Happy endings are one of the most import characteristic of a comedy play. Such endings might include the protagonist winning back their kingdom, finding a great treasure, or, most often, gaining the heart of their true love. No matter what the goal, in the end, the protagonist must find happiness for a play to really be classified as a “comedy”. But what if the happiness of a protagonist is only created through the use of magic unwillingly forced onto the character? In Shakespeare 's “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the character Demetrius is forced into loving Helena due to the faerie king Oberon’s magic spell. While Helena, who views Demetrius as her true love, get her “happy ending” once the two are wed, Demetrius’ side of things is less than
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Actually it seems as though he does not seem to care one way or another about what happens to her. Despite the fact that in Act 1 it is shown that Demetrius did once feel some kind of passion for Helena with Lysander stating Demetrius “/Made love to Nedar 's daughter, Helena, /And won her soul (I.i.111-112),” it is made clear that Demetrius has since turned his affections to Hermia. Demetrius’ feelings are expressed fully in Act II, Scene when, after Helena follows him into the forest, he says “I love thee not, therefore pursue me not” (II.i.554). Demetrius is saying as clearly as he can, that he feels nothing for Helena. As unfortunate as that is for Helena, it shows the audience that Demetrius’ feelings for Helena at this point border on scorn. Not only does Demetrius feel nothing for Helena, he is even shocked that Helena can still have feelings for him despite his self-admitted poor mistreatment of her. He says “Do I entice you? do I speak you fair?/Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth/Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?” (II.i.575-577). Demetrius then runs off into the forest purposefully leaving poor Helena to fend for herself against the “wild beast.” It cannot be made clearer to Helena, or the audience, that Demetrius harbors no love for Helena. If he had even the tiniest drop of fondness for her, he would not have left her to the “mercy” of the wild animals in the magic woods. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, Demetrius is saying that not only does he not love Helena, but he does not care about what happens to her, does not care if she is in danger. These lines are important because they make clear Demetrius feelings. He fosters no attached me to Helena, so it cannot be argued that he still had feelings for Helena which the Fairy King’s magic potion just brought to light. Instead it is clear that the only reason Demetrius feels anything
Actually it seems as though he does not seem to care one way or another about what happens to her. Despite the fact that in Act 1 it is shown that Demetrius did once feel some kind of passion for Helena with Lysander stating Demetrius “/Made love to Nedar 's daughter, Helena, /And won her soul (I.i.111-112),” it is made clear that Demetrius has since turned his affections to Hermia. Demetrius’ feelings are expressed fully in Act II, Scene when, after Helena follows him into the forest, he says “I love thee not, therefore pursue me not” (II.i.554). Demetrius is saying as clearly as he can, that he feels nothing for Helena. As unfortunate as that is for Helena, it shows the audience that Demetrius’ feelings for Helena at this point border on scorn. Not only does Demetrius feel nothing for Helena, he is even shocked that Helena can still have feelings for him despite his self-admitted poor mistreatment of her. He says “Do I entice you? do I speak you fair?/Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth/Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?” (II.i.575-577). Demetrius then runs off into the forest purposefully leaving poor Helena to fend for herself against the “wild beast.” It cannot be made clearer to Helena, or the audience, that Demetrius harbors no love for Helena. If he had even the tiniest drop of fondness for her, he would not have left her to the “mercy” of the wild animals in the magic woods. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead, Demetrius is saying that not only does he not love Helena, but he does not care about what happens to her, does not care if she is in danger. These lines are important because they make clear Demetrius feelings. He fosters no attached me to Helena, so it cannot be argued that he still had feelings for Helena which the Fairy King’s magic potion just brought to light. Instead it is clear that the only reason Demetrius feels anything