Perigouna - A Midsummer Night's Dream

The daughter of the thief and murderer Sinis, Perigouna (Perigenia) was abducted, sexually assaulted and then abandoned by Theseus while the young man was journeying to the city of Athens to claim his paternal heritage. 

The Fairy King Oberon raised the Duke's vile treatment of the young woman in an argument with his wife, Titania, partially blaming the queen for Theseus' actions. He alleged that Titania had seduced Theseus and he was not completely in control of his own actions. However, Titania refuted this claim, dismissing it as defamation of her character and falsehood created so that Oberon could plead himself the guilty party in the breakdown of their marriage since he had been known to have several extra marital affairs.

The Elves - A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Elves, proud inhabitants of the Fairyland, were among the attendees at the regal festivities hosted by Queen Titania in the woods of Athens.

They held a position of power and wealth within the queens court and were often tended to by the Fae, who made garments for them out of the wings of hunted bats. 

Fairyland - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Fairyland, ruled by King Oberon and Queen Titania, is a mystical realm where Fae, Elves, and Sprites reside, hidden far from the mortal world. 

While there was no official power struggle over the kingdom's rulership, residents were forced to align either with Oberon or Titania, when the couple had temporarily broken up - and moved into separate residencies - after fighting over which one of them would raise a young mortal baby. Forming two rivalling courts that could not coexist peacefully, they would often clash in violent and deadly brawls. 

Oberon and Titania, accompanied by their followers, journeyed from Fairyland to the Athenian Woods to attend the wedding celebrations of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and his fiancée, Hippolyta. 

Leaving for the celebration as bitter foes, they returned from the festivities unified and stronger than before, unified under one banner. 

Cupid - A Midsummer Night's Dream

The son of Venus, Cupid was the God of Love and wielded golden arrows capable of inspiring passionate devotion and lust in those they struck. Reportedly sighted darting around the mortal world, there were many tales surrounding the deity, with some saying that he wore a blindfold, while others purported to have been visually impaired since birth. 

It was during one of these misadventures with humans that resulted in the creation of Love-In-Idleness, a pansy flower imbued with his magic. Though this was a complete accident. Cupid had been aiming for a young Vestal, when Diana intervened, using a beam of moonlight to knock the arrow of course. Instead of piercing flesh, the tip struck the flower's white petals. This was not the first time that he and Diana had crossed paths. He harboured enmity towards the Goddess of the Hunt, who he believed often interfered in his amusement for no good reason. 

The Athenian maids Hermia and Helena would often invoke Cupid's name and image when expressing their affection for their lovers, Lysander and Demetrius, respectively.

The Fairy King Oberon would call upon the power of Cupid when the monarch used Love In Idleness to enchant his wife, Titania. 

The Fae Singers - A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Fae Singers, a talented pair of musicians in Queen Titania's service, accompanied her from Fairyland to the Athenian woods. At Titania's request, they sang her a lullaby, joined by a chorus of fairies to help her fall asleep. Their song was intended to repel serpents, porcupines, hedgehogs, lizards, spiders, beetles, and worms, ensuring Titania's safety during her rest.

Upon completing their task, one of the singers remained on guard while the other returned to their official duties.

Ambushed by Puck & Oberon and knocked unconscious by magic, the fairy king slipped past the sleeping sentinel, cursing her mistress with Love In Idleness. 

Puck - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Known as Robin Goodfellow, the hobgoblin Puck gained notoriety as a mischievous trickster and loyal messenger to King Oberon in the realm of Fairyland. He also served as his lord's court jester, capable of eliciting the king's laughter with his jests, even when the monarch was in the foulest of moods.

In his free time, Puck roamed villages by night, playing pranks on the locals. He would use his powers of transmutation and transformation to scare them, earning a fearsome reputation among those who knew of him. That being said, despite his penchant for chaos and games, he was benevolent to those who treated him with respect, helping them and ensuring that they had good luck. 

On the eve of Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding, during an argument between Oberon and Titania, Puck warned the fae queen not to interfere with his master's festivities. However, she ignored this advice, slighting her husband's pride and kickstarting the magical shenanigans that would soon follow. 

Retrieving the pansey, "Love-in-Idleness"  for Oberon, so that he could bewitch Titania with its enchanted pollen, Puck would also take a small sample to use on an Athenian lover who was seen roaming the forest and spurning the love of Helena. 

However, due to miscommunication, he enchanted the wrong lover, mistaking Lysander and Demetrius for one another and causing his patented disorder. Angering Oberon with his numerous failures, the fae monarch ordered his messenger to rectify his mistakes and reversed the effects of "Love-in-Idleness" on Lysander.

Peaseblossom - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Peaseblossom served as a member of Queen Titania's royal court in Fairyland. 

Selected as one of four fairies to care for the Athenian weaver Nick Bottom, after Titania is enchanted by the pollen of Cupid's flower "Love-in-Idleness," they attended to Bottom's every need. Among their duties was to scratch and massage him behind his ears.

Once this task was complete, they were dismissed by Queen Titania, who wished to spend some time alone with her "lover".

Mustardseed - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Mustardseed, a loyal and trusted member of Queen Titania's retinue, was summoned to serve under Nick Bottom after Titania fell under the enchantment of "Love-in-Idleness" pollen.

Upon meeting the Athenian weaver, Bottom jestingly remarked about his own experience eating mustard with roast beef, finding the flavour potent enough to bring him to tears.

Later that evening, Mustardseed and his fellow attendee Peaseblossom, were tasked with scratching Bottom's ears before being dismissed by Titania to spend the remainder of the night with her.

Often taking Titania's words literally, Mustardseed frequently bowed and knelt before Bottom, prompting the actor to request him to refrain from such formalities as he was no lord, nor was he royalty.

Cobweb - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Cobweb, a royal attendee and bodyguard in the court of Queen Titania of Fairyland, was among the four fairies assigned to care for Nick Bottom under the queen's command.

During their first encounter, Bottom humorously remarked that he could serve as a bandage if he ever needed one.

Later that evening, Bottom tasked Cobweb with fighting and killing a bumblebee to obtain its honey, cautioning him against damaging the bee's honey sack, for fear that the fae might drown in the treated nectar. 

This warning insulted the fae, who found the mortal's words patronising and belittling since Cobweb was a skilled combatant and had been protecting his queen for many years. 

Moth - A Midsummer Night's Dream

Moth, a fae retainer in the service of Queen Titania, accompanied Nick Bottom on the eve of Theseus' and Hippolyta's wedding, alongside Peaseblossom, Cobweb, and Mustardseed. Under their mistress's orders, they faithfully served the actor.

Though often overlooked, Moth quietly attended to Bottom's needs. Among their duties were crafting candles from beeswax, feeding Bottom a variety of foods including apricots, grapes, figs, mulberries, and blackberries, and using discarded butterfly wings to shield Bottom's eyes from moonlight, allowing him to sleep undisturbed.