The Trope of the Loveable Rogue: Mak in The Second Shepherd’s Play
Keywords:
The Second Shepherd's Play, anti-hero, Medieval Drama, DeceptionAbstract
This paper examines Mak’s role in The Second Shepherd’s Play as a negative moral exemplar within medieval drama’s didactic framework. Contrasted with the charitable shepherds, Mak embodies deception, selfishness, and spiritual estrangement. His exclusion from the Nativity revelation reinforces the play’s message that charity, forgiveness, and virtue receive divine reward.
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“The Second Shepherds’ Play.” Drama for Students, Encyclopedia.com, 13 Apr. 2020, www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/second-shepherds-play. Accessed 23 Mar. 2022.
Felicity. “The Second Shepherd’s Play.” The Second Shepherd, www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_99F/medieval_lit/medievalplays/newpage4.htm. Accessed 23 Mar. 2022.
Gray, Wendy Howard. “The Second Shepherd’s Play: Background.” English Literature I, Lumen Learning. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-britlit1/chapter/the-second-shepherds-play-background/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2022.
Weeks, Rachel. “The Second Shepherd’s Play Themes.” LitCharts, 19 Jan 2018. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-second-shepherd-s-play. Accessed 25 Mar. 2020.
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