Saint Joan · Chapter
A Void in the Elizabethan Drama explained
Shaw contrasts his own historical perspective, informed by the rediscovery of the Middle Ages, with the Elizabethan drama of Shakespeare, arguing that Shakespeare's characters lack medieval context and are instead individualistic, Protestan
What happens
Shaw contrasts his own historical perspective, informed by the rediscovery of the Middle Ages, with the Elizabethan drama of Shakespeare, arguing that Shakespeare's characters lack medieval context and are instead individualistic, Protestant, and self-centered. Shaw asserts that his play fills this void by presenting the Church, the Inquisition, and the Feudal System as dramatic forces, making the story of Joan of Arc more than a personal accident.
Themes in this chapter
Historical Interpretation
Shaw critiques Shakespeare's anachronistic portrayal of medieval figures and argues for a historically informed depiction that includes the Church, Inquisition, and Feudal System.
Individual vs. Institution
Shaw contrasts Shakespeare's focus on individual characters with his own emphasis on institutional forces like the Church and Feudal System that shape events.
Characters to notice
- Peter Cauchon
Mentioned as a figure who would be misrepresented by Shakespeare as a tyrant and bully rather than a Catholic.
- Brother John Lemaître
Mentioned as the inquisitor who would be misrepresented by Shakespeare as a Sadist rather than a lawyer.
- Warwick
Mentioned as a figure who would lose his feudal quality in Shakespeare's portrayal.
- Mark Twain
Cited alongside Shakespeare as someone who would misunderstand Cauchon.
Key passages
“I write in full view of the Middle Ages, which may be said to have been rediscovered in the middle of the nineteenth century after an eclipse of about four hundred and fifty years.”
Shaw claims his work benefits from the 19th-century rediscovery of medieval history, which had been obscured since the Renaissance.
Shaw positions himself as a modern playwright with a clearer historical lens than the Elizabethans.
“All Shakespeare’s characters are so: that is why they seem natural to our middle classes, who are comfortable and irresponsible at other people’s expense, and are neither ashamed of that condition nor even conscious of it.”
Shaw argues that Shakespeare's characters reflect the individualism and irresponsibility of the middle class, who are oblivious to their own privilege.
Shaw critiques both Shakespeare and contemporary society for lacking awareness of systemic forces.