Std 10 English chapters › Unit 4
In short: A scene adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play: a young peasant girl, Joan, convinces a doubtful captain to give her soldiers to save France.
(जॉर्ज बर्नार्ड शॉ यांच्या नाटकातून घेतलेला प्रसंग: जोन नावाची तरुण शेतकरी मुलगी फ्रान्सला वाचवण्यासाठी सैनिक देण्यास एका साशंक कप्तानाला पटवून देते.)
- Type: Play (a scene adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan)
- Setting: France, in the castle of Captain Robert de Baudricourt
- Main characters: Joan, Captain Robert de Baudricourt, his Steward, and Bertrand de Poulengey
- Unit: 4
4.5 Joan of Arc: English Workshop Question Answers
Answers to every activity in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook (Maharashtra Board), written by a practising English teacher. Read the play in your textbook first, then try each activity here before you check the answer.
Chit-chat: would you like to join the Armed Forces?
✍️ Give your own 2 to 3 reasons first.
Show sample answers
Yes: I want to serve and protect my country. The Armed Forces teach discipline, fitness and courage. It is a respected career with many opportunities.
No: I want to serve the nation in another way, as a doctor or teacher. Life in the forces means long periods away from family.
Areas open for women in India: fighter pilots and other branches of the Indian Air Force, the Navy (including warships), Army engineering, signals and medical services, the Military Police, and admission to the National Defence Academy (NDA).
Warming up 1: Weapons used in the past and nowadays
| Weapons used in the past | Weapons used nowadays |
|---|---|
| sword, spear | rifle, machine gun |
| bow and arrow | missile |
| shield, armour | bulletproof jacket |
| axe, mace | tank, fighter jet |
| cannon | drone, submarine |
Warming up 2: Pep talk by the team captain
✍️ Write your own pep talk (60 to 80 words) first.
Show a model pep talk
Friends, listen to me! Yes, they are a strong team, but so are we. We have practised hard for months, and we know each other’s game. A match is not won by name, it is won on the ground. If we play as one team, help each other and never give up till the last whistle, we can beat anyone. Forget the fear and remember our hard work. Let’s go out there, give our best and make our school proud!
Warming up 3: Meanings of phrasal verbs
🎯 Game: tap each phrase and its meaning.
Phrasal verbs
Short questions from the play (margin questions)
- Why had Joan wanted to meet the Captain squire?
To ask him for a horse, armour and some soldiers, and to send her to the Dauphin so that she could free Orleans. - Name the persons Joan needed to free Orleans.
Polly (Monsieur de Poulengey), Jack (Monsieur de Metz), John Godsave, Dick the Archer, and their servants John of Honecourt and Julian. - Was the Dauphin fit to be a Prince and heir?
No. He was hiding in Chinon “like a rat in a corner” and would not fight. - What was the squire’s opinion about miracles?
Miracles are all right, but they do not happen nowadays. - What did Robert accuse Poulengey of?
Of being out of his mind, as mad as Joan. - What shows that Joan is a person of immense faith?
She says that soldiering cannot be very difficult “if God is on your side”. - Why were the French soldiers always beaten?
They fought only to save their skins, and the shortest way to save your skin is to run away. - What dress did Joan want?
A soldier’s dress. - What made Robert finally agree to the plan?
Poulengey’s strong support, Joan’s confidence, and the hope that she could put fire into the troops and even the Dauphin. As he said, “there is something about her”.
Q1. Tree diagram of the play
| Part | Answer |
|---|---|
| Play | Joan of Arc (from Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw) |
| Setting: period | 1429, during the Hundred Years War between England and France |
| Setting: location | Captain Robert de Baudricourt’s castle in France |
| Characters | Joan, Captain Robert de Baudricourt, the Steward, Bertrand de Poulengey (Polly) |
| Main plot | A peasant girl, Joan, persuades a doubtful captain to give her soldiers and send her to the Dauphin to free Orleans. |
| Scene of the given play | A room in the castle, with the courtyard below the window |
Q2. Lines that prove Joan’s qualities
| Quality | Lines from the play |
|---|---|
| Her confidence | 1. “You think you will, squire. But it won’t happen that way.” 2. “I have arranged it all. You have only to give the order.” |
| Her courage | 1. “I will teach them all to fight for France.” 2. “She really doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything.” (the Steward about Joan) |
| Her determination | 1. “You said you would not see me. But here I am.” 2. “The Dauphin will give me all I need to free Orleans.” |
Q3. Match the comparisons
👉 Choose the correct ending, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| A | B | Pair |
|---|---|---|
| 1. as easy as | chasing a cow | 1 – f |
| 2. as mad as | as she is | 2 – d |
| 3. drive the soldiers | like sheep | 3 – a |
| 4. The Dauphin is | like a rat in the corner | 4 – b |
| 5. Joan of Arc is | a bit of a miracle | 5 – c |
Q4. Say why
- Joan wanted to meet the Captain squire because she wanted a horse, armour and soldiers to go to the Dauphin and free Orleans.
