Now the hungry lion roars,
And the wolf behowls the moon,
Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,
All with weary task fordone.
Now the wasted brands do glow,
Whilst the screech-owl, screeching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe
In remembrance of a shroud.
Now it is the time of night
That the graves, all gaping wide,
Every one lets forth his sprite
In the church-way paths to glide.
And we fairies, that do run
By the triple Hecate’s team
From the presence of the sun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic.
– William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 5, Scene 1. After the lovers have all wed and the quarrel between Theseus and Titania is resolved, Puck provides us with a glimpse into the other dark reality that exists. He evokes a world of labor, fear, pain, death and restless spirits. He tells us of the terrifying things that happen after midnight, when lions roar, wolves howl, owls screech, and the spirits of the dead leave their churchyard graves. It is also the time when the fairies are happy and make mischief, he reminds us.