Nationalism as a theme of saint joan

Shaw very explicitly introduces the theme of nationalism into the play. Many historians argue that the 100 Years' War was important in defining both French and English identities since years of warfare created a sense of loyalty and distrust of "the other." Warwick specifically criticizes Joan for the way in which she encourages soldier to think of themselves as primarily loyal to their ruler and country, rather than to their local feudal lord. Warwick fears that the consequences of this centralized political power will affect the power of himself and other land-owning aristocrats. Joan is less interested in whom people are loyal to because she values loyalty to God above all else. For her, nationalism is connected with the language spoken in a region, and she uses this characteristic to define which territories should be controlled by a given ruler.