Identity of the Characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream Where Shakespeare's tragedies tell the story, mainly, of a single main character, this is rarely the case with his comedies. Comedies are more social and deal with groups of characters. In the case of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the main groups are first presented separately. Although one group may interact with another (such as when Puck anoints Lysander's eyes or Titania is in love with Bottom), they maintain distinct identities. Although each of the groups is separate, symmetries appear between them: Theseus and Oberon (and, in a way, Bottom) are leaders and authority figures in their respective spheres. Hippolyta and Titania are wives who defy their lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship. Often one couple must be contrasted with another: the well-matched lovers Lysander and Hermia contrast with the ill-matched Demetrius and Helen (they resemble Pyramus and Thisbe). Even Puck has his human counterpart in Philostratus. The serious struggles of the young nobles contrast with the good camaraderie of the mechanics while resembling the feud of the fairy rulers. A full portrayal of a complex character (as in Hamlet) is not attempted here and would be entirely out of place. This is not a fault but reflects here the different concerns of the playwright. But we find a very economical representation of strong and lively characters, in Puck, Bottom, Oberon, Titania, Theseus, Helena and Hermia. Among these, the first two stand out as being among Shakespeare's greatest creations. Puck first appears at the start of Act 2 and rarely leaves the stage from then on. It is essential to the story: he carries out his master's orders by obeying...... middle of paper ...... like everything in tragedies, his anti-greeting ("I will be met by moonlight ...) almost a growl. But his concern for the lovers and his pity for Titania's ridiculousness show how capable of gentler feelings he is. Theseus' evident sympathy for Hermia in 1.1 has a parallel in his concern not to minimize the Mechanics' efforts to celebrate her marriage: "The best of this kind are only shadows, and the worst are not worse, if imagination modifies them. » . His prose spoken here could indicate a concern that the workers understand him, in order to alleviate their sense of fear. In Theseus, Shakespeare brings dignity and humanity to the familiar mythical hero; in Oberon he embodies the more benign qualities of the Elizabethan wood spirits in a fairy king more vivid, concrete and passionate than any original Oberon on which he may have based his portrayal..