Dismay not, princes, at this accident,
Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered.
Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied.
Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while
And like a peacock sweep along his tail;
We’ll pull his plumes and take away his train,
If Dauphin and the rest will be but ruled.
Don't lose hope, princes, over this setback. Don't be sad that Rouen has been taken back. Worrying doesn't fix problems—it just makes them worse, especially for things that can't be fixed. Let Talbot, crazy with victory, parade around like a peacock with his feathers spread out. We'll rip out his feathers and destroy his display if the Dauphin and the others will just follow my lead.
Don't panic about losing Rouen. Worrying just makes things worse when you can't fix them anyway. Let Talbot walk around proud like a peacock for a while. We're going to pluck out his feathers and show him up if you all just listen to me.
don't panic worrying makes it worse let talbot brag like a peacock we'll destroy him if you listen to me
We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence.
One sudden foil shall never breed distrust
We have been guided by you until now, and we had no doubt about your skill. One sudden defeat will not create distrust.
You've been guiding us this whole time, and we've never doubted how clever you are. One battle lost doesn't change that.
you've guided us we trust your skill one loss won't break that
Search out thy wit for secret policies,
And we will make thee famous through the world.
ALENÇON.
We’ll set thy statue in some holy place,
And have thee reverenced like a blessed saint.
Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good.
Use your intelligence for secret plans, and we will make you famous throughout the world. We will put your statue in some holy place, and have you revered like a blessed saint. Use your power then, sweet virgin, for our benefit.
Use that brilliant mind of yours to come up with secret strategies, and we'll make you a legend everywhere. We'll build a statue of you in a holy church and people will worship it like they worship saints. Come on, virgin, use your power for our side.
use your brilliance we'll make you famous we'll build you a statue revered like a saint
Then thus it must be; this doth Joan devise:
By fair persuasions mix’d with sugar’d words
We will entice the Duke of Burgundy
To leave the Talbot and to follow us.
Then it must be this way; this is what Joan devises: by pleasant persuasion mixed with sweet-sounding words, we will tempt the Duke of Burgundy to abandon Talbot and follow us.
All right, here's what I'm going to do: I'll use charm and flattery to persuade the Duke of Burgundy to dump Talbot and come over to our side.
here's the plan: sweet talk burgundy get him to leave talbot
Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that,
France were no place for Henry’s warriors;
Nor should that nation boast it so with us,
But be extirped from our provinces.
ALENÇON.
For ever should they be expulsed from France,
And not have title of an earldom here.
Yes, certainly, if we could do that, France would be no place for Henry's soldiers; they should not be able to boast of success with us, but be uprooted from our provinces. ALENÇON. Forever they should be expelled from France, and they should have no title to an earldom here.
Yes, absolutely, if we could pull that off, there'd be no place for Henry's soldiers in France; they wouldn't be able to claim any victories over us, just be driven out of our lands. They should be expelled from France forever and have no right to rule any part of it.
if we do that no place for english warriors expel them forever no titles in france
Your honours shall perceive how I will work
To bring this matter to the wished end.
You will see how I will work to bring this matter to the desired outcome.
You will see how I'll work to make this happen the way we want it.
watch me work i'll make this happen
Hark! By the sound of drum you may perceive
Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward.
Listen! By the sound of drums you can hear that their armies are marching toward Paris.
Listen! You can hear the drums - their armies are heading toward Paris.
hear those drums their armies marching to paris
Joan's manipulation of Burgundy is Shakespeare's portrait of rhetoric as a weapon. She doesn't threaten or force — she appeals to patriotism, national pride, and self-interest. First she makes him feel guilty ('you're wounding France'). Then she makes him feel used ('the English will discard you'). By the time she finishes, Burgundy doesn't just agree — he embraces France with gratitude. The scene shows how a skilled speaker can achieve what an army cannot. Joan wins a crucial military advantage through language alone.
There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread,
And all the troops of English after him.
There goes Talbot with his banners displayed, and all the English troops following him.
There's Talbot with his flags flying high, and all the English soldiers right behind him.
there's talbot with his banner flying all english troops follow
Now in the rearward comes the Duke and his.
Fortune in favour makes him lag behind.
Summon a parley; we will talk with him.
Now the Duke and his men come up in the rear. Fortune, favoring us, makes him lag behind. Call for a parley; we will speak with him.
Now here comes the Duke and his men at the back. Lucky for us he's fallen behind. Call him to talk - we need to speak with him.
the duke's coming from behind luck on our side let's talk to him
A parley with the Duke of Burgundy!
