Analysis Of Robin Goodfellow AKA Puck

by Neko-chan -Silvered Tongue

Done for Drama class. I thought that it was interesting, so I uploaded it for whoever wants to read it. o.o;; Anyway, an analysis of Puck from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

**What does this character need or want?

**Who or what stands in the way of the character's needs or wants?

**What conditions affect the character's thoughts, words, and actions?

**Why does this character say or do certain things?

1) The character that I had chosen was Puck from "A Midsummer Night's Dream." To me, Puck is one of the simplest characters in the play--while, at the same time, also being the most complicated. It all depends on how you look at him. The easiest answer to the first question would be: Puck wants to cause as much mischief as possible. But, if you look at him from another perspective, you'll see a deeper character. Not only does Puck want to cause mischief, he also wants to taunt the "mortals" in any way he can, and the easiest way he does this is by following Oberon's orders. Another theory is that Puck despises humans and he only wants to cause them as much misery as possible; he disdains them. To back up my theory, I have a line that Puck says: "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" Another reason would be that Puck is jealous of the people's humanity; he wants to be human, which is why he hates them so much. Puck also resents Oberon. Oberon has all of this power and a beautiful Queen, yet he doesn't appreciate it all until it's too late. Also, Puck resents the way Oberon commands him to do certain things. No one likes to be bossed around, Puck least of all. So Puck not only disdains humans, he also disdains Oberon. I think that he also wants more power, but he can't get it because Oberon only looks on him as his "flunkie." And that's exactly how Oberon treats Puck--like a flunkie.

2) I think that several things stand in Puck's way. The main thing would be Oberon. Oberon basically tells Puck to jump, and Puck must jump. After all, Oberon _is_ the Fae King. Another thing that stands in Puck's way is his need to create mischief. In many cases, it debilitates him and causes him to make more mischief than he was supposed to do--which then makes Oberon put more restrictions on Puck. Just as Puck's need to cause mischief is both his need AND obstacle, his disdain for mortals also limits him. Because of this prejudice, he causes more trouble than he was meant to, either bending Oberon's commands or disregarding them at all. This limits Puck, as does all prejudices. Puck can't overcome this obstacle because it is part of who he is. Also, as I will mention in the next answer, the different people in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" affect Puck. People react to other people. It's part of who we are. Puck is reacting to the people around him. Some of the people are there to help him. More often than not, though, the people around him stand in the way. They make things more difficult and that twists his and Oberon's plan further. The people and how THEY react to the situations presented to him are basically the main obstacles that stand in Puck's way.

3) The main condition that affects Puck's thoughts, words, and actions would be the scenario that is presented in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Though they are funny, the love triangles shown pose many problems. Even the Queen of the Fae is involved in one of the love triangles, which then causes Oberon's wrath and jealousy. And, because of this jealousy, Oberon sends out Puck to cause even MORE mischief and trouble. Thus, we begin to better understand Puck's character more. In a way, he is much like a djinn (a genie). Though he follows Oberon's commands to the letter, he somehow or other manages to also twist the commands to better suit _himself._ Also, the different people in the play affect Puck's actions. It isn't just Oberon. It's also Hermia, Titania, Helena, and so on. Every OTHER person's own thoughts, words, and actions affect Puck. How could they not? Everyone reacts to everyone else. Puck is just reacting to the people around him. So, all in all, the main conditions that affect Puck the most would be the love triangles presented in the play and Oberon's jealousy.

4) I believe that this question is very important because if you cannot answer this question, then you don't understand your character at all. Puck says and does certain things because he's basically the Fool. The only difference is, he _knows_ that he is the Fool and doesn't like his role one bit. He's at the "bottom of the barrel." He's at the bottom of the court of the Fae--the social hierarchy, so to speak. Puck does what he does because of THIS resentment and his disdains for Oberon and the "mortals." He's always at the beck and call of the king. At any time, Oberon can summon him and Puck must come. There is no choice in the matter. True, Puck can dally, but that only makes things worse for him. Truthfully, I think that Puck is more powerful than Shakespeare allows us to guess. After all, it isn't _Oberon_ who goes out and does all of this magic. It's Puck. Maybe it's Puck because Puck is the only one strong enough to cause the type of mischief that Oberon wants. Also, another reason why Puck does the things that he does is because he disdains humans. I know that I mentioned it above, but his disdain for humans makes Puck who he is. Another thing: Usually, disdain is rooted in the need or want to _become_ what you despise the most. Maybe Puck wants to _become_ a mortal... This disdain for humans is the main reason why he does the things he does. In the end, why chose a donkey's head to place on the Queen's lover? Maybe it's because Puck thinks that it shows humans' true nature. Or maybe not. You decide. And, of course, the most simplest answer: Puck does the things he does and says because of the almost impulsive urge to cause mischief. After all, we've all experienced it at one point of time. Some people experience it more than most. (...^_^... Not that I'm naming any names or anything...)

In the end, Puck does the tings he does and says the things he says because of one thing: It's the way he is. It's his nature. A person can't change their nature, it's part of who and what they are. After all, can you so easily dismiss your true nature, no matter how good of an actor you are? A part of you--no matter HOW small--is always left behind. So how can Puck change who he really is? He can't. So he's just being himself.