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Summary
Talbot and Burgundy enter, congratulating themselves on having both lost and recovered their positions in the same day. They plan to restore order in Rouen and then depart for Paris to see King Henry. Before they go, they will bury and honor the deceased Bedford.
Meanwhile, Joan tells Charles, Alençon, and the Bastard of Orléans not to despair after losing to Talbot, as she foresees crushing him later. Charles says that he has no doubt of her skill; one small setback will not make him distrust her. Alençon and the Bastard assure her that they’ll make her famous throughout the world; they’ll have her statue placed in a prominent location and treat it like a saintly relic if she continues her good work. She then announces her plan to lure Burgundy away from Talbot and to have him join the French forces. Charles and his lords are delighted, sure that such a plan will rid France of the English soldiers forever.
Seeing that Talbot and Burgundy are leading their troops toward them, Joan has a messenger hail Burgundy for a parley. Joan tells him to look on the fields of France and reflect on the wounds he has caused his country by siding with its foe. She goes on to say that the French now doubt his nationality. She also claims that England only wants him to win the war, and that he will be cast aside when they declare victory. Moved by her words, Burgundy asks the French lords to forgive him and to accept his embrace, as he intends to hand over his forces and break with Talbot. Charles welcomes him.
In Paris, Henry and his lords welcome the arrival of Talbot. Talbot announces that he has reclaimed fifty fortresses, twelve cities, and seven walled towns, along with many prisoners. The king thanks him and rewards him with the earldom of Shrewsbury in gratitude for his long service to the crown. The lords all exit, leaving Vernon and Basset alone. Vernon wears a white rose in support of York, and Basset wears a red rose in support of Somerset. Vernon confronts Basset about slander he said about York. When Vernon strikes him, Basset reminds his foe that they have been forbidden to fight upon pain of death. Vernon concedes that the time is not right for a fight, and they agree to resume their quarrel later.
Analysis
Despite the English victory in Rouen, these scenes demonstrate Joan’s ascending power. For one thing, it’s notable that Charles no longer harbors any doubts about her. Previously, when the English retook Orléans, he worried that Joan might not have what it takes to lead the French to victory. Now, however, he swears that a minor loss won’t diminish his faith in her: “One sudden foil shall never breed distrust” (3.7.11). Charles’s lords have also changed their tune. No longer upset that she is upstaging them, they celebrate her. Alençon is particularly keen to “set [her] statue in some holy place / And have [her] reverenced like a blessed saint” (3.7.14–15). The French leadership is now completely in line with Joan.
If at this point the audience has any doubts about Joan’s influence, these doubts fade as we witness her convert Burgundy back to the French side. Some critics have argued that Joan’s speech in this scene isn’t quite convincing. For example, her simile comparing France to a mother whose child is dying is only mildly moving (see 3.7.47–48), as is her plea: “See, see the pining malady of France” (3.7.49). But even if we may not feel moved by Joan’s words, it’s clear that Burgundy does. Just one scene prior, we heard him celebrate Talbot in terms strikingly similar to those used by Alençon regarding Joan: “Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy / Enshrines thee in his heart, and there erects / Thy noble deeds as valor’s monuments” (3.6.4–6). Yet all it takes to steer Burgundy away from the noble Talbot are Joan’s chastening words about national betrayal. “I am vanquishèd,” he finally declares: “These haughty words of hers / Have battered me like roaring cannon shot” (3.7.78–79). It’s telling that he likens her words to artillery, a comparison that underscores how, for Joan, every encounter is a battle. In this case, she’s waging a war of wits.
Meanwhile, the argument between Basset and Vernon shows that the struggle between the followers of the white and red roses has crossed the Channel. Whereas the French are consolidating their powers and developing strength through unity, the English seem quickly to be falling apart. The dispute between York (formerly Plantagenet) and Somerset is now playing out independently of the lords who inaugurated it. And as Vernon and Basset affirm that they’ll find another way to continue their quarrel, it seems increasingly obvious that England’s future in France is in danger. The tides indeed seem to be turning toward the French, though it remains to be seen how and when the battle will reach its decisive turning point.