- She did not ask for many soldiers because she believed the Dauphin would give her all she needed.
- Poulengey, Jack and Dick offered to go with her because there was “something about her”; her words had put fire into them.
- French soldiers were always beaten because they fought only to save their skins and ran away.
- Robert said “I wash my hands off it” because he did not want to take any responsibility for what would happen.
Q5. Difference between the phrases
| Phrase | Meaning | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| to cut in | to interrupt | Please don’t cut in while I am speaking. |
| to cut out | to remove; to stop doing | Cut out the picture from the newspaper. |
| to be held by | to be under the control of | The fort was held by the enemy. |
| to be held up | to be delayed | We were held up in a traffic jam. |
| to run away | to escape | The thief ran away when he saw the police. |
| to run for | to compete in an election | She will run for class monitor. |
| to be known as | to be called | Mumbai was once known as Bombay. |
| to be known for | to be famous for | Kolhapur is known for its chappals. |
| to go with | to accompany; to suit | This tie goes with your shirt. |
| to go after | to chase; to try to get | The dog went after the cat. |
| to put fire into | to inspire | The captain’s speech put fire into the players. |
| to put fire out | to extinguish a fire | The firemen put the fire out quickly. |
Q6. Joan of Arc and Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
| Similarities | Contrast |
|---|---|
| (a) Both were brave young women who led armies in battle. | (a) Joan was a poor peasant girl; Rani Lakshmibai was a queen. |
| (b) Both fought against foreign rulers to free their land. | (b) Joan fought the English in France in the 1400s; the Rani fought the British in India in 1857. |
| (c) Both inspired soldiers and common people, and became national heroines. | (c) Joan was captured and burnt at the stake; the Rani died fighting on the battlefield. |
Q7. Summary of the opening in indirect speech
✍️ Write your own summary first.
Show a model answer
Joan wished Captain Robert a good morning and told him that he was to give her a horse, armour and some soldiers and send her to the Dauphin. Robert told his steward that the girl was mad and called him a blockhead for not telling him so. The steward begged him not to anger her and to give her what she wanted. Robert said that he would send her back to her father with orders to lock her up. Joan replied confidently that he thought he would, but it would not happen that way. She reminded him that he had said he would not see her, but there she was. Robert asked whether she was assuming that he would give her what she wanted. Joan said that she was. She explained that a horse would cost sixteen francs, but she could save money on the armour, as she did not need beautiful armour made to measure. She said that she would not want many soldiers, because the Dauphin would give her all she needed to free Orleans. Robert was shocked. Joan simply said that three men would be enough, and that Polly and Jack had promised to go with her.
Language Study: Question Answers
1 (A). Make the sentences affirmative
👉 Tap the correct affirmative sentence.
He will not be able to stop them.
Answer: He will be unable to stop them. “not able” becomes “unable”. The meaning stays the same.
I don't remember.
Answer: I forget. The opposite of “remember” is “forget”.
I shall not want many soldiers.
Answer: I shall want only a few soldiers. “not many” means “only a few”.
Show all six affirmative sentences
- I am doubtful now. (I am uncertain now.)
- He will be unable to stop them.
- I forget.
- This is all I can do. (I have done all I can.)
- Sir, keep her in good humour.
- I shall want only a few soldiers.
मराठी टीप: अर्थ न बदलता नकारार्थी वाक्य होकारार्थी करताना विरुद्धार्थी शब्द वापरा: not able → unable, not remember → forget, not many → only a few.
1 (B). Word forms
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | succeed | successful | successfully |
| inspiration | inspire | inspiring | inspiringly |
| safety | save | safe | safely |
| belief | believe | believable | believably |
| thought | think | thoughtful | thoughtfully |
| brightness | brighten | bright | brightly |
| courage | encourage | courageous | courageously |
| haste | hasten | hasty | hastily |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the play 'Joan of Arc'?
The extract is from 'Saint Joan' by George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925.
What did Joan ask Captain Robert for?
She asked for a horse, armour and some soldiers, and to be sent to the Dauphin so that she could free Orleans.
