【MoreoverinsofarasanyinterpretationofitsauthorcanbemadefromthefiveorsixplaysattributedtohimtheWakefieldMasterisuniformlyconsideredtobeamanofsharpcontemporaryobservation.Hewasformallyperhapsclerically】

　　MoreoverinsofarasanyinterpretationofitsauthorcanbemadefromthefiveorsixplaysattributedtohimtheWakefieldMasterisuniformlyconsideredtobeamanofsharpcontemporaryobservation.HewasformallyperhapsclericallyeducatedashisLatinandmusichisBiblicalandpatristicloreindicate.Heisstillcelebratedmainlyforhisquicksympathyfortheoppressedandforgottenmanhissharpeyeforcharacterareadyearforcolloquialvernacularturnsofspeechandahumoralternatelyrudeandboisterouscoarseandhappy.HencedespitehisconsciousartistryasmanifestinhisfeelingforintricatemetricalandstanzaformsheislookeduponasakindofmedievalSteinbeckindignantlyangryatuncompromisinglyandevenbrutallyrealisticinpresentingtheplightoftheagriculturalpoor.

　　Thustakingtheplayandtheauthortogetheritismowfairlyconventionaltoregardtheformerasakindofultimatepointinthesecularizationofthemedievaldrama.HencemuchemphasisonitasdepictingrealisticallyhumblemannersandpastorallifeinthebleakhillsoftheWestRidingofYorkshireonatypicallycoldbightofDecember24th.Afterwhatareoftenregardedasalmost“documentaries”giveninthethreesuccessivemonologuesofthethreeshepherdscriticsgoontoaffirmthattherealismisthenintensifiedintoaburlesquemock-treatmentoftheNativity.Finallyasasortofepilogueorafter-thoughtindeferencetotheBiblicaloriginsofthematerialstheplayslidesbackintoanatavisticmoodofearlyinnocentreverence.Actuallyasweshallseethefinalsceneisnotonlytheculminatingscenebutperhapstheraisond’etreofintroductory“realism.”

　　Thereismuchonthesurfaceofthepresentplaytosupporttheconventionalviewofitsmoodofsecularrealism.Allthesamethe“realism”oftheWakefieldMasterisofaparadoxicalturn.Hiswideknowledgeofpeopleaswellasbooksindicatesnocloisteredcontemplativebutoneincloserelationtohistimes.StillthatlifewasafterallapredominantlyreligiousoneatimewhichneverneglectedthebeliefthatmanwasarebelliousandsinfulcreatureinneedofredemptionSodeeply(onecanhardlysay“naively”ofsosophisticatedawriter)andimplicitlyreligiousistheMasterthatheislessable(orlesswilling)topresentactualhistoryrealisticall