Joan of Arc's heroic life
Joan of Arc's heroic life
Overview of Joan of Arc's life.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
NARRATOR: Joan of Arc, an heroic peasant girl, is called upon by God to save France from ruin.
PROFESSOR COLETTE BEAUNE: "In the 15th century there was a strong belief that God could alter the course of history, especially in a place as devoutly Christian as the Kingdom of France."
NARRATOR: Joan of Arc was raised in a pious family. At the age of 13 she begins hearing voices, and has her first visions. She vows to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Joan receives a divine command to help France in its fight against the English. The Archangel Micheal, the angel of the Apocalypse - who commonly visits Joan's in her visions - appears as her messenger. The peasant girl searches out the French king Charles the Seventh. He is demoralized, the French appear destined for defeat. Joan becomes his rock in the storm. King Charles summons France's foremost theologians. They are to review the sincerity of Joan of Arc's faith. She withstands their scrutiny and becomes a commander in the French army.
Joan of Arc leads France to numerous victories. But she wants more - her goal is to reclaim Paris. Her plan fails, and King Charles ceases supporting her troops. From that point on Joan of Arc is left to fight a hopeless battle. The outcome is a foregone conclusion. The French army suffers a devastating defeat. The Burgundians take Joan of Arc prisoner. They then sell her to the English in exchange for a ransom. This is a huge triumph for the enemy.
MARIE-VERONIQUE CLIN: "The English found it absolutely insufferable that a young girl was leading an army against them; and what's more, she was victorious against the English army. There was only one explanation. She had been sent by the devil. The only way to dispose of her was to burn her at the stake."
NARRATOR: Afraid of the pyre, Joan of Arc recanted, agreeing to not bear arms, but three days later her sentence was reinstated. The Maid of Orlèans bravely accepts her fate. Charles the Seventh would later rehabilitate her. In 1920, almost 500 years later, Joan of Arc was sainted.
PROFESSOR COLETTE BEAUNE: "In the 15th century there was a strong belief that God could alter the course of history, especially in a place as devoutly Christian as the Kingdom of France."
NARRATOR: Joan of Arc was raised in a pious family. At the age of 13 she begins hearing voices, and has her first visions. She vows to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Joan receives a divine command to help France in its fight against the English. The Archangel Micheal, the angel of the Apocalypse - who commonly visits Joan's in her visions - appears as her messenger. The peasant girl searches out the French king Charles the Seventh. He is demoralized, the French appear destined for defeat. Joan becomes his rock in the storm. King Charles summons France's foremost theologians. They are to review the sincerity of Joan of Arc's faith. She withstands their scrutiny and becomes a commander in the French army.
Joan of Arc leads France to numerous victories. But she wants more - her goal is to reclaim Paris. Her plan fails, and King Charles ceases supporting her troops. From that point on Joan of Arc is left to fight a hopeless battle. The outcome is a foregone conclusion. The French army suffers a devastating defeat. The Burgundians take Joan of Arc prisoner. They then sell her to the English in exchange for a ransom. This is a huge triumph for the enemy.
MARIE-VERONIQUE CLIN: "The English found it absolutely insufferable that a young girl was leading an army against them; and what's more, she was victorious against the English army. There was only one explanation. She had been sent by the devil. The only way to dispose of her was to burn her at the stake."
NARRATOR: Afraid of the pyre, Joan of Arc recanted, agreeing to not bear arms, but three days later her sentence was reinstated. The Maid of Orlèans bravely accepts her fate. Charles the Seventh would later rehabilitate her. In 1920, almost 500 years later, Joan of Arc was sainted.