Historiographic essay on Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc : A saint , a soldier , a woman

Five centuries ago , history burned Joan of Arc at stake for heresy Today , she is admired as the girl martyr , soldier and saint who changed the world with her faith

In logical consideration , to arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man 's character , one must judge it by the standards of his time . But the character of Joan of Arc is unique . Judged by any of them , judged by all of them , it is still flawless it is still ideally perfect p

It is however insolent , if not preposterous to judge her without discerning her faith , the conditions of her time , her gallantry and maidenhood . For to dispose of one is to curtail the whole , and what difference would that make to the false judgment bestowed to her in that stake almost five centuries ago

The Peculiarity that Towered her Time

When we reflect that her century was the wickedest , most brutal , the rottenest in history since the darkest age , we are lost in wonder at the miracle of such a product from such a soil . In Georges Rouault depiction of her in 1951 , the French painter pictured a brilliant , monumental figure that is astride in a colourful horse and who towered any landscape of her times

Joan of Arc , a mere child in years , ignorant , unlettered , a poor village girl unknown and without influence , found a nation lying in chains helpless and hopeless under an alien domination , their King...