Demetrius (Shakespeare)

Demetrius is one of the iconic lovers in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is a young Athenian man who is engaged to a young Athenian girl named Helena. He abandons Helena, a woman whom he has courted and pursues Hermia, whose father Egeus finds Demetrius to be the better suitor. However, Hermia does not love Demetrius, but instead she loves a man called Lysander. Demetrius's obstinate pursuit of Hermia throws love out of balance among the Athenian lovers. He eventually comes to his senses, due to a love potion given to him by fairies, and returns Helena's love. The storyline is complex and it shows the difficulties of true love through comedy.

Role in A Midsummer Night's Dream

After Hermia has confided in Helena regarding her plans to elope with Lysander, Helena reveals the plan to Demetrius, in the hopes of procuring Demetrius's trust. However, Demetrius merely goes to the forest seeking Hermia, without giving Helena a second thought.

Helena follows Demetrius, and Oberon, the fairy king, sees them arguing. Oberon feels pity on Helena and decides to help her by putting love juice on Demetrius's eyes, thereby compelling Demetrius to return Helena's love. Oberon instructs Puck, another fairy, to pour love juice on the eyelids of the "Athenian man."

However, Puck sees Lysander sleeping, and pours the love juice in Lysander's eyes instead, thus causing Lysander to fall in love with Helena (and abandon Hermia), while Demetrius's love for Hermia continues unaltered. Later, Puck pours the love juice in Demetrius's eyes as well, with the result of both Demetrius and Lysander falling in love with Helena and despising Hermia. They fight over Helena, until Puck lulls them to sleep, and then Puck reverses the spell upon Lysander so that Lysander will love Hermia again. The spell on Demetrius, however, is not removed, and the play ends with Demetrius very much in love with Helena.

Interpretation

Thus the love plot is balanced, with Lysander and Hermia forming one couple, and Demetrius and Helena forming another couple.

Demetrius has to marry Hermia - Hermia wants to marry Lysander - Puck puts a potion into Lysander's eyes by mistake - Demetrius then returns the love back to Helena. Demetrius does not love Helena from his heart it, he loves her because of the love potion. But somewhere deep down Demetrius truly loves Helena.

Demetrius watched the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe performed to him by the six craftsmen on Duke Theseus and the Duchess's wedding day at night, alongside Helena, Lysander and Hermia. Demetrius and the other four lovers share a wedding with Theseus and his soon-to-be wife.

At the start of the play, Demetrius loves Hermia and is a rival to Lysander.

Portrayals

• In the 1925 silent film called Wood Love, Demetrius is portrayed by Hans Albers.^[1]
• In the 1935 film, Demetrius is portrayed by Ross Alexander.^[2]
• In the 1968 film, Demetrius is portrayed by Michael Jayston.^[3]
• In the 1981 BBC Television Shakespeare production, produced by Jonathan Miller, Demetrius was portrayed by Nicky Henson.^[4]
• In the 1988 A Midsummer Night's Dream (1988 play) Demetrius is portrayed by Simon Hughes
• In the 1996 film directed by Adrian Noble, Demetrius is portrayed by Kevin Doyle.^[5]
• In the 1999 film, Demetrius is portrayed by Christian Bale.^[6]
• In another 1999 film directed by James Kerwin, Demetrius is portrayed by Travis Schuldt.^[7]
• In the 2002 film A Midsummer Night's Rave, the character Damon, who is portrayed by Corey Pearson, corresponds to Demetrius.^[8]

References