Anonymous, Wisdom

James Cummings (University of Newcastle upon Tyne)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1460

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

The fifteenth-century play Wisdom survives in two manuscripts: the Macro (Folger: MS. V.a. 354) and Digby (Bodleian: MS. Digby 133) versions. The Macro manuscript is earlier in date (from 1465-70) and more complete, however the Digby version (from 1490-1500) has been more carefully copied and modern editions tend to correct the Macro text with reference to Digby. Neither of these manuscripts give a name to the play, and from the nineteenth century critics have cited it as either Wisdom, Wisdom: Who is Christ or Mind, Will and Understanding. The first of these is in most common usage today. The language and provenance of the play, like the majority of surviving medieval English non-cycle drama, is East …

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1478 words

Citation: Cummings, James. "Wisdom". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 August 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8821, accessed 01 November 2024.]

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