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Thus, Shakespeare mixes five diverse and completely various stories and puts them together into a harmonious whole: (1) Italian romantic comedy, (2) Greek mythology, (3) Celtic myth and fairy tale folklore, (4) broad English country humor, and (5) a Roman myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Yet, Shakespeare’s play is strikingly original. The originality of play comes from the interweaving of such diverse elements. Not only has Shakespeare brought together a variety of sources; but he also has invented the lovers’ plot, which is influenced by but not directly taken from Italian romantic comedy.
Oddly, the most interesting character in the play and the character that has attracted the most attention and notice over the centuries is not a protagonist in any of the five plots. The character of Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is one of the most endearing and popular characters of English literature, and the role of Puck is a highly coveted one by Shakespearean actors around the world.
Puck also serves as a structural device. He is directly connected to the first, third, and fourth stories listed above. Puck not only adds humor and interest to the play, then, but he is also integral to the plot of the overall dramatic work.
As in all great dramatic comedies, Shakespeare varies the tone of this play. The tone varies from heavy to light. Heavy moments, such as Theseus’ harsh judgment against Hermia or the disasters caused by the quarrel of the king and queen of the fairies, provide balance to the light and cheerful moments, such as Hermia and Helena’s battle or the pranks caused by Puck. The play is never dull, and the audience is entranced and thrilled as one glorious moment follows after another.