Surprisingly, sophisticated individuals find mischief far more amusing than a philosophical discussion. With the knowledge of this well-known fact, brilliant authors William Shakespeare and Mark Twain intricately weave mischief into their tales, hinting at topics of human nature and utilizing mischief to create a plot. Tom Sawyer and Puck are possibly among the most notorious miscreants of mischievous literary history, and the havoc they bring upon characters in their corresponding stories proves absolutely crucial to the continuation and identifiable themes of both works. Although similar in numerous ways, mischief plays two completely unique roles in each book. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, mischief is conveyed as a satirical method to humorously move the plot along, while in Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, mischief is used to clearly illustrate how maturity increases with age. Puck’s mischief is utilized to humorously continue the plot. For example, when Puck finds Hermia and Lysander asleep in the forest, he says, “When thou wakest, let love forbid/Sleep his seat on thy eyelid” (II.ii.86-87). Puck has squeezed the love juice into Lysander’s eyelids, even though Lysander and Hermia were not to be toyed with. Lysander later awakes and sees Helena, falling madly in love with her instead of Hermia, Lysander’s true love. Therefore, a significant conflict of the story is created, adding to the plot. In addition, when Puck transforms Bottom’s head into that of a donkey’s, Quince exclaims, “Oh, monstrous! Oh, strange!/We are haunted” (III.i.88-89). Bottom’s head has taken the form of an ass due to Puck’s mischievous ways, and the change Bottom goes through is crucial to the continuation of the plot. Soon after Bottom’s acquaintances run away, Bottom discovers Titania and the story develops. Furthermore, as Titania is awoken by Bottom, she sighs, “And thy fair virtue’s force perforce do