Fools and Love

In the play, A summer solstice Nights Dream, Shakespeare draws the readers attention to the graphic symbols of Nick butt end, and hockey puck. Nick undersurface and hockey puck are both considered to be the fools in this play, although both point of references fulfill this role in different ways. can is a contemporary fool, who is overconfident and lacks vulgar sense. While shadow is actu totallyy confident in himself, especially his performing ability, he is non a precise intelligent character. pucks role in the play is more than of a traditional fool. puck plays practical jokes and enjoys entertaining though mischief.hockey pucks service to the pansy king, Oberon, is similar to a jesters role in a medieval society. Though the two fools of the play are very different, they rear several helpful observations about life and have it off. fag end and Puck inform the earreach valuable lessons about taking love as well as seriously, quite of enjoying it as it comes. Th e fools also mop uper sixth sense on the consequences of being overly confident in sensationself.The first lesson that the fools offer is that love should not be taken too seriously, but enjoyed just as it comes. Puck offers this insight in his quote, Lord, what fools these mortals be (Act 3, Scene 2, var. 116). After attempting to make Demetrius make it in love with Helena, Pucks plan self-destructs when he realizes that he has put the love potion on the wrong man. When Puck watches the reaction of the raw lovers, he realizes how silly it is for them to all be chasing after love so desperately, rather than taking it as it comes and enjoying it. Nick Bottom offers this same lesson through and through his short family with Titania, the fairy queen.Though Bottom is obviously not a perfect match for the beautiful Titania, he enjoys her affections while they last, never second-guessing that she could be in love with him. Though Titanias affections for Bottom are induced by a pot ion, Bottom throws himself into his newfound relationship with her, unaware that Puck has transformed Bottoms head into that of a donkey. When Bottom awakes and Titanias affections for him have ended, Bottom enjoys the memories as though a dream.The second lesson that Shakespeare impresses upon his audience is the effect of over-confidence on others. Early in the play, Bottom gathers with the other actors to start planning their play. Rather than listen to motherfucker quince bush, the stage manager, and take direction from him, Bottom wants to tell everyone what to do. He tells Quince how to announce the parts and how to organize the actors. Then, Bottom wants to play every sensation part in the play, and brags about how wonderful his portrayal of each character would be.Shortly after this scene, Puck changes Bottoms head into that of a donkey, which is symbolic of Bottoms conceited behavior. Upon his entrance in the play, all of the other actors reach away from Bottom and his grotesque appearance. Upon seeing Bottom, Quince yells, O heartrending O, strange We are haunted. Pray, masters Fly, masters Help (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 99-100). Puck changed Bottoms appearance to match his personality by placing the head of the donkey on his shoulders.Puck, although obviously less power famished than Bottom, also shows that he has plenty of confidence in himself. Puck exhibits his over-confidence at several points in the play, bragging about the tricks that he has played on others and enjoying laughing at their misfortune. The audience sees that Puck is also confident in his ability to serve Oberon, as well. When Oberon send Puck out to honor Helena in the woods, Puck replies, I go, I go, look how I go, swifter than arrow from the Tartars bow (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 100-101).By study his speed and accuracy to that of the Tartars, who were famous for their skill with a bow and arrow, Puck shows that he believes himself to be equally as accurate. This shows the aud ience a very confident Puck, but the audience cannot help but realize that Pucks comparison of himself to the Tartars is an overexaggeration. Ironically, Puck is the reason that the mix-up with the love potion happened, so in effect, he is obviously not as accurate as he might like to think.The third lesson that is conveyed in the play is the base concept that ignorance can be bliss. Nick Bottom is portrayed as an overly self-assured and ignorant fellow. He is absorbed in all things of himself and does not take much interest in anything that does not straightway affect him. After Puck turns his head into that of a donkey, his fellow actors bucket along away from him in fear. Instead of wondering what happened to frighten them off, Bottom brushes it off and doesnt think about it further.And again, when Bottom is awakening from his slumber in the forest after his short-lived romance with Titania, Bottom again shows his ignorance. Bottom remembers all of the things that had happene d to him through the night, but he refuses to accept them as anything more than a dream. By brushing off these events as a undefiled fantasy, Bottom rejects reality and chooses to be ignorant of the events and remember them as aught more than a dream. Puck is also ignorant of other concourse in the play. Pucks only concern is entertaining himself and Oberon, and he does not consider anyone else in his actions.Early in the play, Puck talks about the pranks that he has been known to play, telling the audience that, sometimes lollygag I in a gossips bowl, in very likeness of a roasted crab, and when she drinks, against her lips I bob and on her diminish dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, sometimes for three-foot stool splayth me then slip I from her bum, down topples she, and tailor cries, and falls into a cough (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 47-54). By turning himself into a crab and lurking in a bowl of ale to scare a woman, and making himself appear to b e a stool so that when a woman sits on him, he can make her fall, Puck makes it obvious that he cares about nothing but entertaining himself and his king.Again, in Act Three, Puck shows his selfishness when he realizes that he has made a mistake with the young lovers in the woods and the love potion meant for Demetrius and Helena. When Puck tries to fix it, he realizes that now both men will fall in love with Helena. Rather than try to remedy the problem, Puck thinks it will be maneuver to watch. Puck shows his complete lack of interest in the young couples when he says, Then will two at once woo one that must needs be sport alone. And those things do best satisfy me that befall preposterously (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 118-121). Puck shows a disregard for the on-key feelings of the young lovers so long as it is entertaining to him.In conclusion, A Midsummer Nights Dream, contains two fools who are able to trade insight into life and love throughout the play. Shakespeare strategicall y places Nick Bottom and Puck in the play as fools, but these fools have a purpose. Shakespeare uses Bottom and Puck to teach his audience valuable lessons about the importance of living in the moment of love, instead of taking love too seriously. Puck and Bottom also show the audience is that over-confidence is not an gentle quality in anyone.The fools also give new meaning to the darkened adage, Ignorance is bliss, through their actions in this play. Shakespeare expatiates this through the self-serving actions of both Bottom and Puck throughout the play. By using Bottom and Puck to illustrate these lessons, Shakespeare allows the audience to see how ridiculous these two characters are, thus enabling the audience to laugh at them while still receiving his message.Works CitedShakespeare, William. A Midsummer Nights Dream. New York, NY Bantam Books, 1980.