One of William Shakespeare's works best remembered for its comedic and ironic tone is A Midnight Summer's Dream. There were characters designed to be funny and just that. Puck and Bottom act very similarly and have similar roles for different people. Both Puck and Bottom are comical characters in one way or another. Both are necessary for the show, because Puck's spirits control the entire story, which sets the tone for it, and Bottom's comic relief for the audience and the show. Bottom is the first madman or idiot to appear in the show. His first appearance is in Act I, scene ii, when the mechanics gather. He is part of the groups called mechanics, who are basically traders who planned to put on a show for Duke Theseus' wedding. Bottom is already acting like a fool even when we meet him. He tells Quince that he could be all the characters in the play at once. Quince gives him the role of Pyramus, and as he starts handing out the other roles, Bottom starts telling him that he could do anything. Quince easily resolves this problem by reassuring that no one else could do Bottom's part and that he must do his best since he is the only one who could. This demonstrates an important aspect of Bottom's character: he is often full of good advice, but has no idea how to use it. Bottom also believes (he self-proclaimed) that he is an exceptional actor and can play any part. In fact, he is so enthusiastic about his acting ability that he volunteers to take on every part in the show. By the end of the scene, it's clear that the mechanics are hopelessly incapable of putting on a good comedy, and Bottom only complicates the situation further. The next madman makes his appearance in scene I of Act II, and his name... .. middle of paper ... appears one last time in the epilogue of this scene, where he tells the audience that if they don't like the show, they should consider it nothing more than a dream. If the audience likes the show, they should give Puck "the hand" or clap. So Puck is cleaning up more than the fairies' problems in the last soliloquy, just as he cleans up the entire play as well. Both fools were needed in this comedy. Puck's tricks and loyalty make Oberon's goals and the lovers' happiness possible. Bottom's madness creates comedy for both the characters in the play and the audience, and it is his transformation that allows Oberon to obtain the boy from Titania. Puck, Oberon's fool, and Bottom, the opera's fool, both provide comedy and somewhat clever observations, making them an important part of A Midsummer Night's Dream..