Joan of Arc
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Read the extract from G. B. Shaw’s play on Joan of Arc and fill in the Tree diagram.
Joan of Arc
Setting
- Period: 1429 (during the Hundred Years War)
- Location: Captain Robert de Baudricourt’s castle in France
Scene of the given play: Robert’s room where he meets Joan
Characters: Joan, Robert de Baudricourt, Steward, Bertrand de Poulengey
Main Plot: Joan convinces Robert to give her a horse, armor, and soldiers to meet the Dauphin and free Orleans from English control.
2. (A) Pick out from the extract of the play two lines that provide evidence for each of the following.
Joan of Arc
(a) Her confidence
- (1) “You said you would not see me. But here I am.”
- (2) “Yes, squire. A horse will cost sixteen francs.”
(b) Her courage
- (1) “The squire’s glare neither frightens her nor stops her.”
- (2) “I don’t think it can be very difficult if God is on your side.”
(c) Her optimism
- (1) “You and Polly will live to see the day when there will not be a single English soldier on the soil of France.”
- (2) “The Dauphin will give me all I need to free Orleans.”
(d) Her determination
- (1) “You think you will, squire. But it won’t happen that way.”
- (2) “I have arranged it all. You have only to give the order.”
(e) Her patriotism
- (1) “But I will teach them all to fight for France.”
- (2) “Then, they will drive the soldiers before them like sheep.”
2. (B) Using the above points, frame a character-sketch of Joan of Arc, in your own words and write it in your notebook. Suggest an attractive title for the same.
Character Sketch of Joan of Arc
- Joan of Arc is a bold and confident young girl who believes strongly in her mission. She shows great courage by standing up to powerful men like Captain Robert without fear. Her optimism shines through as she is sure of victory and freeing Orleans. Joan’s determination is clear in how she plans everything and refuses to back down. Above all, her deep love for France drives her to inspire others to fight for their country.
Title: “The Fearless Flame of France”
3. From the extract, find what the following are compared to and why:
(a) as easy as: Chasing a cow out of a meadow
- Why: Robert thinks Joan sees raising a siege as a simple task, like moving a cow, showing her innocence about war.
(b) as mad as: Joan
- Why: Robert compares Poulengey’s belief in Joan to her own madness, suggesting her ideas seem crazy.
(c) The Dauphin in Chinon is like: A rat in a corner
- Why: Poulengey says this because the Dauphin is trapped and scared, unable to fight back.
(d) The (enemy) soldiers will be driven away like: Sheep
- Why: Joan believes the French will easily push the English out, like sheep being herded.
(e) Joan of Arc is a bit of: A miracle
- Why: Poulengey sees her as special and inspiring, something extraordinary in tough times.
4. Say WHY? Write it in your notebook.
(a) Joan wanted to meet Captain Squire.
- Joan wanted to meet Robert to ask for a horse, armor, and soldiers to go to the Dauphin and fight for France.
(b) Joan did not ask for many soldiers from the Captain Squire.
- She believed the Dauphin would give her more soldiers, so she only needed a few from Robert to start her journey.
(c) Poulengey, Jack, and Dick had offered to accompany Joan.
- They were inspired by Joan’s words and saw her as a last hope to save France.
(d) French soldiers were always beaten in war.
- They fought only to save themselves and ran away instead of fighting bravely for France.
(e) Captain Squire Robert said, “I wash my hands off it.”
- Robert didn’t want to take responsibility for Joan’s plan, letting her face the outcome alone.
5. Using a dictionary, find the difference between the following pairs of phrases. Make sentences of your own with each of them.
| Phrase | Meaning | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| cut in | Interrupt someone speaking | She cut in while I was explaining the rules. |
| cut out | Stop doing something or remove it | I cut out sugar to stay healthy. |
| be held by | Be controlled or possessed by someone | The fort was held by the enemy troops. |
| be held up | Be delayed | We were held up by traffic on the way. |
| run away | Escape or flee | The thief tried to run away from the police. |
| run for | Compete in an election or race | She will run for class president this year. |
| be known as | Be called or recognized as | He is known as the best singer in school. |
| be known for | Be famous because of something | This town is known for its beautiful hills. |
| go with | Match or accompany | This shirt goes with my blue jeans. |
| go after | Chase or pursue | The dog went after the ball I threw. |
| put fire into | Inspire or motivate | Her speech put fire into the team’s spirit. |
| put fire out | Extinguish a fire | The firefighters put the fire out quickly. |
6. From an Indian History Book or Internet find out information about Indian Women (queens) who led battles. Write 3 points of similarity and 3 points of contrast between any one of the above Indian Queens and Joan of Arc.
Example: Rani of Jhansi (Lakshmibai)
Similarities
- (a) Both were brave women who led armies against foreign invaders.
- (b) Both inspired their soldiers with their strong leadership and courage.
- (c) Both fought for their country’s freedom with deep patriotism.
Contrast
- (i) Joan was a peasant girl, while Rani Lakshmibai was a queen.
- (ii) Joan relied on faith in God, while Rani used her royal training and skills.
- (iii) Joan fought in the 15th century in France, while Rani fought in the 19th century in India.
7. Read the script from Joan (Girl): Good morning, Captain Squire up to Joan: (simply) Polly and Jack have promised to come with me. Write a summary of that part of the script (in indirect speech) in 15 to 20 lines.
- Joan greeted Captain Robert de Baudricourt confidently, asking him to provide her with a horse, armor, and soldiers to meet the Dauphin. Robert was annoyed and told his steward that he had ordered the girl to be thrown out, wondering why his soldiers hadn’t done it. The steward explained that they weren’t afraid of Joan but of Robert, adding that Joan gave them courage and seemed fearless. Robert, grimly curious, asked where she was, and the steward replied that she was in the courtyard. Robert then ordered her to be brought up. When Joan entered, she spoke boldly, unaffected by Robert’s glare, and repeated her request for a horse, armor, and soldiers. Robert called her mad and threatened to send her back to her father to be locked up. Joan, unshaken, told him it wouldn’t happen that way, reminding him that he had refused to see her, yet she was now standing before him. She confidently assumed he would agree to her demands. Joan then explained that a horse would cost sixteen francs but she could save on armor by using a soldier’s fit. She assured Robert she wouldn’t need many soldiers, as the Dauphin would provide more to free Orleans. She added simply that Polly and Jack had already promised to join her.
8. (A) Make the following sentences Affirmative without change of meaning.
(a) Negative: I am not so sure, now.
- Affirmative: I am somewhat unsure now.
(b) Negative: He will not be able to stop them.
- Affirmative: He will be unable to stop them.
(c) Negative: I don’t remember.
- Affirmative: I forget.
(d) Negative: I can do no more.
- Affirmative: I can only do this much.
(e) Negative: Sir, do not anger her.
- Affirmative: Sir, keep her calm.
(f) Negative: I shall not want many soldiers.
- Affirmative: I shall want just a few soldiers.
8. (B) Fill in the gaps in the table.
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | succeed | successful | successfully |
| inspiration | inspire | inspiring | inspiringly |
| safety | save | safe | safely |
| harm | harm | harmful | harmfully |
| thought | think | thoughtful | thoughtfully |
| brightness | brighten | bright | brightly |
| courage | encourage | courageous | courageously |
| haste | hasten | hasty | hastily |
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