The plot in six lines
Searching an island forest for a hidden nymph, Hermes meets a speaking serpent who offers to reveal her in return for a woman's body.
Lamia gains her woman's form, then meets Lycius on his way home to Corinth and charms him into following her.
She leads him to a palace conjured by magic, where they live apart from the world while he remains unaware of her true nature.
Lycius wants a public wedding so that others can see his bride, but Lamia fears losing the safety of their private life.
Lamia reluctantly agrees to the wedding and asks that Apollonius, the philosopher who taught Lycius, should not be invited to the feast.
Apollonius arrives uninvited at the feast and identifies Lamia as a serpent under his searching gaze, prompting her disappearance, while Lycius dies that night still dressed for his wedding.
Themes
Beauty and reason: The contrast between Lamia and Apollonius asks whether explaining beauty destroys its wonder or reveals a necessary truth.
Appearance and reality: Lamia's human form and magical palace give Lycius happiness while concealing the nature of the woman he loves.
Private love: Lamia seeks safety away from others, while Lycius wants their love recognised through a public wedding.
Desire: Shared longing brings Hermes and Lamia into a bargain, while love makes Lycius unwilling to question what he sees.
Characters
- LamiaA serpent who longs to live as a woman, and who wins that wish by a bargain, then uses her charm to win love.
- LyciusA young man of Corinth and a student of philosophy who falls hard for Lamia and wants to show her to the world.
- HermesThe messenger god who leaves Olympus to find a hidden nymph and strikes a deal with the serpent to win her.
- ApolloniusThe older philosopher who taught Lycius and who looks at the world with a cool, searching and doubting eye.
- The nymphA hidden spirit of the forest whom Hermes loves and cannot find without help, and who is glad to be found.
For the A level coursework
- AQA (Literature A): recommended text for the A level non-exam assessment (coursework).
- AQA (Literature B): one of the Keats poems that students may study for Paper 1 (Aspects of tragedy) of the A level exam.
From the boards' own documents (the specifications and coursework guidance listed under Sources), read on 24 October 2026. Your school chooses the coursework texts: ask your teacher before you start.
Questions
What is Lamia about?
Lamia is about a serpent who becomes a woman and seeks love with a young man of Corinth. Their relationship raises questions about whether beauty and love can survive full understanding.
Who are the main characters in Lamia?
The main characters are Lamia, her lover Lycius, the god Hermes and the philosopher Apollonius. The hidden nymph whom Hermes loves also plays a part in Lamia's bargain.
What are the main themes of Lamia?
The main themes are beauty and reason, appearance and reality, desire, and the conflict between private love and public life. Keats makes both deception and the demand for truth troubling, rather than offering a simple moral.
Which boards mention Lamia for A level English Literature?
AQA (Literature A): recommended text for the A level non-exam assessment (coursework). AQA (Literature B): one of the Keats poems that students may study for Paper 1 (Aspects of tragedy) of the A level exam. Your school chooses the coursework texts, so ask your teacher before you start.