Character Analysis Of Demetrius And Helena

Hermia and Helena's relationship has changed greatly after the intervention of Puck with the love potion. Once best friends, they have become each others enemies, and all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius.

Helena believes she is inferior to Demetrius. Helena constantly compares herself to Hermia, since Demetrius and Lysander are in love with Hermia and Helena has no admirers. In Act 3, the four lovers arrive in the woods, since Demetrius chases Hermia and Lysander before they get married. Helena follows, and the four Athenians end up together. A love potion is given to Lysander and Demetrius earlier in the play by a fairy, causing them to love Helena. In a state of confusion, Helena exclaims, “If you were civil and knew courtesy, / You would not do me thus much injury. / Can you not hate me, as I know you do, / But you must join in souls to mock me too?” (3.2.149-52). Helena is aware of the hate people have for her and feels insecure about the men suddenly loving her. Her lack of love convinces her the affection shown cannot be genuine. Helena says to herself “No, no, I am as ugly as a bear; / For beasts that meet me run away for fear: / Therefore no marvel though Demetrius / Do, as a monster fly my presence thus” (2.2.66-70). Helena thinks she is ugly and lesser then the people around her, since Hermia is loved more and Demetrius despises her. The insecurity shown in her demeanor is a large part of Helena’s

As Helena learns of Lysander and Hermia's plan to run off and be happy, she instantly gets jealous and agonizes over her heartbreaking situation with Demetrius, the man who loves an already happy Hermia and not her. While by herself, Helena realizes love is flawed and has a mind of its own.

Everyone in this play is in love but not all of them have it go their way. Lysander is one of the lovers who loves Hermia but can not marry her because of Hermias father Egues. Egues does not agree to the marriage of Lysander and Hermia and wants her daughter to marry Demetrius. Later on Theseus the king of Athens finds out that hermia is not obeying her father and tells her to obey her father or become a nun. Hermia then plans with Lysander in the woods to run away from Athens to Lysanders aunts house outside Athens. As they meet in the woods they start to run away from Athens, as they are running away from Athens they lose their way so they decide to spend the night in the woods. When Demetrius is looking in the for Hermia and Lysander,

The public is openly perplexed by the swift change from the expected events. Because of the well-known order of Helena’s father, Egeus, it was nearly certain that Helena was to marry Demetrius. However, it was rumored that Hermia actually loved Lysander. A witness on the scene claims he saw these two lovers planning to run away together into the forest. What transpired in the woods is an utter mystery. Too many puzzling rumors float through the air to decipher what really happened. The most popular story came from the four young lovers themselves. However, “’tis strange... that these lovers speak of,” (143). Their unbelievable story of magic and fairies does not fool most. Everyone knows “the lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact,” (143). We may never know what really happened in there. All we know is the lovers Lysander and Hermia, who was expected to marry Demetrius, entered the forest one night followed by Demetrius and Helena, Hermia’s friend who loved Demetrius (a rumor widely known to the public). And several days later, all four emerged as a pair of married couples. Now, Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, and King Theseus and Queen Hippolyta are all happily married. The people are absolutely dazzled and mesmerized by the unexpected turn of events. The question on everyone’s mind: What’s comes next for the mysterious

However, the plan backfires because Demetrius follows the couple to win Hermia back. Helena states, “As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,/Had been incorporate, So we grew together,/ Like to a double cherry-“ (3.2.208-210). This quote shows the normal relationship between the two- they are like the same person, obviously meaning that they are very attached. But, the friendship is tarnished after Lysander and Demetrius come into play. The friendship between the two may be rocky, however it is a good example of a foil and is extremely entertaining.

In the beginning, Helena acts foolishly to Demetrius when she tells him “The more you beat me, I will frawn on you”(2.1.204). The only thing that Helena likes about Demetrius is his looks, and she still loves him even after he left her at the alter. Demetrius acts foolishly to Helena when he said “oh, why rebuke you him that loves you so” (3.2.43). Earlier in the story, Demetrius was being really mean to Helena when she was expressing her feelings to him. Last, Lysander acts foolishly to Helena when he says, “Demetrius, I’m ready to fight you as promised”(3.2.265). Lysander and Demetrius go off to fight to the death for

Demetrius then shows how mean he is to Helena by telling her that he's leaving her to be attacked by

Near the end there is a scene where both men are in love with her and she feels that she is right in the middle of a practical joke, with Hermia, Demetrius and Lysander pulling her strings. They start to quarrel and it begins as a little fight but ends as a massive brawl:

From this scene, we can tell that Helena is jealous of Hermia being with Demetrius because Helena herself loves Demetrius, yet Hermia actually loves Lysander. Because Helena is jealous of Demetrius’ love for Hermia, Hermia tells Helena of her plans to run away with Lysander, and Helena sees this as a

Leading into the forest where Hermia and Lysander meet, Demetrius and Helena are not far behind looking

Demetrius, O Demetrius… I could spend a whole day muttering his name at the tip of my tongue. He sees with false eyes, to love my friend Hermia. Enchanted, he dreams of taking her hand. Sickened, I still dream to love him. Once lovers, we shall always be like a loving pair of swans, but it feels to me that I am but a chick who follows its ignorant mother.

From the first act we see that Demetrius only digs Hermia because she is a girl and because he father is wealthy. Demetrius has a history of leaving his lovers in the dust, but Helena is after him for revenge. Helena was Demetrius’ old girlfriend before he had the idea in his mind that he wanted to get with Hermia. Helena is the one who originally brings up the thought that men and women see love differently. She brings this interesting thought to the minds of audiences in her speech of Act 1.

Helena is a very desperate and aroused woman who loves Demetrius with her life. Even though she shows a great passion of love for him, Demetrius rejects this and therefore piles another burden of sorrow onto Helena’s shoulders. She is fed up with Demetrius rejecting her, but Helena is not tempted to give up yet.

You are the one and only that I want, your love is what I dream of when I go to bed at night and you are the only wish for every falling star. Your sweet and dreamy smell drives me close to you and your heart. Your words are harsh as knife can be, cutting through my heart... but I love that even more because those words are yours and are said to me. My heart belongs to you, you captured it from the very first minute of your presence. Demetrius, you are the gift from heaven sent by god for me to keep. I had you, but you left with all your promises for me to give them to Hermia, that you desire. Chasing your love is like chasing stars and that is what I love. I know you love me somewhere down in that big heart of