the Second Shepherds Play

The Second Shepherd's Play is a beautiful Christmas pageant that features a double plot, which is there to remind the reader of the dual nature of reality (this world and the spiritual world). The Second Shepherd's Play contains many symbols that not only pertain to the story itself but also speak for the greater meaning behind its biblical roots. The reader is able to uncover several different internal meanings behind the plain text of the …

…significance for human salvation derives. Recall that Mary's role as an all-forgiving, loving mother and "co-savior" with Christ was a first part of what has been called the "humanization" of God. These tools have been used cleverly throughout the play to both disguise their presence and blatantly exploit the biblical meaning for the benefit of the audience. It is hard to walk away from this play not understanding the significance of its message of peace.