In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Fairy King Oberon and Queen Titania are at odds with each other because of some individual referred to as a “changeling.” Puck, Oberon’s main attendant, describes the source of the strife: “For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, Because that she as her attendant hath a lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king; She never had so sweet a changeling:” (Ii.i.20-24). Continue reading
Love-in-idleness, a flower commonly known as the pansy, botanically known as viola tricolor, German-ly known as the Stiefmuetterchenkraut, amusingly known as the kiss-her-in-the-buttery, and traditionally known as heartsease, is one of the many plants that William Shakespeare referenced in his plays. As one of the most common and popular field flowers across Europe, the pansy has inspired a variety of legends. As Shakespeare recounts in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one popular tale states that the flower was originally pure white until it was struck by Cupid’s arrow. The wound from the arrow formed the dark purple center of the petals. This tale of Cupid, coupled with the flower’s name, from the French “pensée,” meaning thought, and its heart-shaped petals, has linked the pansy with ideas of love, lovers, and dreaming. Continue reading
Jacob Matham, 1571-1631, Moreelse “Acteon Changed to a Stag after Surprising Diana in Her Bath” from The Illustrated Bartsch. Vol. 4, Netherlandish Artists: Matham, Saenredam, Muller. Retrospective conversion of The Illustrated Bartsch (Abaris Books) by ARTstor Inc. and authorized contractors
Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon, is one of many classical references in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. These images are all illustrations from within 20 years of the play’s writing, around 1594-1596. Continue reading
Puck (a.k.a. Robin Goodfellow), one of Oberon’s fairy servants, is notable for being one of two characters who is involved in all of the different story arcs; he is responsible for meddling between the young Athenian lovers as well as transforming Bottom’s head in the Mechanicals plotline. His soliloquy at the end of the play is probably one of the most memorable moments as he breaks the fourth wall, directly imploring the audience to consider the idea that perhaps everything they have seen is, in fact, a dream. As a fairy sprite, Puck seems to embody this mischievous spirit: one fairy calls Puck “a shrewd and knavish sprite” (Act II.1.33) and Puck introduces himself as “that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon, and make him smile” (Act II.1.43-44).
Interested in the different depictions of Puck, I did a quick google image search of the term “Puck”. Continue reading