"Puck"-Sinister or Silly?

Shakespeare's 'Puck' in "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" is certainly a character I misunderstood when I read the story. I envisioned 'Puck' to be a really sinister character, plotting with Oberon more than once, causing havoc for the story's characters. I should have taken the hints the story offered me, such as the descriptive word "Sprite" and Puck's other name, "Robin Goodfellow." "Sprite" suggests a quick and bubbly temperament. A robin is a small little bird, liked by all. What else but goodness should I think Goodfellow to mean.

However, not until I viewed the early movie version of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" in Dr. Clemente's Shakespeare class did I get a true appreciation for the character, "Puck." Now, I confess that Puck is my favorite character in the play. I realize that watching Mickey Rooney perform Puck's character helped me change my view of the character as a whole. The movie version of the play added the 'sound' to Puck's voice that I did not hear when I read the play. His screeches were wonderfully done. And in true character of a little "sprite." I found Puck's laughter to be exciting and silly (in a funny way), and absolutely memorable.

Mickey Rooney deserved an Oscar for his role in this adaption of the play. ...Linda