The Many Faces of Joan essays

The Many Faces of Joan essays Many historical figures have been represented and depicted by others in days far past their own. Some accurate and some not. And in many ways, figures throughout history can be portrayed not only by their actions alone, but also how others surrounding them lived and influenced their life. No other two characters in either the literature or films we viewed were more defined by one another than Joan and the Dauphin of France. In both Henry VI by William Shakespeare and the film Joan Of Arc by Victor Fleming the twos relationship fed off each other and aided in giving the reader or audience more understanding of the two as individuals. Yet despite the shared concept of portraying factual events in history, the two works had many similarities just as they did differences. In the film we do not get an accurate depiction of the Dauphin, instead we get Flemings interpretation of him, yet this makes for a good comparison. Our first introduction to the Dauphin is anything but flattering. We see a man who should be ruling his country yet instead is acting like a common beggar. In the scene the Dauphin is sitting on his throne when suddenly he begins to beg for money from a man who appears to be a common financial source. The man refuses and the Dauphin seems to try to exert some dominance by telling the man he should bow in his presence. The man shrugs off this notion and makes the statement you own me money as if to suggest that the Dauphin has no real power. The Dauphin then continues to try and borrow money to which we hear the man reply, If I were to give you 3000 gold crowns you would surely leave us (Fleming, 1948). This is a powerful statement, it gives us our first impression of the Dauphin, a man who has been given power to rule a county due to his families blood line, and yet is an easy push over who receives no respect form his subjects nor himself. The Dauphin is not seen as someo...