Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Puck is a fairy spirit that serves Oberon. He freely admits to being "a shrewd and knavish sprite." He is sent by Oberon to fetch the flower "love-in-idleness" and is told to apply its juice to the eyes of a youth "in Athenian garments." He erroneously administers the charm to the sleeping Lysander. He provides Nick Bottom with a donkey's head, and scatters the "mechanicals" with strange sounds. He enjoys the confusion brought about by his blunders. Later, he is ordered by Oberon to produce a dark fog, and to lead the rival lovers astray within it by imitating their voices, and then to apply a counter-charm to Lysander's eyes. However, at the end of the play he makes a speech apologizing for his actions.

See also

• Puck (mythology)

Fictional fairies and sprites | Shakespearean characters

Puck (Shakespeare) | Puck (Shakespeare) | Puck (Shakespeare)