|
Jester and jokester, Puck, otherwise known as Robin Goodfellow, is like a wild, untamed member of the fairy clan. Though Oberon tells him they are \"spirits of another sort,\" Puck, with his connection to English legend and folklore, seems related to a slightly more dangerous kind of sprite.
Not that he is truly malevolent. Although his tricks make people uncomfortable, they don\'t seem to do any permanent damage. He casts an ironic eye on humanity. Thinking people fools, he loves to make fools of them. But laughter, not tears, is his aim. He delights in mischief-making, like a boy bent on fun. He\'s the childlike antidote to Oberon\'s seriousness; that\'s why he\'s jester as well as jokester.
With his quickness, ventriloquism, and shape-changing ability, he clearly has magic fairy powers of his own. Meddling in the affairs of lovers and administering Cupid\'s love juice, he\'s reminiscent of Pan. And like him he seems to have some animal nature. He even tells us that he likes to take the form of animals and that he communicates with them.
He is also reminiscent of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger. Like him, he\'s a go-between for higher powers. Most of the magic he does in the play is at Oberon\'s request. He\'s more the instrument or administerer of magic than the creator of it. He is definitely in the service of Oberon, regarding him with respect and a little fear.
As the liaison between the various groups of characters in the play, Puck is also the character who communicates directly with us, the audience. His swiftness (he can fly around the earth in forty minutes) may give him the ability to cut through dimensions, too. He steps out of the play at the end to suggest that all we\'ve seen may be just a dream--and you can be sure he says it with a wink!
|
