Saint Joan Theme of Pride

Just about everybody in Saint Joan accuses Joan of pride. It is unclear as to whether she's guilty of this or not. Her every decision leads to success for her and those around her. She also believes that she gets her orders directly from God. In her mind, that all adds up to the idea that everyone should just listen to her and do what she says. The rich and powerful, however, view this as insufferable pride, when coming from an upstart teenage girl.

Questions About Pride

  1. Is pride Joan's tragic flaw or is her tragedy that she did the "right" things in the "wrong" world?
  2. What behaviors in Joan cause people to accuse her of pride?
  3. Is Joan guilty of faith or pride when she sets out to free Paris with inferior numbers? Which characters in the play besides Joan could also be accused of pride?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Joan should be proud of her pride. She is indeed almost always right.

Joan is in no way guilty of pride, as she is always humble before God.