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The fairy world and the working-class mechanicals provide the play's magic and its comedy. Oberon's power, Titania's independence, Puck's mischief, and Bottom's glorious self-delusion are as essential to the play as the lovers' confusion. This lesson analyses these characters in depth.
Oberon is the King of the Fairies — powerful, commanding, and determined to get his way. He is both the play's puppet-master and its moral arbiter, manipulating events to achieve outcomes he considers just.
| Trait | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Powerful | He controls the love juice and commands Puck and the fairy world |
| Jealous and possessive | His quarrel with Titania is driven by his desire for the changeling boy |
| Compassionate (selectively) | He feels pity for Helena and orders Puck to enchant Demetrius on her behalf |
| Manipulative | He humiliates Titania (making her love a donkey) to win the changeling boy |
| Poetic | His speeches are among the play's most beautiful: "I know a bank where the wild thyme blows" (2.1) |
Oberon raises important questions about power and consent:
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