Literary Analysis of Robin Goodfellow in 'a Midsummer Night's Dream'
“An Analysis of Robin Goodfellow’s Contributions to the Central Theme of Order and Disorder in A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare”
Numerous scholars who examine and analyze the comedy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare point to Puck as the most significant character in the play. Although Shakespeare masks Puck’s important role in the comedy by hiding him amongst the more powerful characters, it becomes apparent that Puck’s mischievous attitude and knack for creating chaos are what moves the play along without a designated climax (“The Comedies: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream”). Puck is first introduced in “Act II Scene I” when a fairy notions Puck’s infamy by inquiring to him, “Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow” (II. i. 33-35). The fact that Puck is especially known for his ability to morph order to disorder, and likewise, foreshadows the idea of Puck playing an important role in the inevitable chaos and subsequent order between both the mortals and the fairies. Puck, the “shrewd and knavish” fairy assistant to Oberon, plays and undeniably important part in the constant battle between order and disorder in A Midsummer Night’s Dream through his intentional antics, comedic mistakes, and convoluted relationship with both fairies and mortals. The names “Robin Goodfellow” and “Puck” were used in traditional fairy lore me as a sobriquet for the devil. The troublesome persona of Puck reflects his name indubitably. One of the predominant characteristics of Puck is his ability to create disorder, where he first displays this nature in “Act II Scene II” when he mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and anoints his eyes with a love potion. When Lysander wakes up, he immediately falls in love with Helena, discarding his true love, Hermia, by saying, “Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose” (III. ii. 270). Puck’s next act of mischief in the play is
Numerous scholars who examine and analyze the comedy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare point to Puck as the most significant character in the play. Although Shakespeare masks Puck’s important role in the comedy by hiding him amongst the more powerful characters, it becomes apparent that Puck’s mischievous attitude and knack for creating chaos are what moves the play along without a designated climax (“The Comedies: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream”). Puck is first introduced in “Act II Scene I” when a fairy notions Puck’s infamy by inquiring to him, “Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow” (II. i. 33-35). The fact that Puck is especially known for his ability to morph order to disorder, and likewise, foreshadows the idea of Puck playing an important role in the inevitable chaos and subsequent order between both the mortals and the fairies. Puck, the “shrewd and knavish” fairy assistant to Oberon, plays and undeniably important part in the constant battle between order and disorder in A Midsummer Night’s Dream through his intentional antics, comedic mistakes, and convoluted relationship with both fairies and mortals. The names “Robin Goodfellow” and “Puck” were used in traditional fairy lore me as a sobriquet for the devil. The troublesome persona of Puck reflects his name indubitably. One of the predominant characteristics of Puck is his ability to create disorder, where he first displays this nature in “Act II Scene II” when he mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and anoints his eyes with a love potion. When Lysander wakes up, he immediately falls in love with Helena, discarding his true love, Hermia, by saying, “Hang off, thou cat, thou burr! Vile thing, let loose” (III. ii. 270). Puck’s next act of mischief in the play is