The irony that Joan was made a saint by the very same organization responsible for her execution certainly didn't slip by Shaw. By saying she got her information directly from God, she challenged the power of the Church. By making the King in charge of everything, she took power away from the feudal lords. Not only did she challenge the place of women, but her actions attacked the entire power structure of medieval society. She made his rebelliousness look miniscule in comparison. With all that in mind, you might be able to glean why Shaw would be attracted to a historical figure like Joan. He was also an ardent defender of women's rights, which, unfortunately, was not a very popular point of view at the time. For years he was a member of the Fabian Society, a prominent socialist group. He felt that capitalism allowed rich people to keep all the money, and didn't he mind telling people about it. Many of his beliefs went against the mainstream of his day, like his belief in socialism. Shaw, however, had built his career on being anti-establishment. If a writer wins a Nobel Prize, it establishes him forever as totally legit and totally mainstream.

It's understandable why Shaw reacted like this. It was really almost as bad as my 70th birthday' ( source). He wrote to one of his friends, 'The Nobel was a hideous calamity for me. You'd think the guy would be happy right? The Nobel is pretty much one of the most respected awards on Earth. George Bernard Shaw published the play in 1924, and won the Nobel Prize for literature the following year. Saint Joan chronicles the life, death, and legacy of Joan of Arc.

Joan of arc by george bernard shaw