A Midsummer Night’s Dream Example Essay Example

Oberon communicates that Puck's mistake will unavoidably result from his own misunderstanding. Puck's tricks are always harmless and are performed solely to entertain his master, as he is instructed. For instance, he once made it impossible for milk to turn into butter, no matter how much a maid churned it. This playful act was meant to bring joy and laughter. Additionally, Puck's undying devotion and obedience to Oberon contradict the notion of him being insane. A truly insane individual would not spend their time fulfilling Oberon's every desire instead of pursuing their own desires.

Throughout the play, Puck is depicted as continually carrying out orders. However, unlike other characters, Puck demonstrates a keen awareness of human emotions, as seen in line 114 of Act 3:2: "Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be." Despite his disdain for their ignorance, Puck exhibits genuine remorse for his mistakes. One could argue that his remorse stems from displeasing his master. Nevertheless, Puck's actions throughout the play provide further evidence of his madness.

Shakespeare's use of language in the beginning of the play is most notable. He employs Puck as a means of communication between the audience and the characters. Puck serves as an agent or tool, introducing the contrast between the fairy and human realms, drawing attention to the plot, and highlighting various locations and settings. This can be seen in line 28 of Act 2:1, where Puck remarks, "And now they never met in grove, or green, by fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen." Shakespeare uses a rhyming couplet pattern (a,a,b,b,c,c) in these narrative segments to create a more enchanting atmosphere and emphasize the distinction

between the fairy world and reality.

The use of imagery in the fairy realm highlights its magical and mystical qualities. However, after pulling a prank, Puck's language style changes to reflect the excitement of the prank, with erratic rhyme schemes and a loss of narrative role. This is seen in line 74 of Act 3:1, where Puck asks, "What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here, So near the cradle of the fairy queen? What a play toward? I'll be an auditor - An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause." This not only shows Puck's comical value in the play but also reveals a harsher and less compassionate side towards humans. Furthermore, Puck's madness is evident in his unprovoked and cruel act of attaching an ass's head to the rude mechanical named Bottom in Act 3:1. He does this on his own initiative, without orders from Oberon. In line 103, he declares, "I'll follow you, I'll lead you about a round, Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier." This quote suggests that Puck not only attacked Bottom for no good reason but also intends to lead him into a bog for entertainment. It also indicates that Puck is not solely obedient to Oberon as he gets carried away with other distractions before prioritizing his duties. As a consequence of this unfounded trick, Titania, the fairy Queen, ends up falling in love with Bottom.This connects with Oberon's scheme to humiliate her by using a `love-in-idleness' flower to enchant her, causing her to fall in love with the first being she sees. Coincidentally, this turns out to be Bottom. When Puck reunites with Oberon, he defends his

previous actions by arguing that he targeted Bottom for this very reason. This demonstrates Puck's duplicitous nature.

In Act 3:2, Puck tells Oberon about his actions by saying, "I led them in this distracted fear, and left sweet Pyramus here, when in that moment, so it came to pass, Titania wak'd and straight away lov'd an ass." This statement conveys Puck's gloating and pride. Additionally, in Act 2:1, line 43, Puck confesses his guilt by stating, "I am that merry wanderer of the night, I jest to Oberon and make him smile." Overall, based on Puck's behavior, it can be concluded that he is not a mad spirit.

Firstly, there is no evidence that suggests that Puck is insane. However, his attack on Bottom demonstrates a lack of judgement. Despite this, Puck's reputation as Robin Goodfellow portrays him as a warm-hearted spirit overall. Puck's pranks are not foolish to the extent of endangering others or causing lasting harm. The reality is that it is Oberon's constant interference in people's lives that leads Puck to create chaos in the human world. Puck becomes a scapegoat for covering up Oberon's foolish actions because of their association with each other. In truth, Puck is just a slightly mischievous spirit.