PUCK

also called Robin Goodfellow, the vivacious fairy, henchman for Oberon, and narrator in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck is notorious for his mischievous deeds, and his witty, fanciful asides serve to guide the play and its outrageous action. Despite his meddling, Puck is ultimately good-natured and generous, finding true pleasure in the play's outcome. Although belief in fairy creatures had been strong in medieval England, it had faded into a quaint fancy among educated Elizabethans. They would nevertheless have been conversant with Puck's mocking, shape-changing, potion-spreading ways.