OBERON         When I had at my pleasure taunted her,

And she, in mild terms, begged my patience,

I then did ask of her her changeling child,

Which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent

To bear him to my bower in fairy land.

And now I have the boy, I will undo

This hateful imperfection of her eyes.         (4.1.56-62)

Oberon can sound exultant—when I had at my pleasure taunted her, I really mocked her, insulted her!—or else a bit over it all, sick of the joke, sick of himself and who he’s become this night—and she, in mild terms, begged my patience; she didn’t rise to the bait at all, no fun—I then did ask of her her changeling child. Oh yes, him. The apparent cause of—everything. It was anticlimactic, actually, because Titania agreed right away, which straight she gave me, and her fairy sent to bear him to my bower in fairy land. This little unseen boy has been conveyed by a fairy babysitting service from Titania’s custody to Oberon’s, unaccompanied minor, from bower to bower. It’s done, it’s over. Oberon’s got what he wanted, and doesn’t he sound THRILLED about it? And now I have the boy, I will undo this hateful imperfection of her eyes. It’s served its purpose, and it’s been fun? hasn’t it? but time’s up, joke’s over. Time to remove the enchantment, and wake up from this dream—this bit of it, at least.