Desire in Shakespeare

Desire, in Shakespeare's plays, is a wholly different conception than that of 'love' or passion. Desire represents, on the behalf of the muddled minds of the antagonist, a want for concrete, physical and tangible rewards. These rewards, typically, fall into one of two categories- lust or power.

Lust, of course, represents a demand for physical satiation. Lust should not be confused with love in this context- the terms are not interchangeable. Lust represents a base sexual arousal and desire, most prominently figuring in sexual release via intercourse. Love, as we use the term relative to the works of Shakespeare, implies a deep and instantaneous spiritual connection between parties that defies the standards of mating etiquette in polite society, vis a vis the 'longing gaze' and the resultant midnight rolls through the hay barn that follow.

Power, which is inextricably linked to lust in both temperament and action-upon, is a base drive for control. Power manifests itself with equal frequency as its counterpart lust in Shakespeare's works. Though it is seen most often in the hands of would-be kings and angry queens, any character not in love or lusting after someone seems to be making a mad grab for the throne. The relative success of this grab is irrelevant to the topic at hand. It is the striving for Power that motivates the antagonists in Shakespeare's play, as the gaining of authority is usually brought to a swift and fatal end.