Discuss Pucks role in A Midsummer Nights Dream.

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Discuss Puck’s role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In A Midsummer’s Dream, Puck is a ‘sprite’, a creature with magical powers, similar to a pixie or an elf. He is Oberon’s jester and henchman. He also serves another role in the play by interpreting it for the audience and commenting on the action of the play. Puck explains why the King and Queen of fairies are quarreling, ‘ she as her attendant hath a lovely boy, stol’n from the Indian King. She had never had so sweet a changeling, And jealous Oberon would have the child… But she perforce withholds the loved boy…’, this  enlightens the audience about Oberon and Titania’s quarrel. It gives the audience some background information and helps them understand the plot better. Puck is also a very critical character, he calls the craftsmen ‘ Hempen homespuns’ and the lovers as ‘mortals… fools be’. These might also represent what the audience themselves think of the characters especially the craftsmen and lovers. Therefore, Puck signifies an important role in explaining and commenting on the play and their characters.

Puck also plays a humorous role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He causes some of the most comical moments of the play, example when Puck transform Bottom’s head into that of an ass(donkey), and when the craftsmen saw Bottom with an ass hear, their reaction was hilarious. They scrambled to get out of the woods and screaming with terror, ‘ O monstrous! O strange! We are haunted! Pray, masters! Fly masters! Help!’. It is very hilarious to see their reaction upon seeing Bottom, they became very frantic and there was an uproar. Hence Puck plays a humorous role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream of lightening the mood of the play, causing it to be a comedy instead of tragedy.

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Puck also plays a hero in the play as he is the central character. Although he is not present in the first scene, Puck is introduced immediately in act two, serves as the instigator in rising action, is the main cause of conflict in act three, helps to ‘ right the wrongs’ in act four’s falling action, and finally provides the audience with their resolution at the end of the play.

Puck is also an agent of transformation by ‘anointing’ the lovers’ eyes with the love juice , but as he is directed to make these transformations by his master, ...

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