After the fairy song and dance are over and after the fairies have left the stage, one fairy remains alone in the palace: Puck. Puck speaks directly to the audience in a short speech and requests their applause. Puck also reminds the audience of the importance of dreams and dreaming. He suggests to the audience that they should think …
That you have but slumbered here, While these visions did appear; And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream. (3-6)
Shakespeare thus once again brings the ideas of drama and dreaming together. Both plays and dreams are products of the imagination. Although Puck is making a humble request in his epilogue for the audience to show their appreciation, the fairy is also subtly hinting that the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was like a pleasant and marvelous dream. As Oberon had suggested earlier, the power of the imagination can make even the worst of plays seem great. And the power of Shakespeare’s imagination via this comedy has allowed his audiences to forget momentarily their troubles and woes and instead engage in a pleasant mental journey through fairyland.