The wise King Oberon immediate realizes the mistake that Puck had made and explains it to the mischievous fairy. Puck responds with the following:
Then fate o’errules, that, one man holding troth, A million fail, confounding oath on oath. (92-93)
Puck is declaring that only one man out of a million is faithful in love, but fate interferes with that true lover and prevents the love from occurring. The lines here complement the earlier dialogue between Lysander and Hermia when they discuss how the “course of true love never did run smooth” (Act I, 1: 134). Fate thus confounds (confuses or mixes up) one oath with another. Fate often aids or supports men who make false oaths or promises in love but often brings trouble or harm to the man who makes a true promise or pledge to the woman he loves. Fate cannot be trusted.
Oberon decides to correct Puck’s mistake. He thus becomes another force (like fate), but he is benevolent: he wishes to benefit the true lover (Helena) and to remedy the misguided lover (Demetrius). Oberon commands Puck to go and find Helena and to bring her back to that part of the woods. After Puck exits (at line 101), Oberon puts some of the love potion on the eyes of Demetrius so that he will fall in love with Helena when he awakens.
Puck returns (at line 109). He tells Oberon that not only has Helena come, but Lysander has also followed after her. Lysander, who is still affected by the love potion, is still chasing after Helena. And Helena is still trying to run away from Lysander.
Puck finds that his mistake has extremely funny results, and he asks his king the following:
Shall we their fond pageant see?
Lord, what fools these mortals be! (114-15)
These are perhaps the most memorable lines from the play. The word fond means foolish. The word pageant refers to a show involving spectacle (elaborate actions or flashy costumes) but often with little plot or meaning. Thus, Puck is declaring that the affairs and actions of mankind are nothing more than foolish and meaningless shows. Puck is suggesting that not only are the four Athenians foolish, but all humans are just as foolish. Puck is certainly correct when it comes to love, for that is one of the occasions when mankind acts irrationally and foolishly.
Oberon tells Puck to move aside now because the noise will soon awaken Demetrius. Puck realizes that when Demetrius awakens, both he and Lysander will be in love with Helena and both of them will fight each other in order to have Helena. Puck predicts that this fighting will be quite amusing, and he looks forward to the “sport” (119). The word sport here means entertainment. Before he moves aside with Oberon, Puck asserts …
And those things do best please me That befall prepost’rously. (120-21)
The word preposterous means ridiculous or absurd. To befall means to happen. Puck likes a good joke or comical entertainment. Fate and Puck’s honest mistake have caused events to take a ridiculous turn, and the result (for both Puck and the Renaissance audience) is wonderful, hysterical comedy.