Rhetorical Analysis Of Saint Joan By George Bernard Shaw

In the passage from the play “Saint Joan,” George Bernard Shaw utilizes a variety of rhetorical strategies in developing the Inquisitor’s powerful speech, aiming to convince the church court of Joan’s guilt for spreading heresy.

The Inquisitor commences in an austere tone, creating ethos to uphold his argument. His personal testimonies appeal to the audience, increasing his credibility as a speaker. The Inquisitor carefully weaves in phrases similar to his statement “If you had seen what I have seen of heresy” to make him seem all the more experienced on the topic he is discussing. His personal declaration that he has “seen this again and again” adequately uses repetition as a rhetorical strategy in developing ethos. With this, the Inquisitor

begins to sway his audience as any credible source would. He further backs his assertions with examples such as “the woman who quarrels with her clothes” leading to groups of following “men and women who refuse to wear any clothes at all.” Through this fear, the listeners are more likely to trust the speaker’s ostensibly true character, thus creating a trusting disposition.

Additionally, the Inquisitor concentrates on swaying his audience through logos. This rhetorical strategy appeals to logic by providing consistency and clarity of his message and the logic of the reasons. The Inquisitor states, “for two hundred years the Holy Office has striven with these diabolical madnesses,” using deductive reasoning to stress that the situation at hand is nothing new to the church; thus, the jury should trust the Inquisitor’s judgement since he knows how to deal with it. In a derogatory tone, the Inquisitor states, “vain and ignorant persons…taking it upon themselves to be the interpreters of God’s will.” He says this to strengthen his argument, pointing out that the church is the only one allowed to interpret God’s will; therefore, heretics have overstepped the boundaries.

Within this temper, the Inquisitor then plays with pathos, the emotional appeal of his audience members.

He means to convince them that condemning Joan is suitable in place of allowing her heresy to continue, inciting auxiliary fear with images of incest and polygamy. In pathos, the speaker commonly lays claim to qualities within the listener, relating to flattery. The Inquisitor does just this, calling his audience “merciful” and “holy.” This gains further trust within the speaker, assuring the clerics that the decision they make reflects upon them, as well as their services to God. The Inquisitor proceeds using hyperbole, the rhetorical strategy of over exaggeration: “we should forfeit our own hope of diving mercy were there one grain of malice against her in our hearts.” With this, he links the council to one another on an emotional level; playing on the concept that they have no malice, but must convict - willing to sacrifice their own divine mercy if they have any animosity toward Joan. The Inquisitor creates hostility against Joan, attempting to instill a sense of good versus evil within the clerics.

Rhetorical appeal in the Inquisitor's speech is exceptionally valuable. He does an admirable job applying ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as other literary terms, to shape a notably plausible argument. Joan, “pious” or not, is vigorously convicted through her opponent’s superb

dispute.