“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe we live it. But to sacrifice what one is and to live without belief is a fate more terrible than dying. » Catholic saint Joan of Arc spoke these inspiring words over five hundred years ago. She became such an inspiration that writers such as Shakespeare and Mark Twain continued to tell her story in their works and in their plays. Today, Joan of Arc is well known in European history as a famous heroine. She fought and led troops, motivating them during the Hundred Years' War to prevent the English from invading. These same actions that made her a woman admired today for her courage and noble qualities are the same ones that led to her being tried and burned at the stake back then. Joan of Arc was born in northeastern France, around 1412, in a town known as Domrémy. She came from a peasant family. Her father taught her how to raise livestock, harvest crops, and attend church, where she spent much time praying to the saints. Education was not a priority for her family at the time, she never went to school or learned to write and read. The focus of Joan's childhood was primarily on England taking over southwest France during the Hundred Years' War, and France trying to defeat them to regain control. At thirteen, Joan claimed she began hearing voices, she later came to the conclusion they were the holy voices of Saints Margaret, Catherine and Michael. The saints told him that Charles VII needed his help and the kingdom of France with great misery. In the fall of 1428, Joan formed an alliance with the captain of the royal garrison and he showed her the way to the king. Every year in 1429, Joan had an encounter with the... middle of paper...... giant French heroine, who preformed witchcraft but tried to cover it with the Catholic faith. The play ended with Joan pretending to be pregnant, hoping they would free her from the stake. She was still put to death and died summoning demons to free her from the flames. Many of Shakespeare's plays promoted this identity by celebrating the superiority of average English people over their European neighbors and often represented them as ridiculous or evil. Jeanne was not considered ridiculous or mean, she was seen much more by others. Joan of Arc sacrificed her entire life for what she believed in; staying true to what she knew was true for her, even if it meant death. In 1920, she became an official saint and is now canonized with the same saints she claimed to speak with. Before that happened, his reputation had to undergo a rehabilitation process..