who comes to mind first. Known both in a historical and religious context, Joan was a woman admired both for her courage and devotion to God. Larissa Juliet Taylor is a scholar and professor at Yale University, and in addition to several other historical biographies and books, wrote a biography about Joan that is not like many other accounts about her.

In Taylor’s “The Virgin Warrior: The Life and Death of Joan of Arc,” a reader can gain an insight into parts of Joan’s life that do not necessarily align themselves with the typical saintlike view of Joan. Taylor’s argument in her book is that Joan’s life was not exactly as sinless and perfect as is typically thought of the warrior. This is fairly unusual, as Joan is almost always portrayed in a good light. However, while Joan may not have always been perfect, her contributions to the Hundred Years’ War and influence on those around her far outweighed her faults.

Summary of Content

There is little known about Joan’s early life, as documents were not well kept, and the recollections of others are not always the most accurate source of information. The most concrete fact known of her childhood is that she was extremely devoted to her religion and was an unmarried virgin. When she was sixteen, she ran from home because she heard voices of saints and angels that told her that she must go to Chinon and find the Dauphin, Charles VII, and bring him to Reims to be coronated. She was told that this was the only way that the French could defeat the English, who were occupying much of France during the Hundred Years’ War. She also said that the voices had told her to put on male clothing and be a warrior.

She lead French troops in multiple battles, not only serving as a commander, but as an inspiration, as she recovered within days after both an arrow to the neck and thigh. She was eventually captured at Compiègne by the English, and was imprisoned on May 23, 1430 and transferred from prison to prison until her trial began on January 9, 1431. The trial was rigged against her from the beginning, with complex questions meant to get her to incriminate herself. The prosecution would also send in a spy dressed as a priest whenever she wanted confession to try and gather evidence against her. She eventually lost her trial, and was burned at the stake in a horribly gruesome public execution on May 30, 1431. Her death was twenty-two years before the end of the Hundred Years’ War. She was eventually given a posthumous retrial in 1455, and was declared not guilty in 1456. As far as Joan’s impact on the world around her went, she heavily influenced the outcome of the Hundred Years’ War by defeating the English time and time again in battle and gaining an advantage for the French.

Analysis and Evaluation

Through the modern media in which Joan the Maid is portrayed, it is easy to believe that she was perfect and had no faults, especially since she was canonized as a saint within the last hundred years. However, there are multiple times that she was not the model of perfection that we know her as today. Despite her self-proclaimed honesty, Joan often lied. One of her biggest lies, which may have been more of a coping mechanism than anything, was at the trial, when she stated that she had never killed anyone.

Conclusion

After one looks at Joan of Arc’s life as a whole, it can be seen that she was far from a perfect person.

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