Saint Joan · Chapter
Was Joan Suicidal explained
This chapter examines the accusation that Joan of Arc had a suicidal tendency, arguing that her actions—such as jumping from a tower at Beaurevoir and courting death in battle—were not acts of suicidal mania but deliberate choices to risk d
What happens
This chapter examines the accusation that Joan of Arc had a suicidal tendency, arguing that her actions—such as jumping from a tower at Beaurevoir and courting death in battle—were not acts of suicidal mania but deliberate choices to risk death for freedom or to save Compiègne. The author compares her to military figures like Wellington and Nelson, who also took extreme risks without being labeled suicidal, and notes that Joan herself expressed conscience about the leap, claiming Saint Catherine forbade it but later forgave her.
Themes in this chapter
Individual vs. Institution
Joan's defiance of captivity and her choice of death over submission to institutional authority (the English and their allies) exemplifies the conflict between personal will and institutional power.
The Tragedy of Greatness
Joan's extraordinary vigor and intensity of character, combined with her deliberate risk-taking, led to her tragic end at the stake, highlighting the cost of greatness.
Characters to notice
- Joan of Arc
Discussed as accused of suicidal tendency; her leap from Beaurevoir Castle and her deliberate risk of death in battle are analyzed as choices for liberty or duty, not mania.
- Wellington
Cited as a comparison: Wellington took desperate risks at Waterloo without being accused of suicidal mania.
- St. Catherine
Mentioned as the saint who forbade Joan from jumping but later forgave her disobedience.
Key passages
“She was accused of a suicidal tendency; and it is a fact that when she attempted to escape from Beaurevoir Castle by jumping from a tower said to be sixty feet high, she took a risk beyond reason, though she recovered from the crash after a few days fasting.”
Joan was charged with being suicidal, and indeed she jumped from a tower about sixty feet high to escape Beaurevoir Castle—a reckless act—but she survived the fall after fasting for several days.
Summarizes the key event and accusation.
“Her death was deliberately chosen as an alternative to life without liberty.”
Joan consciously chose to die rather than live without freedom.
Captures the central argument of the chapter.
“In battle she challenged death as Wellington did at Waterloo, and as Nelson habitually did when he walked his quarter deck during his battles with all his decorations in full blaze.”
On the battlefield, Joan faced death just as Wellington did at Waterloo and as Nelson often did when he strolled his quarterdeck wearing all his medals during combat.
Highlights the comparison to famous military leaders.