Strange as it may seem to you, it has even left no mark on her character outside those special matters in which she is proud so that you will see a diabolical pride and a natural humility seated side by side in the selfsame soul.

The devilish pride that has led her into her present peril had left no mark on her countenance. This girl is not one of those whose hard features are the sign of hard hearts, and whose brazen looks and lewd demeanor condemn them before they are accused. Early in the play, she establishes her superiority in terms of military tactics and strategy, always knowing where to place the cannons and other artillery. You are going to see before you a young girl, pious and chaste for I must tell you, gentlemen, that the things said of her by our English friends are supported by no evidence, whilst there is abundant testimony that her excesses have been excesses of religion and charity and not of worldliness and wantonness. For the public, Joan, according to Shaw's Preface, offers her brilliant ideas in terms of voices from heaven which speak to her. Therefore you must be on guard against your natural compassion.

Premiering in 1923, three years after her canonizationby the Roman Catholic Church, the play reflects Shaw's belief that the people involved in Joan's trial acted according to what they thought was right.

They believe honestly and sincerely that their diabolical inspiration is divine. Saint Joanis a play by George Bernard Shawabout 15th-century French military figure Joan of Arc. “You must not fall into the common error of mistaking these simpletons for liars and hypocrites. Saint Joan (the full title is Saint Joan: A Chronicle Play in Six Scenes and an Epilogue) is a play written by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw that was published in 1924.

Saint joan bernard shaw