The Second Shepherds’ Play is the best-known play in a series of thirty-two medieval mystery plays called the Wakefield Cycle. Mystery plays were one of the earliest forms of drama in Europe during the Middle Ages and focused on the representation of Bible stories. They were often performed as a cycle, beginning with the story of the Creation and ending with the Last Judgment, and spanned several days in their presentation. The word “mystery” derives from the Latin word for “craft” (ministerium) and alludes to the fact that these plays were performed by craft guilds, often called “mysteries,” which were associations of tradesmen and artisans in a certain area. They were also called “mystery” plays because they dealt with religious miracles and the “mystery” of faith. The plays in the Wakefield Cycle were most likely performed around the time of the Festival of Corpus Christi in the town of Wakefield in Yorkshire, England. At a time when very few people could read or understand the Latin used in church services, mystery plays, which were written in vernacular English, were one way in which ordinary people could become familiar with the contents of the Bible.

The Second Shepherds’ Play centers on the story of Christ’s Nativity from the beginning of the New Testament.