The Second Shepherd's Play

The Second Shepherd’s Play is a medieval mystery play written by an anonymous author known as the Wakefield Master that centers on a retelling of the Biblical story of the Nativity. The play is written in verse. At the beginning of the play, the 1st shepherd, Col, and the 2nd shepherd, Gib, are guarding their flocks and grumbling about the freezing weather. In his opening speech, Col complains about the fact that as poor shepherds they are forced to work out in the cold for the rich gentry, who overworks them and “rob[s] [them] of their rest” (3). Gib enters without seeing Col and begins to complain about the suffering of married men like himself. He describes “his own better half” as loud, drunk, whale-sized, and “browed like a bristle, with a sour looking cheer” (4).

After overhearing Gib’s rant, Col confronts Gib, and they look around for the 3rd Shepherd, a youth named Dave. Dave enters without seeing the others; he complains about the recent floods and how shepherds are forced to see “fearful sights in the night / while other men sleep” (5). When he sees the other shepherds, he tries to get away without them seeing him. Col, the head shepherd, scolds Dave for his laziness, but Gib tells Col to let the younger shepherd have some food and drink since they have already had their fill. Dave sits down to eat and begins to complain about how their masters overwork and underpay them. Gib tells Dave to stop complaining, and the shepherds decide to start singing to pass the time.

As the shepherds sing, Mak the thief enters. Mak pretends to be a yeoman from a lord carrying an important message and threatens to have the shepherds flogged; the shepherds recognize him, however, and knowthat he is just trying to trick them, so he can steal from them. Mak appeals to the shepherds to take pity on him and give him some food. When they ask about his wife, he declares that she is a drunkard who eats too much and gives birth to too many children.

The shepherds grow tired and decide to lie down for a nap. They persuade Mak to lie between them. Mak waits until the others are asleep and then steals a sheep from the shepherds’ flock. He goes home and calls out to his wife, Gill. When she sees that he has stolen a sheep, she worries that he “may catch a rope at a hanging” (10). Mak suggests that they slaughter the sheep, so they can eat it right away; however, Gill points out that the shepherds will hear the sheep bleat and realize that it has been stolen if they kill it now. Gill then suggests that they hide the sheep in the baby’s cradle; she will lie in bed moaning and pretend that she has just given birth to another child.

Mak leaves the house to go resume his place between the sleeping shepherds. When the shepherds wake up, they realize Mak is missing. Gib says that he dreamed Mak stole a “fat sheep […] but made no noise” while they were sleeping (13). They wake up Mak, and he tells them that he has dreamed that his wife has just given birth to a new baby boy. He tells them that he must go home to Gill and shows him his sleeves to prove that he hasn’t stolen anything. The shepherds separate to go check if they are missing any sheep, and Mak leaves to go warn Gill that the shepherds will search their house as soon as they realize a sheep is missing. Gill swaddles the sheep in blankets and places it in the bed beside her.

Back in the fields, Col tells Dave that “a fat wether” from their flocks is missing (15). Dave replies that he is certain that “either Mak or Gill, had a hand in this event” (16). The three shepherds go together to Mak’s house and demand that he open the door. Mak tells them to keep quiet as Gill is still recovering from giving birth. The shepherds tell him that a sheep is missing and that they suspect that he and Gill have taken it. Mak claims ignorance about the missing sheep; he says his wife has not left her bed since giving birth and invites them to search the house. Gill tells the shepherds not to come near her and her baby and complains loudly about her sore “middle” (19). Since they cannot find the sheep, the shepherds decide it must have been slaughtered.

After congratulating Mak on the birth of his son, they leave the cottage. Outside, they begin to regret not giving the baby a gift and decide to go back to the cottage to give Mak some money in the new baby’s name, in order to help Mak provide for his large family. Mak tells them to go away since the baby is sleeping, but Dave picks up the “baby” anyway to kiss him. After examining the bundle, however, he exclaims, “What devil is this? He has a long snout!” (21). The shepherds realize that Mak has tricked them by disguising their sheep as a baby. Nonetheless, Col urges the others to forgive Mak for his crime so that he will not be hanged. Instead, they humiliate him by tossing him around before letting him and his wife return home.

The shepherds return to their fields and go to sleep. As they sleep, the Angel appears and sings “Gloria in excelsis.”He tells them of the birth of the Christ Child and tells them to go visit the infant in Bethlehem. When the shepherds awake, they resolve to follow the star to Bethlehem to see the infant and his mother, just as the Angel told them to do. They are humbled by the fact that the Angel has called upon men as poor as they are to be among the first to visit their new savior. When they enter the stable, they each address the child in turn and present him with a gift. Col gives the Christ-Child cherries, Gib offers a bird, and Dave presents a ball. Mary tells him to tell others of the Christ-Child’s birth after they leave. They say farewell to the mother and child and leave singing in unison.