Sunday, January 17, 2016

What is the sequence of Puck's love juice victims in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream? Whom did Puck anoint and when?

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, while Puck uses his own magic on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey, Puck actually only uses the love juice of the flower on one person throughout the play--Lysander. Oberon uses the love juice otherwise.

In act 2, scene 1, Puck is requested by King Oberon to find the magic flower that was hit by Cupid's stray arrow. While Puck is away, Oberon witnesses Helena following Demetrius through the wood and begging for his love. When Puck returns with the flower, Oberon next requests Puck to anoint Demetrius's eyes with the love juice, saying only, "Thou shalt know the man / By the Athenian garments he hath on (263-64). In scene 2 of the same act, while Oberon is anointing Titania's eyes as she sleeps, Puck goes off looking for Demetrius. He thinks he has found him when Lysander and Hermia enter the scene and lay down to sleep in the woods, giving Puck a chance to anoint Lysander's eyes. Yet, of course, Lysander is awakened by Helena and promptly falls in love with her, forgetting all about Hermia. Hence, Puck anoints Lysander, causing greatest conflicts in the play, whereas Oberon anoints Titania.

In act 3, scene 2, Oberon realizes the mistake Puck has made and sends him off to find Helena while Oberon himself anoints Demetrius's eyes. Helena enters while being pursued by Lysander, and their quarreling awakens Demetrius so that, upon seeing Helena, he too falls in love with her.  

Finally, also in act 3, scene 2, Puck stops Demetrius and Lysander in the middle of a duel and tricks them until they are so tired that they fall asleep. While they are asleep, Puck anoints only the eyes of Lysander, leaving Demetrius alone to remain in love with Helena.

Hence, as we can see, Lysander is actually Puck's only love juice "victim."

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