Nature Symbol Analysis

Shaw evokes elements of the natural world to symbolize freedom from institutional bonds. While most characters in Saint Joan subscribe to ideologies espoused by institutions like the Church or the monarchy and justify their actions and worldviews in light of these institutions, Joan exists outside of institutional influence, choosing to operate in accordance with her personal, internal beliefs. As such, Shaw frequently connects Joan to the natural world. One example of this appears in Scene III, when Joan’s arrival at Orleans coincides with Dunois and his page observing kingfishers fly over the Loire river. By paralleling Joan’s arrival with the presence of kingfishers, Shaw emphasizes Joan’s ties to nature and her rejection of institutional power. More explicitly, in Scene VII, when Joan decides she would rather burn at the stake than spend the rest of her days in prison, she explains that while she can give up her military pursuits, armor, and renown, it is impossible for her to live without nature and freedom. Joan would rather suffer an excruciating death than spend the rest of her days cut off from nature, personal freedom, imprisoned in a literal institutional structure.