A negotiation with the Duke of Burgundy!
A meeting to talk with the Duke of Burgundy!
let's talk to burgundy!
Conflicted and vulnerable. He's been allied with the English, but his heart is French. Joan targets exactly that conflict. By the end, he yields not because he's convinced of the logic but because the emotional and national pressure is overwhelming. His aside 'Done like a Frenchman: turn and turn again' shows he knows his own volatility — and chooses it anyway.
Who craves a parley with the Burgundy?
Who is seeking a negotiation with me, Burgundy?
Who wants to talk to me?
who's asking for me?
The princely Charles of France, thy countryman.
The noble Charles of France, your countryman.
It's Charles of France, and he's from your country.
it's charles of france your countryman
What say’st thou, Charles? for I am marching hence.
What do you say, Charles? For I am leaving now.
What do you want to say, Charles? I'm on my way out of here.
what's up charles? i'm leaving
Speak, Pucelle, and enchant him with thy words.
Speak, Pucelle, and use your words to captivate him.
Go on, Pucelle, charm him with what you say.
go pucelle charm him with words
Burgundy's instant defection reveals the weakness of the English position in France. Without native support, the English are occupiers, not rulers. Burgundy was never truly English — he was always potentially French. Joan just had to remind him. The scene teaches a cold political lesson: loyalty based on temporary advantage is no loyalty at all. Burgundy's flip-flop (which he himself acknowledges) shows why the English will eventually be driven from France. They have military power but no legitimate claim to the hearts of French lords.
Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France,
Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee.
Brave Burgundy, France's certain hope, stay and let your humble servant speak to you.
Great Burgundy, the one we're all counting on, wait—let me say something to you.
brave burgundy our only hope listen to me
Speak on, but be not over-tedious.
Go ahead and speak, but do not be overly tedious.
Go ahead, but try not to bore me with a long speech.
speak up but keep it short
Look on thy country, look on fertile France,
And see the cities and the towns defaced
By wasting ruin of the cruel foe.
As looks the mother on her lowly babe
When death doth close his tender dying eyes,
See, see the pining malady of France;
Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds,
Which thou thyself hast given her woeful breast.
O, turn thy edged sword another way;
Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help.
One drop of blood drawn from thy country’s bosom
Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore.
Return thee therefore with a flood of tears,
And wash away thy country’s stained spots.
Look at your country, look at fertile France, and see the cities and towns destroyed by the cruel enemy's devastating destruction. Like a mother gazing at her beloved child when death closes his tender dying eyes, see the withering sickness of France; behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds, which you yourself have given her sorrowful breast. Oh, turn your sharp sword in another direction; strike those who cause harm, and do not harm those who help. One single drop of blood drawn from your country's heart should grieve you more than streams of foreign blood. Come back therefore with a flood of tears, and wash away your country's stained marks.
Look at your country, look at France with all its fertile land, and see how the cities and towns have been destroyed by the enemy's cruel devastation. It's like watching a mother look down at her dying child, seeing life slip away—that's how France looks now, sick and dying. Look at the wounds, the terrible wounds that you yourself have given to France's heart. Come on, turn your sword to face the real enemy instead; fight those who are actually harming us, not those of us trying to help. One single drop of blood from France should hurt you more than all the blood of foreign enemies. Come back home with tears pouring down your face and wash away the stains on your country.
look at france cities destroyed like a dying child wounds you inflicted turn your sword around fight the real enemy one drop of french blood should matter most
Either she hath bewitch’d me with her words,
Or nature makes me suddenly relent.
Either she has cast a spell on me with her words, or my own nature is making me suddenly feel remorse.
Either she's cast some kind of spell on me with what she's saying, or something inside me is just suddenly making me want to give in.
is she bewitching me? or am i just giving in?
Besides, all French and France exclaims on thee,
Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny.
Who join’st thou with but with a lordly nation
That will not trust thee but for profit’s sake?
When Talbot hath set footing once in France,
And fashion’d thee that instrument of ill,
Who then but English Henry will be lord,
And thou be thrust out like a fugitive?
Call we to mind, and mark but this for proof:
Was not the Duke of Orleans thy foe?
And was he not in England prisoner?
But when they heard he was thine enemy,
They set him free without his ransom paid,
In spite of Burgundy and all his friends.
See then, thou fight’st against thy countrymen,
And join’st with them will be thy slaughtermen.
