The fulfilment of one's desires offers them new perspectives on oneself. When a desire is accomplished or attained, the opportunity for self-reflection arises and we are given insight into our personal transformation. Desire can be defined as a longing or craving for a person, state, or object which brings satisfaction or enjoyment. This concept is explored through William Shakespeare’s 1603 play “Othello”, and Gustav Klimt’s 1907-8 oil painting “The Kiss” each explore . Both of these texts suggest strong desire may prevent rational thought, desire is fueled by ambition, and that it reveals hidden truths about a person.
Desire is a controlling force which may impose on rational thought. Often, the greater a desire is, the more susceptible a …show more content…
One cannot exist without the other as desire is born from ambition and ambition exists as a result of desire. Shakespeare clearly demonstrates this notion through Iago’s antagonistic character. Iago’s hatred for Othello is introduced in the early stages of the play. This hate is concealed from Othello himself as Iago remains his seemingly loyal follower, but only to “serve [his] turn upon him.” His duplicitous tone sets up the fakery between the two characters and reveals his ambition and desire for revenge. Iago is not a solo villain however, he cleverly manipulates other characters into doing his bidding. Before the soldiers leave for Cyprus, he motivates Roderigo to keep trying to win Desdemona’s heart with the phrase: “Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.” Metaphor conveys the power we have over our fate – what we do with our lives is up to us. Iago implies that we can choose to be ambitious and achieve what we desire, or we can waste our lives and never try. There is no way to fulfil a desire without a degree of ambition. “The Kiss” displays ambition’s effect on desire through Cubism, a deeply structural early 20th century art movement which is featured on the robes of the man. This experimental style demonstrates Klimt’s ambition at the height of his career. Cubistic art proved so popular that it was soon followed by an even more extreme art style known as neoplasticism. Klimt’s use of golden entwined couples in his ‘Golden Period’ collection and the sumptuousness of his highly decorated pieces have a hint of opulent decadence about them, proclaiming the end of the century (fin de siècle). This collection exhibits a mixture of ambition and hope for the new century. The message within these texts is without ambition, there is no desire. If you truly desire something, you must be willing to work hard to attain it. Through arduous work, new characteristics and traits are
Desire is a controlling force which may impose on rational thought. Often, the greater a desire is, the more susceptible a …show more content…
One cannot exist without the other as desire is born from ambition and ambition exists as a result of desire. Shakespeare clearly demonstrates this notion through Iago’s antagonistic character. Iago’s hatred for Othello is introduced in the early stages of the play. This hate is concealed from Othello himself as Iago remains his seemingly loyal follower, but only to “serve [his] turn upon him.” His duplicitous tone sets up the fakery between the two characters and reveals his ambition and desire for revenge. Iago is not a solo villain however, he cleverly manipulates other characters into doing his bidding. Before the soldiers leave for Cyprus, he motivates Roderigo to keep trying to win Desdemona’s heart with the phrase: “Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.” Metaphor conveys the power we have over our fate – what we do with our lives is up to us. Iago implies that we can choose to be ambitious and achieve what we desire, or we can waste our lives and never try. There is no way to fulfil a desire without a degree of ambition. “The Kiss” displays ambition’s effect on desire through Cubism, a deeply structural early 20th century art movement which is featured on the robes of the man. This experimental style demonstrates Klimt’s ambition at the height of his career. Cubistic art proved so popular that it was soon followed by an even more extreme art style known as neoplasticism. Klimt’s use of golden entwined couples in his ‘Golden Period’ collection and the sumptuousness of his highly decorated pieces have a hint of opulent decadence about them, proclaiming the end of the century (fin de siècle). This collection exhibits a mixture of ambition and hope for the new century. The message within these texts is without ambition, there is no desire. If you truly desire something, you must be willing to work hard to attain it. Through arduous work, new characteristics and traits are