Demetrius is one of the lovers inWilliam Shakespeare's playA Midsummer Night's Dream. He is a young man who is engaged to a young woman,Hermia, who is in love withLysander.
After Hermia has confided in Helena regarding her plans to elope with Lysander, Helena reveals the plan to Demetrius, in the hopes of gaining Demetrius's trust. However, Demetrius merely goes to the forest seeking Hermia, without giving Helena a second thought. After that, he returns to the king.
Helena follows Demetrius, andOberon, thefairy king, sees them arguing. Oberon feels pity for Helena and decides to help her by putting love juice in Demetrius's eyes, thereby compelling Demetrius to return Helena's love. Oberon instructsPuck, 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 into Demetrius' eyes as well, with the result that both Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena and despise 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.
