Two of Shakepeare's most memorable and famous personalities are Puck, a character from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Ariel, from The Tempest. Both are spirits whose primary purpose is to serve the interests of their masters, but each goes about it in his own way, affected by different characteristics of his personality: his charisma, his humanity, and the motivating force behind his actions.
Puck is a wily and mischievous character; he enjoys playing pranks and causing trouble (II. i. 42-58). Despite the strife he can create, however, he is very likable. Puck's charm and wit, in addition to his magical powers, allow him to escape reproach in any situation. He has abundant charisma, and readers cannot help but be fond of and drawn to his character, and one can just imagine Puck's gleeful grin gleaming at him after pulling a particularly amusing prank. Ariel, however, is more distant and mundane. He does not stand out as much in the readerÕs mind as the more mischievous Puck does, and Ariel's role in The Tempest therefore seems more secondary than Puck's in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ariel is not boring; however, he does not exhibit the same sparkle and charm as Puck.
Ariel is a spirit, and is wispy and celestial by nature. In The Tempest, he is often present physically, but usually is hidden off to the side with the action focusing on other characters (II. i. 188), (III. ii. 43). Prominent and obvious are not words usually associated with Ariel; he is more elusive. The Tempest describes him as an airy spirit (list of characters). Ariel is clearly not of this world. Puck, however. has a more human like ambiance surrounding him. He is solid and earthly, clear and distinct, the opposite of ArielÕs ambiguity and intangibility. Though Puck is not human, it would be easy for one to be convinced that he is. Puck has many human attributes, such as his mischievous sense of humor and his eagerness to please. When envisioning his appearance, the reader is likely to imagine Puck as having a human form.
Puck's mission in life seems to be to have fun. Most of Puck's actions are done for his own amusement: making ladies spill their drinks and fall off stools (II. i. 47-53), giving humans donkeys' heads (III. ii. 17). He must serve his master Oberon, but Puck finds as much humor in his work as possible. Ariel's interests, however, lie in a different direction from PuckÕs. Ariel wants his freedom, which is promised to him if he performs the tasks his master, Prospero, asks of him (I. ii. 242-245). It is this desire for liberty which motivates Ariel to be such an eager and obedient servant.
Ariel and Puck may seem alike at first glance, but a deeper analysis shows many differences in their characters. They act and think in contrasting ways for contrasting reasons. Perhaps they are not kindred spirits after all.