While in Dream, Shakespeare equates “Robin Goodfellow” and “Puck” as the same figure, Robin Goodfellow is a figure originating from native British folklore, based on the “Puck” character from medieval folklore. During the 16th and 17th century, belief in superstition was discouraged by the Church of England, and later by King James I who published a book on witchcraft, Daemonologie; still, evidence shows that belief in Robin Goodfellow persisted. He is depicted in images as carrying a broom, characterized as being a helper to domestic workers in chores; Robin Goodfellow was believed to work for milk and bread, and, in punishment for not receiving payment, would steal what he believed was owed. The trickster figure was known for playing incredible practical jokes.

Origins 

According to Sukanta Chaudhuri introduction to A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Third Series (The Arden Shakespeare Third Series):

“[Shakespeare’s] Robin Goodfellow or Puck is compounded of many items of English fairy mythology, of both Celtic and Teutonic origin. He can change shape like the puck or the pouka; mislead travellers, again like the puck but tasks like the brownie but, unlike that creature, without being tired to a household; and work mischievous tricks like the overlap of roles is partly tradition; in part, it seems to be out of Shakespeare’s own making to yield dramatic capital. 

There is a traditional figure actually named Robin Goodfellow, a creature of many roles and guises. His closest links are with the brownie performing household chores and the hobgoblin spinning illusions and knaveries and leading travellers astray. He is mischievous rather than malicious, though often associated with the devil or even presented as one.”

Historical Sources 

The text that Shakespeare was likely referencing in writing the character of Robin Goodfellow in Dream was Reginald Scot’s The Discouerie of Witchcraft (1584), “a sceptical treatise recording and debunking popular and scholarly beliefs about witchcraft, magic and other superstitions.” (Shakespeare likely used this text in writing the witches of Macbeth later, as well.) The text serves, in some ways, as the most comprehensive guide to superstition during the early modern period due to its thoroughness in accounting for supernatural figures. 

According to Scot’s The Discouerie of Witchcraft, Robin Goodfellow was a figure that completed household chores: 

“…Robin good fellowe, that would cousening supplie the office of servants, speciallie of maids; as to make a fier knave. in the morning, sweepe the house, grind mustard and malt, drawe water, these also rumble in houses, drawe latches, go up and downestaiers.” 

Regarded as “the great and ancient bulbegger,” “bulbegger” generally being used as an early modern scare-word, Scot characterizes Robin Goodfellow as knavish (villainous or roguish): 

“[T]his time all kentishmen know (a few fooles excepted) that Robin goodfellowe is a knave.”

Scot cites, on the topic of the origin of Robin Goodfellow and other creatures:

“The Rabbittes, and namelie Rabbi Abraham, writing upon the second of Genesis, doo say, that God made the fairies, bugs, hicubus, Robin good fellow, and other familiar or domesticall spirits & divels on the fridaie: and being prevented with the evening of the sabboth, finished them not, but left them unperfect….”

Scot cites Robin Goodfellow as the “cousine” of Incubus, “a demon in male form that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women.” They appear to both engage in similar household chores: 

“But to use few words herein, I hope you understand that they affirme and saie, that Incubus is a spirit ; and I trust you know that a spirit hath no flesh nor bones, and that he neither dooth eate nor drinke. In deede your grandams maides were woont to set aboil of milke before him and his cousine Robin good-fellow, for grinding of malt or mustard, and sweeping the house at midnight: and you have also heard that he would chafe exceedingly, if the maid or good-wife of the house, having compassion of his nakednes, laid anie clothes for him, beesides his messe of white bread and milke, which was his standing fee. For in that case he saith; ‘What have we here.’”

Scot often compares Robin Goodfellow to the hobgoblin, a mischievous sprite. Scot also included the figure in an oft-quoted passage compiling many creatures of superstition:

“…and they have so fraied us with bull beggers, spirits, witches, urchens, elves, hags, fairies, satyrs, pans, faunes, sylens, kit with the cansticke, tritons, centaurs, dwarfes, giants, imps, calcars, conjurors, nymphes, chang-lings. Incubus, Robin good-fellowe, the spoorne, the mare, the man in the oke, the hell waine, the fierdrake, the puckle, Tom thombe, hob gobblin, Tom tumbler, boneles, and such other bugs, that we are afraid of our owne shadowes: in so much as some never feare the divell, but in adarkenight…” 

Per their thesis, Scot assures readers that Robin Goodfellow is “a cousening merchant, and no divell indeed.”