| Oberon | |
| File:Oberon.jpg | |
| Rupert Everett as Oberon in the 1999 film | |
| Characters Adapted from Other Works | |
| First Appearance: | "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (definitive version) |
| Creator: | William Shakespeare (based on obscure folkloric sources) |
| Nationality: | Faerie |
| Spouse: | Titania |
| Occupation: | King of Faerie |
| Appearing in: | |
| "A Late Symmer Night's Battle" by Laura Frankos Fantasy pastiche | |
| Type of Appearance: | Contemporary references |
Oberon is the king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature of Europe. Much of the early legends are based upon Alberich of German heroic legend. The more popular version of Oberon proper appeared in the 13th century French epic poem, Les Prouesses et faitz du noble Huon de Bordeaux.
In modern culture, Oberon is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of the central conflicts of the play begins when he and his wife Queen Titania are engaged in a quarrel over which of them should have custody of a changeling boy whom Titania abducted from India to be part of Faerie. Oberon's servant Robin Goodfellow casts a spell which causes Titania to fall in love with a common human weaver whose head has been transformed into that of a donkey. At the end, Oberon seems to have won custody of the changeling.
Oberon in "A Late Symmer Night's Battle"
During the reign of Oberon and Titania, the human infant Ghosh was adopted into the Faerie world. Following this accomplishment, and the humorous misadventure surrounding it, the fairy army fought a strange three-way conflict with German kobolds and reremice.
Oberon and Titania divided command of the fairy army between them, with Oberon having authority over the male soldiers and Titania over the females.
See also
- Alberich, the German mythical figure on whom Oberon was based.
- Oberon at A Midsummer Night's Dream wiki.
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