Fairies and Their Purpose The fairies and the fairy realm have many responsibilities in this play. The most important of which is that they are the cause of much of the conflict and comedy within this story. They represent mischievousness and pleasantry which gives the play most of its emotion and feeling. They relate to humans because they make mistakes but differ in the fact that they do not understand the human world. Robin is the most notable fairy in the play and is the servant of the fairy king, Oberon.
Along with Oberon, Robin is the most comedic and protagonistic character in this play. He is responsible for the essential events that occur in the woods whether on purpose or just on accident. He recognizes himself as a protagonist. 'Thou speakest aright. I am that merry wanderer of the night. ' He purposely turns Bottom into an ass just merely for his own enjoyment and to help Oberon receive the Indian boy. Oberon is Robin's driving force and reason for his actions. If Robin did not have the influence of Oberon and the orders from him he may not have been such a vital fairy in this play.
The fairy world shows us a lighter side of reality that today we do not see as often as we should. The fairy world is one of carefree enjoyment and fun times, unlike the human world which is wrought with death and destruction. The human world is one of horrible tragic events that occur all the time while in the fairy world one is known only to have a good time. The fairies are responsible for the comedic aspect of this play and without them it could not have been comedic.
The fairies represent a realm of carefree and amazingly enjoyable freedom that the members of the human world want to have but cannot because of the structure and laws. The fairies also show that their culture and society are not completely devoid of human qualities when Robin makes the mistake of placing the nectar on Lysander instead of Demetrius. The human actors in the play are a form of entertainment to their viewers in the human world, while the fairies are the entertainment of the woods and those who experience them. Humans are known or making mistakes all the time and the fact that Robin mistakes Lysander for Demetrius shows that he too suffers from error and is not infallible. 'Weeds of Athens he doth wear. This is he my master said Despised the Athenian maid. ' This mistake allows for the actions and conflicts that take place between the lovers to finally come through and surface to the audience. The human actors provide entertainment for the duke and elite of Athens as the fairies provide entertainment for the audience and the lovers in the forest.
The servants of Oberon and Titania reflect the servants of Theseus and the performers of the play in the fact that both groups of servants are controlled by a higher power. 'That thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed! ' Both fairies and humans fall in love with another as shown between Titania and Oberon and Lysander and Hermia. The fairies also differ from the members from the human world in many ways. The most notable is that the fairies can turn into little pixie-like creatures and fly away, a feat never accomplished by a human as of yet.
The humans have a better understanding of technology and inventions such as the phonograph. 'Lord, what fools these mortals be! ' The fairies were using phonograph as a table for fruit and were frightened when Bottom showed them that it played music. The most obvious difference is the representation of the fairies as a delicate and graceful creature while the craftsmen and shown as rough and earthy. There are other obvious differences but these sum up the respective qualities of both groups well.
The fairies and their realm play a very integral part in the progression and resolution of this play. Robin along with other fairies are responsible for many of the conflicts that occur within the woods and then also resolve many of those same conflicts. Without the use of the fairies and the fairy world Shakespeare would have a hard time convincing his audience that the actions that took place in the woods were reasonable and that the lovers finally united with their correct match.
These fairies and their interaction with the human counterparts allow for much of the action in the forest to take place. The lovers should be forever indebted to the fairies if they knew what was actually happening and did not think that it was just a dream that they shared while in the forest. These seemingly delicate and graceful creatures turn out to be the major protagonist in this play and they result in the progression and comedy in the play.
Author: Angel Bell