Because the English were ultimately responsible for executing Joan of Arc, the usual view of their changing judgments of her is a progressive one—from witch to heroine to saint. However, their opinions prove to be much more varied and nuanced, encompassing praise, blame, and uneasiness all within 200 years of her death. This talk discusses some of these complex reactions from English historians, playwrights, and biographers through the Early Modern era.

Gail Orgelfinger, Senior Lecturer of English at UMBC, Emerita, is the author of Joan of Arc in the English Imagination, 1429–1829 (Penn State University Press, 2019).