OBERON         Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:

A sweet Athenian lady is in love

With a disdainful youth. Anoint his eyes,

But do it when the next thing he espies

May be the lady. Thou shalt know the man

By the Athenian garments he hath on.

Effect it with some care, that he may prove

More fond on her, than she upon her love;

And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.

PUCK  Fear not, my lord; your servant shall do so.

( Exit [PUCK. Oberon remains].)       (2.1.259-268)

So, this is Oberon’s plan: take thou some of it, the herb, he says to Puck, and seek through this grove. I’m giving you another mission! (YAY says Puck.) A sweet Athenian lady is in love with a disdainful youth; I mean, she’s a bit mad and obsessed, her own worst enemy, but he’s being such a dickhead, so flat-out MEAN, that she could do with some help. So, anoint his eyes, yes, just as I’m about to do to Titania, but do it when the next thing he espies may be the lady. That’s the crucial bit. She has to be the first thing he sees. And—anticipating an objection—thou shalt know the man by the Athenian garments he hath on. It’s simple, what could possibly go wrong? Identifying him, that’ll be the easy part! But, effect it with some care, get it right, that he may prove more fond on her, than she upon her love. The idea is, he’ll be even more besotted with her than she is with him! Total reversal, cool or what? (And, again, what could POSSIBLY go wrong??) And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow. You’ve got until daybreak, and: GO. Fear not, my lord; your servant, shall do so! It can be said with heavy, reluctant sarcasm, or else glee at the prospect of mischief-making. Puck’s off again, whatever. And the plot is starting to move…