What motivates Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream? Also known as Robin Goodfellow, the spirit Puck is based on a legend contemporary with Shakespeare (OED). Its origins are as curious as its character: the Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of Puck to "pouke... commonly identified with the biblical devil". In the sixteenth century Puck is associated with Robin Goodfellow, "[a] sporty and capricious elf or goblin reputed to haunt the English countryside" or, in the words of a fairy in Shakespeare's play, a "cunning and dishonest spirit" ( II , i: 33). Puck plays a vital role in the development of the plot of “A Midsummer Night's Dream”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay True to legend and reputation, Puck does all sorts of misdeeds. He transforms Bottom into a donkey-headed figure, and to witness Bottom's face follows the metamorphosed Bottom “[t]rough swamp, through bushes, through bushes, through bushes, through / brambles” (III, i: 102) . When Oberon orders him to anoint the eyes of Titania and Demitrius with magical "love juice", Puck mistakes Demetrius for Lysander and causes much confusion. He is also responsible for Titania's misplaced love. When she wakes up and falls in love, the object of her crazy affection is none other than Bottom, the donkey. What are Puck's motivations? The answer is offered in part by Puck himself: he is a “merry wanderer,” attempting to create many “a merrier hour” (II, i: 43, 57). But what fuels Puck's fundamental desire to create so much joy? This question takes on an even more intriguing twist if we consider Puck as Shakespeare's representative on the stage. First, like an author, Puck moves between worlds; it is a spirit that often interacts with mortals, just as Shakespeare served as a bridge between his imaginary world and the real one around him. Second, Puck serves as the author's voice in the epilogue: If we shadows have wronged, think of this, and all will be made right: that thou hast but slept here while these visions appeared. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding than a dream... (V, i: 415-420) Here Puck explains the title of the play and apologizes for any offense the audience may have felt while watching the " shadows" perform a "weak and idle theme". Shakespeare could very well express his opinion through Puck in these lines. From elsewhere in the play we know that Shakespeare supports the concept of an author addressing an audience by proxy. Bottom makes just such a proposal, proposing to write a disclaimer in the introduction of his play: “Let the prologue seem to say…that Pyramus was not really killed…tell them that I am not Pyramus, but Bottom / the weaver. This will put them out of fear” (III, i: 16-20). Another parallel between Puck and Shakespeare occurs when Puck comes across a rehearsal of Pyramus and Thisby: “What, a verse play? I will be an auditor; / Even an actor perhaps, if I see the reason” (III, i: 74-75). Puck is an auditor by virtue of his presence and an actor in the sense of a participant, as he ultimately transforms Bottom. Shakespeare too is an auditor, a first-time audience of both the play and this “play within a play.” He acts indirectly through Puck, sharing the motive of both creating comedy and advancing the dramatic plot. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay If we consider Puck as Shakespeare and vice vice versa, it is easier to interpret Puck's motivations. As.