Why were the French soldiers always beaten, according to Joan?
They fought only to save their skins, and the shortest way to save your skin is to run away.
Who supported Joan in the play?
Bertrand de Poulengey (Polly) supported her. He felt there was something about her and that she might be a miracle.
What does 'I wash my hands off it' mean?
It means 'I will not take any responsibility for it.' Captain Robert says this when he lets Joan go.
Summary in English
France is losing its war with England, and the English are besieging the city of Orleans. A young peasant girl, Joan, keeps coming to Captain Robert de Baudricourt’s castle, asking to see him. The Steward is afraid to send her away.
Robert thinks she is mad and orders her out, but Joan is calm and sure of herself. She asks for a horse, armour and a few soldiers so that she can go to the Dauphin, the uncrowned prince, and help drive the English out. She says she has already persuaded some of Robert’s own men.
One of them, the gentleman Poulengey, supports her. He says that only a miracle can save France now, and that the girl herself may be that miracle. Won over by her courage and confidence, Robert finally agrees to send her to the Dauphin.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
फ्रान्स इंग्लंडविरुद्धचे युद्ध हरत आहे आणि इंग्रजांनी ऑर्लिअन्स शहराला वेढा घातला आहे. जोन नावाची तरुण शेतकरी मुलगी कप्तान रॉबर्ट द बॉद्रिकूर यांच्या किल्ल्यावर पुन्हा पुन्हा येऊन त्यांना भेटण्याची मागणी करते. कारभाऱ्याला तिला परत पाठवण्याची भीती वाटते.
रॉबर्टला ती वेडी वाटते आणि तो तिला बाहेर काढायला सांगतो, पण जोन शांत आणि आत्मविश्वासपूर्ण असते. राज्याभिषेक न झालेल्या राजपुत्राकडे (डॉफिनकडे) जाऊन इंग्रजांना हाकलून लावण्यासाठी ती घोडा, चिलखत आणि काही सैनिक मागते. रॉबर्टच्याच काही सैनिकांना तिने आधीच पटवले आहे, असे ती सांगते.
त्यांपैकी पुलेंजी हा सरदार तिला पाठिंबा देतो; आता फक्त चमत्कारच फ्रान्सला वाचवू शकतो आणि ही मुलगी स्वतःच एक चमत्कार असू शकते, असे तो म्हणतो. तिच्या धैर्याने आणि आत्मविश्वासाने प्रभावित होऊन रॉबर्ट शेवटी तिला डॉफिनकडे पाठवण्यास तयार होतो.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Faith, courage and confidence can overcome doubt, and one determined person can inspire others to act for their country.
श्रद्धा, धैर्य आणि आत्मविश्वासाने शंकांवर मात करता येते, आणि एक जिद्दी व्यक्ती इतरांना देशासाठी कृती करायला प्रेरित करू शकते.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| peasant | शेतकरी, गरीब खेडूत | Joan was the daughter of a peasant. |
| siege | वेढा | The city was under siege for months. |
| armour | चिलखत | Knights wore armour in battle. |
| steward | कारभारी | The steward managed the castle. |
| persuade | पटवून देणे | She persuaded her father to let her study. |
| faith | श्रद्धा, विश्वास | She had faith in her mission. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Be ready to describe Joan’s character (confident, brave, simple, persuasive) and how she changes Robert’s mind.
- The activities include phrasal verbs, negative-to-affirmative sentences and word forms. Revise Lesson 12: Question Tags and Lesson 2: Types of Sentences.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Rewrite one part of the scene as a short story in 6 sentences.
- What makes a person a good leader? Use Joan as an example.
- Write a short dialogue in which you persuade someone to support a good cause.
🎮 Practice Games: Joan of Arc
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🎬 Scene order
Put the events of the play in order.
Joan wins over Robert
- Robert scolds the Steward for not sending Joan away.
- Joan is brought in and speaks calmly.
- She asks for a horse, armour and soldiers.
- She says some of Robert's men already support her.
- Poulengey says only a miracle can save France.
- Robert agrees to send her to the Dauphin.
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
🧩 Who is who?
Match each character with a description.
Character → description
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
Which city were the English besieging?
Answer: Joan wanted to raise the siege of Orleans.
Why did Robert finally agree?
Answer: Poulengey also convinced him she might be the miracle France needed.
Online test · 15 questions
4.5 Joan of Arc: Lesson Test
Multiple choice · instant score with answers · certificate for 80% and above · free, no login
शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes and answers by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the play in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short lines from the play are quoted, for reference.