Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Hermia

Part ofEnglishA Midsummer Night's Dream

Key points

  • Hermia is one of the main characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy by English playwright William Shakespeare.

  • Hermia wants to marry Lysander but her father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius. Hermia’s friend Helena wants to marry Demetrius but he rejects her.

  • Hermia and Lysander run away together, but a love potion causes chaos among the four lovers.

Did you know?

In Shakespeare’s time, the female roles would have been played by young men dressed as women. This is because women were not allowed to act on stage in England until 1661.

Images of a quill and ink pot, purple question mark and William Shakespeare above an open book.
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Plot summary

A timeline infographic containing nine images connected by green ivy that show the main events of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The first image shows Hermia, who has red hair, and Lysander, who has blonde hair, running away together hand in hand. In the second image, Helena, who has brown hair, is pointing in the direction of Hermia and Lysander, showing Demetrius, who has black hair, where they have gone. In the third image, the silhouette of Titania holds a baby boy while Oberon flies in and holds his hands out as if to take the baby himself. In the fourth image Puck can be seen dripping purple love potion into the eyes of a sleeping figure. In the fifth image Helena shrugs with her hands out and a confused expression on her face. On either side of her Lysander and Demetrius are looking at her with loving expressions, while purple love hearts encircle their faces. In the sixth image Titania, who is lying in the grass, looks up at Bottom, who has a donkey’s head and is wearing a white tunic, with romantic interest. In the seventh image, Oberon, who has green hair and is wearing a golden crown, holds a round bottomed flask of golden potion. In the eighth image, three couples – Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, Theseus and Hippolyta – stand underneath wedding arches. In the ninth image, a man in a white tunic pretends to be scared of another man, who is crouched on the floor wearing a lion head costume.
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Hermia’s key moments

Click through the slideshow to see Hermia’s key moments

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  1. In the foreground Hermia's father has his hand on her shoulder and is gesturing at her while she looks upset. In the background on the left are silhouettes of the four lovers. On the right hand side in the background Hermia and Lysander are shown running towards the forest.

    Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, who loves her, but Hermia loves Lysander. Hermia and Lysander run away. They are followed by Helena and Demetrius.

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Character traits

Hermia, who has red hair and is wearing a white dress, stands in front of a forest background with her hand on her hip. Labels describe her as fierce, independent and daring.

Hermia is a young woman from Athens who wants to marry Lysander. Her father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius.

Independent
Hermia stands up for herself and insists that she should choose her own husband. She decides to run away with Lysander, leaving her family and her home.

Daring
Hermia rebels against her father, which would have been seen as very daring in Shakespeare’s time. Although he threatens to send her to a or put her to death if she doesn’t marry Demetrius, she still runs away with Lysander.

Fierce
Hermia is frustrated when Lysander says he loves Helena. She has some passionate arguments with Helena and shows her fierce nature.

Did you know?

Many of Shakespeare’s plays have examples of daughters who rebel against their fathers. For example, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Miranda in The Tempest and Jessica in The Merchant of Venice.

Images of a quill and ink pot, purple question mark and William Shakespeare above an open book.
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Relationships

Hermia has a difficult relationship with her father. He threatens her with death or life in a unless she marries Demetrius. Hermia dislikes Demetrius and refuses to marry him.

Hermia loves Lysander and is willing to run away from home to be with him. When she wakes up alone in the woods after Lysander abandons her, she accuses Demetrius of murdering Lysander. She is confused and upset when Lysander changes his affections to Helena.

Hermia, Helena, Lysander and Demetrius dressed in ragged clothes in the middle of a fight - Demetrius and Lysander are trying to pull Helena and Hermia apart
Actress Olivia Ross (far right) as Hermia in a 2013 production of the play, alongside fellow cast members Sarah MacRae as Helena, Joshua Silver as Demetrius and Luke Thompson as Lysander

Hermia and Helena have been friends since childhood, but the romantic confusion creates conflict in their relationship. Hermia blames Helena when Lysander suddenly changes his affections to Helena and a fight breaks out between the four lovers.

Oberon and Puck reverse the effects of the love potion and Lysander falls back in love with Hermia. They get married alongside Demetrius and Helena.

Video - Rehearsing the lovers’ fight

What is the role of a director in a play?

Watch the following video about how a director might stage the fight scene.

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Changes in character

On the left hand side Helena is looking to the side with her hand in stretched out in front of her as if she's gesturing for someone to stop. In the middle image she is shrugging with an unhappy look on her face. In the final image she is smiling.

Hermia is an independent and daring character at the start of the play. She is confident enough to rebel against her father and run away with the man she loves.

When Lysander appears to love Helena, Hermia feels confused, helpless and upset. She blames Helena and angrily confronts her.

Puck reverses the effects of the love potion and Lysander loves Hermia again. The four lovers think that the events of the previous day were just a dream. Hermia and Lysander are content and get married.

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Activity - Order it

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What do these key quotations mean?

I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

Hermia
Act 1, scene 1

Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear,
Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

Hermia
Act 2, scene 2

O, when she’s angry, she is keen and shrewd.
She was a vixen when she went to school,
And though she be but little, she is fierce.

Helena
Act 3, scene 2

Why is Hermia traditionally played as a short character?

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Listen to a scene

This audio clip is from Act 3, scene 2, when Hermia discovers that Lysander and Demetrius both love Helena. Listen to the clip and then answer the question below.

Who does Hermia blame for the change in Lysander’s affections?

Hermia, wearing a teal dress, is being restrained by Lysander - who is wearing a black jacket - and Demetrius - who is wearing a light brown jacket. They are both pulling her back by her arms.
Actress Emma Carroll as Hermia in a 2012 production of The Lovers’ Dreame, an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Test your knowledge

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