Character Analysis of A Mid Summer Nights Dream - Term Paper Example

A Round character is defined as three dimensional, complex and life like. The round character grows as the story progresses. The main character in the play is called a round character as it shows a degree of character development. In terms of this definition Puck can be called round as he is the creator of major actions in the play. Though he does not show development in his qualities as the play progresses but brings twists and turns in the life of other characters. He is not the main character or the protagonist yet his character makes the entire play lively and sets the characters in action.

Puck is an Individualized character in the sense that he embodies and exhibits the traits of a particular class or group of people. They are also called Type characters and are very unpredictable in their actions and are representative of their class and group to which they belong. Puck is a fairy and is called Robin Good fellow. He is portrayed a bit bizarre, by the master crafts man Shakespeare where as the other fairies are ethereal and beautiful. As the other fairy describes him, “I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Good fellow.

Are not you he that frights the maidens of the villager, Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern And bootless make the breathless housewife churn”. . The character of Puck in the play is Symbolic in nature .As all the plays of Shakespeare confirms the presence of a world outside this world, the beings of that world control the destinies of the poor mortals. They love to play prank on the human beings and laugh at their distress and predicaments. Whether it is fate or destiny in some plays or it could be witches as in Macbeth or Puck, a hobgoblin in Mid Summer Night’s Dream.

He is Oberon’s jester and introduce himself as, “I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile.” and delights playing pranks on the mortals. He is swift and willing to please his master, Oberon. When Oberon tells him to bring the potion from the flowers ,he says, “ I’ll put a girdle round the Earth in forty minutes…”His willingness to serve Oberon and please him always, appear in this expression, “fear not, my lord ,your servant shall do”. In Mid Summer’s Night Dream, Puck’s capricious nature and fun loving humor, evocative language permeates the entire play.

By means of his deliberate pranks, this mysterious spirit enjoys his superiority over the humans who are puppets in his hands. He is capricious and fun loving, full of humor and life. These airy creatures are not diminutive human beings with supernatural powers, as quoted in Shakespeare's Fairies: the Triumph of Dramatic Art; they are like young human children and are able to differentiate between right and wrong. They love and quarrel like kids and use tricksters like Puck to avenge themselves.

The tricks these Ariel creatures play on the human lovers are like those that children play on one another, without any thought of the suffering they may cause the