Question

Read the passage.

excerpt from Act II, Scene 1, in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

In this excerpt, Puck talks about Oberon and Titania.

Puck
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.

What does Puck mean by "But they do square…"?


They only meet in the public square.


They cast spells on each other.


They argue with each other.


They pretend to get along so they don’t upset their fairies.

Answer 1

They argue with each other.

Oberon and Titania have been in a fight since Titania made it clear she would not give Oberon the changeling boy to be his servant. Now, every time they cross each other's paths they fight and argue publicly, so all of the fairies are afraid of being around when that happens.