FAIRY:
Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are you not he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern,
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are you not he?
PUCK:
Fairy, thou speak'st aright;
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon, and make him smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal;
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab;
And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh;
And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy written by William Shakespearec. 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular and is widely performed.
Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is a character in the play.
Based on the Puck of English mythology and the púca of Celtic mythology, Puck is a mischievous fairy, sprite, or jester. He is the first of the main fairy characters to appear, and he significantly influences events in the play. He delights in pranks such as replacing Bottom's head with that of an ass. Shakespeare’s use of a mythical creature in his work is intentional to emphasize the ubiquitousness of events associated with Puck. Whenever people find themselves in challenges and problems, they often blame third parties and external influence. The author does not invite readers to start believing in myths. He only indicates that humans are always in search of a scapegoat they can use to put all the blame onto. Puck perfectly meets this requirement because, since ancient times, the creature is blamed for a variety of misfortunes.
I am so happy that my friends Emy and Gabriele decided to do A Midsummer Night's Dream as one of their costumes this year. We wanted a photo shoot at the gardens near San Marco's Square, but alas it was closed on a Monday, so we can only do some photos outside the closed gates, bombarded by the throngs of tourists. Not surprising because Emy and Gabriele are two of Venice's top models at the Venice Carnevale. Their costumes are always fabulous and they are very much sought after especially by local Italian photographers. Still, a wonderful set of souvenir photos for us all.
The Venice Carnevale is not all about masks. Local Italians prefer painted faces and historical costumes. During Carnevale, the whole Venice becomes a real life theatrical stage, and Emy and Gabriele always put up a phenomenal show.