The reflection of the historical teatritical identitiy on plays about Jeanne D'arc

ABSTRACTHuman has been the common element of both history and drama for centuries. The playwrite has been inspired from the historical facts and characters. The author using historical material in his/her work, utilizes this material either because s/he is influenced by this historical reality or to shed light to the unsolved problems of the time s/he lives in. However, the playwrite is more independent than the history writer while recreating the historical events in a cause and effect dialect; since history states what really happenned and art states what is ideal and aesthetic. S/he reprocesses the historical material with imagination and creativity, carries it to a universal dimension and renders it to be meaningful for the contemporary reader.In the times of Jeanne d?Arc, hundred years wars were stil going on. France was in a chaotic situation in both political and socio-economic terms. Also, there were entangled relations between the state, the army and the church. The public that was tired of the feudal order was in desparate need of a single ruler due to a lack of national conciousness. Jeanne d?Arc, was born into this complex environment in Domrémy. She left her village in order to save France and enthrone the king with the guidance of the voice of God she claims to have heard. Yet, after many victories and succesfully enthroning the king, she was accused of witchcraft and sorcery. She was then adjudicated by the Inquisition and was burnt to death in 1431.Jeanne d?Arc?s short and impressive life has inspired the artists for ages. Playwrites recreated the historic material in accordance with their own points of view. Some of these playwrites are Bernard Shaw, Friederich Schiller, Bertolt Brecht, Jean Anouilh, Anna Seghers and Stefan Tsanev. These playwrites used her heroic characteristics as a point of origin for their own stories. Thus, they shed light on the problems of the ages they lived in. As a result, the historical material was brought into the humanity?s current date by the playwrite.Keywords: Jeanne d?Arc, Historcal reality, Dramatic reality