Blog Post 2: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Toby Egbuna

The actions and events in Acts I-III of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream all have one common element: love. Whether it is at the beginning of the play when we are first introduced to the soon-to-be-married couple Theseus and Hippolyta, or the love triangle between Lysander, Demetrius, and Hermia, or even Puck’s comical use of the love potion, the theme of love is consistent throughout the first three acts. For this reason I believe the point of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that love will make you act differently than you normally would, often in a bad way.

Puck, the funny sprite and servant to Oberon is by far the most interesting character in my opinion. Although Puck is not involved in a romantic relationship himself during the first three acts, his actions affect the interactions of other characters. Shakespeare does not reveal the fate of the other romantically involved characters in the first three acts, but the audience can predict that something bad is going to happen to them. We see that Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia, and Helena are all fighting each other because of the confusion within what is now their love square, and we can infer that something negative will also fall upon Theseus and Hippolyta in the following acts. Shakespeare is making a point that love makes people act stupidly. Shakespeare uses Puck as a sort of catalyst for the love square; Puck condones foolish behavior, such as pulling the chair away from under old ladies, but once he gets involved in the love lives of others, things go haywire. This completely supports Shakespeare’s ideas because it is demonstrating the seriousness behind love affairs.

Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 358-375 provide a basic summary of Puck’s character.

                        PUCK

Believe me, King of Shadows, I mistook.

Did not you tell me I should know the man

By the Athenian garment he had on?

And so far blameless proves my enterprise,

That I have 'nointed an Athenian’s eyes.

And so far am I glad it so did sort,

As this their jangling I esteem a sport.

OBERON

Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight.

Hie therefore, Robin, overcast the night.

The starry welkin cover thou anon

With drooping fog as black as Acheron,

And lead these testy rivals so astray

As one come not within another’s way.

Like to Lysander sometime frame thy tongue,

Then stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong.

And sometime rail thou like Demetrius.

And from each other look thou lead them thus,

Till o'er their brows death-counterfeiting sleep

With leaden legs and batty wings doth creep.

This passage occurs after Puck has incorrectly put the love potion on Lysander’s eyes, instead of Demetrius. He claims that he did not know who was who because they were both wearing Athenian clothing. It is clear through this passage that Puck is a comical character that cannot be taken too seriously. We are also exposed to the servant-master relationship between Puck and Oberon, as Puck has to explain his mistake to his boss. It is clear how Puck serves as a catalyst for Shakespeare’s ideals against the negative effects of love because Puck is clearly being used to facilitate the love affairs between Demetrius and Lysander.