The Second Shepherd's Play

Col is the leader of the three shepherds. Of all the shepherds, Col is the most resentful of the political structure and attributes his suffering to the exploitation of poor men like himself by wealthy landowners. Despite his grievances, however, Col shows himself to be forgiving and empathetic. When the shepherds discover that Mak has stolen one of their sheep, Col persuades the others to forgive Mak and let him off lightly, even though stealing sheep is punishable by hanging. He presents the Christ-Child with the gift of cherries. 

Gib is the second oldest of the three shepherds. While Col attributes his suffering to the exploitation of the poor by the rich, Gib sees men as oppressed and exploited by women and attributes his own suffering mainly to his wife. He presents the Christ-Child with the gift of a bird.

Dave is the youngest of the three shepherds and often gets scolded and bossed around by the others. He complains about the bad weather, his constant hunger, and his fear of the long nights that they are forced to endure as shepherds.

Dave is the shepherd who initially remarks that Mak has a reputation as a thief and immediately suspects Mak and Gill when Col notices that a

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