Understanding Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream by Robert A. Albano - HTML preview

Names for Oberon & Titania

1. Titania is another name for Circe in Ovid
2. Oberon is called King of the Fairies in Robert Greene’s James IV (1591)
3. both names appear in the French romance

Huon of Bordeaux, translated into English in 1534

Name of Puck

1. a mischievous sprite – dating back to Anglo-Saxon times
2. Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584)

Author Reginald Scot provides names and a description of Puck (Robin Goodfellow)

Names of Artisans are related to their professions:

Bottom – the core (spool) upon which weaver’s yarn was wound

Quince – a block of wood used by carpenters Snout – the nozzle of a kettle, which was mended by tinkers

Snug – means “close-fitting” – appropriate for a joiner (cabinet-maker)

Flute – stops of church organs had fluted tops that were repaired by a bellows-mender

Starveling – stereotype of tailors – depicted as small and skinny