Hermia is a fictional character from Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is a girl of ancient Athens named for Hermes, the Greek god of trade. Hermia is caught in a romantic entanglement where she loves one man, Lysander, but is being courted by another, Demetrius, whose feelings she does not return. Though she loves Lysander, Hermia’s father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius and has appealed to Theseus, the Duke of Athens, for support. Under Athenian law, Hermia’s refusal of her father’s command would result in her being put to death or being banished to a nunnery…
First Appearance One of the First Quartos (1600), Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies – Published according to the True Originall Copies, i.e. First Folio (1623)
First Publisher Thomas Fisher
Appearance List A midsummer nights dreame… (1600) by William Shakespeare — First Quarto printed by Richard Braddock for Thomas Fisher; A midsummer nights dreame… (1619; falsely dated 1600) by William Shakespeare — Second Quarto printed by William Jaggard; Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (1623) by William Shakespeare — First Folio; The Fairy-Queen: an opera (1692) by Henry Purcell — major musical adaptation; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, overture, Op. 21 (1826) by Felix Mendelssohn — influential concert overture; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidental music, Op. 61 (1842–1843) by Felix Mendelssohn — full theatrical incidental music; A Midsummer Night’s Dream: and Other Stories by E. Nesbit (1890) (A midsummer night’s dream.–Hamlet, prince of Denmark.–Twelfth night.–King Lear) [Internet Archive]; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1909) directed by Charles Kent & J. Stuart Blackton — early film adaptation (Vitagraph); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) directed by Max Reinhardt & William Dieterle — film adaptation; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968) directed by Peter Hall — Royal Shakespeare Company screen adaptation…
Description Hermia is a fictional character from Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is a girl of ancient Athens named for Hermes, the Greek god of trade. Hermia is caught in a romantic entanglement where she loves one man, Lysander, but is being courted by another, Demetrius, whose feelings she does not return. Though she loves Lysander, Hermia’s father, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius and has appealed to Theseus, the Duke of Athens, for support. Under Athenian law, Hermia’s refusal of her father’s command would result in her being put to death or being banished to a nunnery…
