The Digby

falls within the genre of medieval saints' plays. Its dominant motif is conversion, which it explores through the biblical figure of Saul, who thanks to a miraculous encounter is changed from an avowed persecutor of Christians to a steadfast advocate for the faith. The play, which was composed sometime in the late fifteenth century in the East Midland dialect of Middle English, survives in a single manuscript copy that also includes the better-known Digby

. Although the

at first glance appears to be a rather simple and conventional drama, it contains a number of innovative and even radical features that make it of considerable interest. These features include the introduction of a Poeta character, who remarks on and holds…

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Citation: Sponsler, Claire. "The Digby Conversion of St Paul". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1073, accessed 26 November 2024.]