# The Saint — The Well of the Saints character guide

> The Saint in The Well of the Saints by J. M. Synge.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Saint, Saint Waving, Saint Tying, Mat Simon The Saint, Mat Simon, Mat, Saint To Martin Doul

**First appearance:** 0000-persons-in-the-play

## Snapshot

A wandering friar whose miraculous well restores sight to the blind—and whose gift proves more disruptive than anyone, including himself, anticipated.

## Who they are

The Saint travels through Ireland with a sup of holy water, naked feet, and a following crowd, curing the blind and dying as he goes. He is gaunt from fasting, earnest in his faith, and genuinely convinced he is doing God's work. When he restores Martin and Mary's sight, he becomes the catalyst for the play's central question: whether a miracle that reveals ugliness is a blessing or a curse, and who has the right to decide.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_well_of_the_saints_se/characters/saint
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_well_of_the_saints_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_well_of_the_saints_se/characters