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Gender
In Henry VI, Part 1, it is considered kind of doubtful for a woman to lead an army or fight in a battle. That's not to say women didn't get to do anything—after all, Queen Elizabeth is running England when this play is written—but societal attitudes were different. Joan behaves in what her time period would consider a masculine way, kicking butt on the battlefield just like Talbot. This, of course, contrasts with Henry VI, who doesn't show too much Arnold Schwarzenegger macho. They are sort of opposites in this way, each falling short of their gender expectations. Go team.
Joan is the most masculine character in the play.
In Henry, Shakespeare challenges the assumption that men have to be great on the battlefield.
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