Who Puck is
Puck is a quick, cheerful spirit who enjoys playing pranks on villagers and travelers. He belongs to the fairy world of the wood, where magic unsettles the lives of visiting humans. Also known as Robin Goodfellow, he watches human foolishness with delight rather than judgment.
Puck and the others in the story
Puck serves Oberon, the fairy king, whose quarrel with Titania draws him into a scheme involving a magic flower. Oberon orders him to fetch the flower, whose juice makes sleepers love the first living creature they see upon waking.
The king also asks Puck to use the juice on a young Athenian man after seeing Demetrius treat Helena cruelly. Puck finds Lysander instead, because Oberon's instructions identify the man only by his Athenian clothes.
How Puck changes
Puck's mistake turns an attempt to help Helena into fresh trouble for the lovers. When Lysander wakes and sees Helena, his sudden love for her leaves Hermia abandoned and Helena convinced he is mocking her. Puck also gives Nick Bottom a donkey's head, bringing the workmen's rehearsal into the fairies' magical confusion.
A best-known line
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
Questions
What is Puck's other name?
Puck is also called Robin Goodfellow.
Does Puck serve Oberon?
Yes, Puck is Oberon's fairy servant and carries out his orders, though his work does not always go as planned.
Why does Puck enchant Lysander?
Puck mistakes Lysander for the man Oberon means because he is wearing Athenian clothes. Oberon intends the magic for Demetrius.