Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc · Chapter
Our Last Hopes of Rescue Fail explained
Joan has been condemned for heresy and sorcery, and Cauchon devises a scheme to force her to publicly abjure and then be executed, using exhaustion, fear of fire, and deceit.
What happens
Joan has been condemned for heresy and sorcery, and Cauchon devises a scheme to force her to publicly abjure and then be executed, using exhaustion, fear of fire, and deceit. Louis de Conte and Noël Rainguesson, hoping for a rescue based on Joan's prophetic Voices, watch crowds at the city gate but find no familiar faces. They witness preparations for the stake at St. Ouen and later mistakenly believe a group of monks might be Joan's old comrades in disguise, only to be disappointed.
Themes in this chapter
Betrayal and Martyrdom
Cauchon's scheme to trick Joan into abjuring and then execute her highlights the betrayal of justice and the path to martyrdom.
Injustice and Corruption of Power
The manipulation of the trial process by Cauchon and the English to ensure Joan's death exemplifies the corruption of ecclesiastical and political power.
Truth Versus Propaganda
Cauchon's need to make Joan 'seem' to condemn herself publicly shows the struggle between truth and the manipulation of public perception.
Characters to notice
- Joan of Arc
Condemned and awaiting execution; her spirit remains strong but her body is failing.
- Pierre Cauchon
Devises a manipulative plan to force Joan to abjure and then be executed.
- Louis de Conte
Narrator; hopes for a rescue but is ultimately disappointed.
- Noël Rainguesson
Accompanies Louis de Conte in searching for signs of rescue.
- Nicolas Loyseleur
Smuggled into Joan's presence to persuade her to submit to the Church.
- Beaupere
Implied to be aware of Cauchon's scheme.
Key passages
“Joan had been adjudged guilty of heresy, sorcery, and all the other terrible crimes set forth in the Twelve Articles, and her life was in Cauchon’s hands at last.”
Joan was found guilty of heresy and sorcery, giving Cauchon control over her fate.
Summarizes the verdict and Cauchon's power over Joan.
“She must condemn herself, and in public—at least she must seem to do it.”
Joan had to appear to publicly condemn herself.
Highlights Cauchon's plan for a false public abjuration.
“We had no heart for that place.”
We couldn't bear to stay there.
Louis de Conte's emotional reaction to the site of the stake.
“How foolish we were; but we were young, you know, and youth hopeth all things, believeth all things.”
We were foolish in our hope, but youth is full of hope and belief.
Reflects on the naivety of hoping for a rescue.