Come, come, return; return, thou wandering lord;
Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms.
Besides, all French people are calling you out and questioning whether you are even legitimate. Who are you joining with but the English, a proud nation that will not trust you except for profit's sake? When Talbot has set foot in France and made you an instrument of evil, who then will be in charge but English Henry, and you will be thrown out like a fugitive? Let us remember, and note this as proof: was not the Duke of Orleans your enemy? And was he not a prisoner in England? But when they heard he was your enemy, they set him free without his ransom being paid, despite Burgundy and all your friends. See then, you fight against your own countrymen, and join with those who will be your murderers. Come, come, return; return, wandering lord; Charles and the rest will welcome you in their arms.
Besides, all the French people are calling you out and questioning whether you're even legitimate. Who are you fighting alongside but the English, a nation that doesn't care about you except for what they can get out of you? Once Talbot gets his foot in the door of France and uses you as his tool, then what? English Henry will run the whole place and you'll end up running away like a criminal. Think about this: wasn't the Duke of Orleans your enemy? Wasn't he a prisoner in England? But when the English found out he was your enemy, they just let him go without even asking for ransom—to show us they don't care about your loyalty. So you're really fighting against your own people, and the English will turn on you and kill you the moment they don't need you. Come back, come back to us; we'll welcome you like a brother.
france doubts you the english don't trust you talbots using you henry will take over you'll be thrown out they freed orleans to prove it you're fighting your own people come back to us
I am vanquished; these haughty words of hers
Have batter’d me like roaring cannon-shot,
And made me almost yield upon my knees.
Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen!
And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace.
My forces and my power of men are yours.
So, farewell, Talbot; I’ll no longer trust thee.
I am defeated; these proud words of hers have struck me like booming cannon fire, and have made me almost surrender on my knees. Forgive me, country, and dear fellow countrymen! And, lords, accept this genuine and kind embrace. My forces and my army of soldiers are yours. So, goodbye, Talbot; I will no longer trust you.
I'm beaten; her passionate words have hit me like cannon fire, and I'm almost on my knees surrendering. I'm sorry, France, I'm sorry, my fellow Frenchmen! Lords, take this as a genuine embrace of friendship. All my soldiers and all my power are yours now. So that's it, Talbot—I'm done with you, and I don't trust you anymore.
i surrender her words hit like cannon im on my knees forgive me france my soldiers are yours farwell talbot
[_Aside_.] Done like a Frenchman: turn and turn again.
That's how a Frenchman behaves: always turning back and forth.
So French: flip-flopping over and over again.
typical frenchman always changing his mind
Welcome, brave Duke! Thy friendship makes us fresh.
Welcome, brave Duke! Your friendship makes us strong and renewed.
Welcome, Duke! Having you as a friend makes us feel energized again.
welcome duke! your friendship strengthens us
And doth beget new courage in our breasts.
ALENÇON.
Pucelle hath bravely play’d her part in this,
And doth deserve a coronet of gold.
And creates new courage in our hearts. ALENÇON. Pucelle has played her part bravely in this, and deserves a crown of gold.
And it fills us all with new courage. ALENÇON. Pucelle really came through for us, and she deserves a golden crown.
gives us new courage pucelle was brilliant she deserves a crown
Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers,
And seek how we may prejudice the foe.
Now let us go forward, my lords, and combine our forces, and seek how we may harm the enemy.
Now let's move forward, everyone, and put all our forces together so we can figure out how to damage the enemy.
let's go forward join our forces let's hurt the foe
The Reckoning
This scene is Joan's masterpiece of manipulation. She doesn't fight Burgundy — she seduces him with language. The entire English position in France depends on Burgundy's loyalty, and Joan removes that pillar with words. Burgundy's capitulation is less about Joan's arguments than about his susceptibility to them — he's already wavering. What's devastating is that he knows he's being manipulated and yields anyway ('Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words, / Or nature makes me suddenly relent'). He chooses to be betrayed because the alternative — admitting his English alliance was wrong — is worse. Joan wins.
If this happened today…
A military alliance partner is wavering. The opposing side sends an envoy to appeal to patriotism, national pride, and shared culture. The envoy doesn't threaten — they appeal to the conscience. 'Your own people think you're a traitor for siding with foreign powers. Why are you fighting your own countrymen for profit?' The partner knows it's manipulation. They know they're being played. But they switch sides anyway because the emotional and political pressure is too great to resist.