How we cite our quotes: (Stanza.Line)
Quote #13
"There is a noble prisoner in my house.
She has heard so many sermons and exempla
That she wishes to believe in God, she asked to become a convert to Christianity.
Baptize her so that God may have her soul" […]
They found for her the name of Juliana.
She is a Christian out of sheer conviction. (290.3978-82, 3986-87)
The poet describes Bramimonde's conversion as being willing and out of conviction, in contrast to the forced conversions of the other Saracens. Is this an attempt to make the process of conversion more palatable? Also, notice that baptism isn't enough to erase her past life; she also has to receive a whole new name, symbolizing her birth into a new identity.