Typological Symbolism in the Second Shepherds Play (Essay Sample)

Name Professor Course Date Typological Symbolism in the Second Shepherds Play The Second Shepherd’s Play teaches wonderful and important morals lessons throughout the play. As per the play, greed and selfishness never take anyone ahead, but it will only pull individuals behind in any activity they are undertaking in their life. Throughout the play, it is shown that having good morals in life will make an individual a better person. In addition, the play teaches all the people who read that going through life using honest will make them receive rewards as compared to going through life using deception. Throughout the story, the three shepherds in the play struggle with sleep deprivation and starvation (Mack 79). The shepherds used their good moral judgment to perform their roles honestly even at the times when their roles or jobs put immense amounts of pressure and strain on their bodies. The 1st Shepherd expressed the strains placed upon them when delivering their duties that he is near numb of hand, his legs fold and bend, and his fingers are chapped. The pains the Shepherds are experiencing causes them much discomfort, but they have never resorted to dishonesty even in a single instance. Such practices of honest and perseverance show their great moral integrity. Honesty is an important factor when relating with other people. Mak, who has the same job and responsibilities as those of the three shepherds, does not follow the moral integrity standards since he uses dishonest tactics to get ahead. Throughout the play, Mak shows his dishonest despite the fact that he passes through the same strains while delivering his duties; he uses dishonesty to relieve himself from some of the strains. Some of the dishonest practices to relieve him is when he stole a sheep and brought it to his family (Mack 82). The first act of dishonesty was stealing the sheep, which he completed successfully and proceeded to the second. The second act of dishonesty was disguising the sheep as a child and then lied to the shepherds. The third Shepherd pokes some fun to Mak in respond to his foolish attempts to lie to them by asking him what the devil it was as it had a long snout. Mak realized he had been gotten, and he tried to cover up his lie by telling them that the nose of the disguised sheep was broken. Mak’s lies did not assist him at all because the Shepherds through the play knew that Mak uses lies most of the time, and they had to be cautious of anything coming out of Mak’s mouth. Honest creates respect between people in the workplace, home or any other place they are gathered or residing. When an individual shows honesty in any activity or job he/she is doing, it will make other people trust and have respect for him. In the case of Mak, shepherds had respect in him, but when he started showing dishonesty activities, utterances, shepherds lost respect, and they would not believe in him anymore. The lies and dishonesty shown by Mak made the second Shepherds caution the other two shepherds that they should beware such that Mak will not make them all a lie. In addition, the second Shepherd continue expressing that Mak has an ill name of stealing a sheep, which would affect them if they are not cautious on anything Mak is doing or advising them to do or follow (Mack 84). In the story, immense respect created between the tree shepherds is shown. All the three shepherds had greater respect in between them because everyone showed honesty when delivering their duties and no one was suspicious of the colleague as they trusted and respected one another. At the end of the story, the three shepherds were rewarded. They went to Bethlehem and saw baby Jesus and the mother, Mary. It is nothing else but their integrity and honesty that presented them with this tremendous opportunity of being rewarded. The reward at the end of the story is a perfect example of wonderful rewards that an individual can get by going through life using honesty and integrity. Honest creates opportunities for people as well as respect for people among others. Chaucer’s Description of Parson The Parson is an exemplary character in The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue and Frame Story. A Parson is a parish priest and with him, we get an exemplary character unlike the Monk or Friar, who failed to live in what they preach in a practical manner. Parson lives the Gospel that he teaches people by being virtuous and holy in all things he is doing. Parson visits his parishioners who are widely spaced in shine or rain and gives to the poor while personally he lives a life of poverty. Parson is much explicit about the motivation of his behavior because he should serve a good example or a role model ton his parishioners. Parson believes that if a religious figure or person cannot live a holy life, how can he/she expects a layperson or any other individual to do the same (Leicester 223). The picture portrayed by Parson showed language and pastoral imagery about the shepherds and the sheep. Parson treated his parishioners as sheep, and he declared that he would not leave them stuck in the mud. In addition, Parson expressed the reasons for living a holy life that it is not right for the flock of white sheep to be under or watched by a dirty shepherd, an individual bespattered by sin. Through this language, Parson portrayed an impression that personally, he is the caretak...