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 script that lend themselves as symbols to a greater meaning or reflection on the life of Christ. In addition the characters and objects in The Second Shepherd's Play, also function as the main characters and symbols of the Bible nativity story.
             The plot centers round three shepherds who hunt down a stolen sheep, only to find it disguised as a baby (the use of the sheep is a direct comparison to Jesus as the Lamb of God). This action takes place in the house of a sheep stealer Mak and his wife, (who represent Joseph and the Virgin Mary). After punishing Mak, the Shepherds exit the house. As the sheep is uncovered it's done so with a kiss, just as Christ was betrayed by a kiss on the night of his death. In the final two pages of the play the Shepherds find themselves at the stable in Bethlehem where the Christ child has been born. Thus, the play moves from 14th century England to the Middle East during the time of Christ with no real explanation about what is going on.
             The play is a definition of faith. What is faith? It may be defined as looking at one thing and seeing something else or at least believing you see something else. In the first section of the play, the sheep thieves try to convince the Shepherds that what they see in the baby cradle is a human baby. There are very funny passages in the play as the Shepherds describe the face and smell of the baby. "What a snout it has, just like a sheep. What a smell it has, just like a sheep." Etc. But in the end the Shepherds are ...