Though scientifically invalid, polygraphs function because subjects *believe* they work. This belief creates a self-sorting effect: those with something to hide are less willing to take the test, while the innocent are more willing. Information is revealed through the choice itself, not the test's results.

Despite their desperation, the Dauphin's court didn't blindly trust Joan. They subjected her to a rigorous vetting process, including a physical examination to confirm her virginity and a theological inquiry by scholars at Poitiers. This was a form of medieval due diligence to mitigate the immense risk of backing a fraud or heretic.

After months of defiance, Joan suddenly recanted at the sight of the execution pyre. She later admitted her reason was brutally simple: "I did it for fear of the fire." This reveals the immense psychological pressure she faced, framing her ultimate defiance as a return to her core identity despite the fatal consequences.

The trial's primary goal was not justice but to delegitimize Charles VII. By convicting Joan as a witch, the English hoped to prove that Charles's coronation was a "satanic fraud," thereby restoring the legitimacy of their own claimant to the French throne.

The Inquisition wasn't simply random bigotry. It was a response to Muslims using *taqiyya* (sanctioned deception) to feign conversion to Christianity while secretly working to subvert the state, creating an unsolvable internal security threat.

The justice system was not about proportional punishment but spiritual performance. An accused person faced a terrifying sentence, only to be saved by a powerful patron's intervention. This process of fear and mercy was designed to spiritually reform the sinner, mimicking divine judgment.

Ordeals were not barbaric tests but a clever sorting mechanism. Guilty defendants, believing God would ensure they were burned, would confess beforehand. Innocent defendants, believing God would protect them, willingly underwent the (often rigged) test, thus revealing their private information.

The court ritual where Joan "identified" the Dauphin she had already met was a deliberate piece of political theatre. This staged "pantomime" was not a genuine test but a public relations exercise designed to cement the narrative of her divine gifts and the Dauphin's legitimacy in the minds of the entire court.

The presiding judge, Pierre Cauchon, went to great lengths to follow established inquisitorial rules. Knowing the trial would attract massive international attention, he aimed to create a legally sound verdict that would appear legitimate and unassailable to hostile observers, making it far more than a simple show trial.