382 The Folklore of Shakespeare.
source. The queen of popular tradition was Mab, and she was not neglected by Shakespeare, who makes Mercutio describe her with so much minuteness and vividness. She is quite unlike Titania, and is presented as a sort of feminine Puck, as full of mischief as he was.
Puck and Ariel. The two outstanding fairies who were painted with loving care by Shakespeare are Puck and Ariel, and a wonderful pair they stand before us.
Puck was the generic name for an elf, and his creator has gathered together all the elfish characteristics known to him, and welded them together to form the fairy hero of Midsiinnner Night's Dream. There are many pictorial illustrations to Shakespeare's plays, but few of them are successful. There is, however, one that is perfect: Reynolds's Puck is an immortal portrait of our " gentle Puck," our "sweet Puck" — Shakespeare's Puck. Puck is the concentrated essence of elfdom, but Ariel is a fresh creation from Shakespeare's heart and brain. Both are fairies (soulless beings), but the circumstances that formed them have been widely different. Puck is of the earth — earthly, but Ariel is of the air — airy. Puck is the attendant upon Oberon, and in constant personal intercourse with fairies, but Ariel has no fairy companions, only certain sprites who attend him and do his biddings. He is the servant of the magician Prospero, who rules him severely but loves him. This is evident from such expressions as " my brave spirit," " my bird," " my tricksy spirit," " my industrious servant," "my Ariel," "my quaint Ariel," •' my fine Ariel," "my dainty Ariel," "my delicate Ariel." Ariel understands human feelings, though by the disability of his nature he is unable to rise to them. He tells Prospero that his affections would go out to others were he human. Some of the most exquisite songs Shakespeare ever wrote were sung by this beautiful ethereal being, who remains unsurpassed in the realms of fairyland.
