← All characters

Saint Joan · Character

Voltaire

Philosopher who wrote a satirical poem about Joan.

minor

First appearance: The Maid in Literature

Voltaire shows up with force in The Maid in Literature. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Author of La Pucelle, a mock epic that burlesques Homer and uses Joan to ridicule the institutions and fashions of his day, though he is said to have let Joan off relatively…
In the storyThe Maid in LiteratureOpen this moment free

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

In The Maid in Literature: Author of La Pucelle, a mock epic that burlesques Homer and uses Joan to ridicule the institutions and fashions of his day, though he is said to have let Joan off relatively easily compared to…

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Voltaire sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Voltaire in The Maid in Literature

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Voltaire sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

JOJoan of ArcSCSchillerSPSt. PeterKCKing Charles VIIMTMark TwainVOVoltaire

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Historical and Comparative Figures
  • Protagonist
  • Joan's Adversaries and Judges

+1 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where Shaw directly…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Voltaire appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Voltaire unlock in the free preview.

See Voltaire in The Maid in Literature
Who is Voltaire in Saint Joan?