The Second Shepherd's Play

How does The Second Shepherds’ Play use humor to reinforce its serious religious purpose and teach its audiences about Christian values? What is the effect of the juxtaposition of the sacred and the profane in the play?

What is the effect of the anachronistic language in The Second Shepherds’ Play? In what ways does it generate comedy, and in what ways does it foreshadow the coming of the Christ-Child?

Write about the importance of Christian charity in The Second Shepherds’ Play.

Write about religious symbolism in The Second Shepherds’ Play. Why are the sheep, the three gifts from the shepherds, and the star all important symbols in Christianity?

How could The Second Shepherds’ Play be described as a work of social criticism? In what ways does it comment on the social conditions of the time and highlight the difficult lives of the hardworking shepherds?