Shakespeare and the Fae

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

When reading Shakespeare’s plays The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might be surprised as to how important his fairies are as  principal characters. They are not whimsical fairies. They are not magically availing themselves with magical wands. They do not wear golden tiaras like in the 1935 movie with Andy Rooney in the Puck role.

No, they are complicated emotionally flawed characters who have no problem causing a lot of mischief by cleverly manipulating other characters. Alas, it is so with a Fairy King Oberon, in conflict with the Fairy Queen Titania regarding: What is to be done with a human child (changeling) stolen by the fairies? While Oberon wants to make the child a soldier, Titania gives a thumbs down to that idea. After all, his east Indian mother was an ardent follower of the Fairy Queen. Sadly, the mother died in childbirth. Tatiana feels the need to protect the child. Oberon decides to teach her a lesson and has Puck, their servant, give her eye’s a dusting with a special flower’s love potion dew drops. Of course, the manipulation goes awry. Eventually, Puck cleans up the mess he has wrought and convinces the characters it was all but a midsummer night’s dream. Puck also looks to the audience to convince them: It was all just a dream!

The Tempest

Prospero, a magician frees a flying sprite named Ariel from a tree, where a witch has trapped him. Ariel is then obligated to serve Prospero as his personal servant. Prospero uses magic to right the wrongs in life. Once this is done, he renounces his magic and frees Ariel, a flying sprite.