Desire (n)
1.
a. The fact or condition of desiring; that feeling or emotion
which is directed to the attainment or possession of some object from which
pleasure or satisfaction is expected; longing, craving; a particular instance
of this feeling, a wish.
b. personified.
2. spec. Physical or sensual appetite; lust.
†3. Longing for something lost or missed; regret;
4. A wish as expressed or stated in words; a request,
petition.
5. transf. An object of desire; that which one
desires or longs for.
Etymology: Middle English < Old French desir (12th
cent. in Littré), modern French désir = Provençal dezir , desire
, Italian desio , desire , derivative < the verb desirare
, French désirer
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Desire. I have always perceived desire as
this very lucid yet untraceable pull within oneself towards something outside of
it. It is that nudge inside that drives a person to do whatever it takes to fulfill its tugging yearning. Desire
can be spellbinding (reflecting supernaturally as we see in Comedy of Errors).
This can manifest itself as simply as ordering a pizza. Other times, it could
lead one into trickier situations. Many times it is seen as the desire for a
certain person. It also makes me think of my favorite Bob Dylan album.
An individual’s distinctive needs/wants are
fascinating to me, especially within this broad context of the notion that we
‘all really want the same thing.’ Our life is guided by something, such as a
plot line, and I’d like to believe that pull is by desire: both good and bad.
It is not easily ignored (“longing, craving”) and affects an individual both
emotionally as well as physically ("sexually, lust"). To follow this concept throughout early
Shakespeare would reveal what desire means in its truest form: from wacky to
oppressed to sinful. This exploration of its meaning will breakdown time barriers
and social circumstances, leaving only the truth of what desire is. What do these
characters want? How different is this from modern day desires? How/where does this
lead them in their actions? Most importantly, do they attain it and if so, what
is the result?
The concluding questions of this post will lead you, I think, to some excellent readings of Shakespeare's characters, whose desires run the full range of the OED definition.
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