Talking With Myself: Performative Utterances in Hamlet
The essence of speech and the possibilities of rational thinking and decision making are critically important in the definition of what makes us human. Being able to make decisions and chart courses of action is a driving issue within William Shakespeare's 1599 quintessential ^1 tragedy "Hamlet", titled after the main character. Hamlet himself is a young man shrouded in grief, trouble, and deception. From the beginning of the play with Hamlet's first soliloquy in ACT I scene 2 to his final, what we now occasionally called performative utterances ^2 is a recurring motif throughout the play. In it, performative utterances styled through mystifying soliloquies are the very tool that Hamlet uses throughout the play to precede and inspire his actions. Furthermore performative utterances as explained in deBour's essay, do not exist solely in literature but transcend into our daily life. What are performative utterances (basic definition)?
Based on Fredrik deBour's paper, "The Performative Utterance in Hamlet" performative utterances defined most simply are out loud promises acting as a self fulfilling prophecy. Hamlet does this on a number of occasions throughout the play and they serve a variety of purposes beyond the idea of a self fulfilling prophecy. First and foremost they do indeed act as a self fulfilling prophecy but beyond that they are a deep cry for action. Fredrik deBour calls Hamlet's utterances a way for Hamlet to spur a sense of action within himself, "Hamlet is trapped in a kind of cognitive paralysis...For much of the play Hamlet is able to speak but not to do." (deBour, pg 1) But beyond the self fulfilling prophecy of Hamlet's utterances, Hamlet's self talk also cues the reader and audience members on what is going on in his head. Throughout the play Hamlet acts differently depending on the people he is around or the situation in which he finds himself in. For example while talking to his uncle King Claudius and his mother Queen Gertrude he is poise and incredibly collected despite being only a few months removed from his beloved father's death. And again while in Polonius' presence, Hamlet become incredibly witty and sarcastic as he openly mocks Polonius with out him understanding. But, when all the characters have left the room, Hamlet's demeanor changes instantly. At the end of ACT II Hamlet becomes increasingly lament calling himself a, "rogue and peasant slave...", and we begin to see his true colors. Instead of being a frail and pompous prince as one might suspect from his encounters with the king, queen, and other characters, through his soliloquies Hamlet is revealed to be a truly strong character well learned, observant and calculated, yet stricken with unimaginable grief and the burden of revenge.
Theoretical frameworks
In the simplist of definitions, Performative Utterances are loud promises acting as a self fulfilling prophecy. But to truly understand them and their impact on play's and Hamlet more specifically, an understanding of Theoretical Frameworks is essential. Performativity traces its roots back to J.L. Austin's work, "How to do Things With Words" according to Kira Hall of Yale University. Which leads us into the idea of the Speech Act Theory.
Contextual Example & Action expresses priority-Gandhi
According to 20th century Indian non-violent civil disobedience leader Gandhi, "Action expresses priorities." But how does that relate to Hamlet? It does in a variety of ways. The entirety of the play surrounds Hamlet's decision to kill his uncle King Claudius and his struggles on how to best kill his uncle. Throughout the entire play Hamlet is caught in situations that leave him unable to take action. This leads him into his soliloquies and this entire idea of Performative Utterances. For example in the end of ACT II, Hamlet is stuck attempting to prove his uncle's guilt. While dealing with his emotions, Hamlet comes up with his plan to subtly expose Claudius, "The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscious of the king!" (Shakespeare ACT II scene 2). This whole idea of a play within a play is one of the first examples of self fulfilling prophecies or Performative Utteranes within the play. In the very next scene at the beginning of ACT III we have another Performative Utterance by Hamlet, in the famous "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy. Each performative utterances builds up upon itself until we get to the point at the end of the play in which Hamlet kills his uncle. And finally, his self made prophecies are fulfilled and his actions express his priorities.
How it effects other characters-cause and effect
The beauty of "Hamlet" and what it teaches us about revenge is that everyone is effected. By the end of the play the murder count hits seven people. What started as an act of revenge for "murder most foul," of the former King Hamlet, ended in a blood bath. But what caused this drastic turn of events is not just a cause of the deed itself, but also of Hamlet's inability to move to action. Say if Hamlet was able to kill Claudius within the first two ACTS five unnecessary deaths including Hamlet's own and Ophelia's would have been avoided. But in doing so we would be without a story and therefore without a tragedy. The longer Hamlet struggles with his own ideas and decisions and what eventually become Performative Utterances, the act of revenge becomes more and more complicated. Which causes Hamlet further and further grief, confusion, and trouble, as well as increasing trouble for the ones around him.
Self Overhearing vs. Performative Utterances
Furthermore, people may assume that self overhearing is the same literary device or have the same effects as performative utterances but they do have several defining characteristics that keep them distinct. Entrepreneur and writer Ben Casnocha defines self overhearing, in a January 2009 article on his blog called "The Art of Self-Overhearing: Metacognition and Decision Making". In his article, using articles from Boston Globe journalist Jonah Lehrer, Ben Casnocha argues that self overhearing relates to metacognition, which is the ability to think about your own thinking. While Performative Utterances are loud promises acting as a self fulfilling prophecy. In less academic terms I think of it like this, Performative Utterances is what you say to your self when you need to get things done, while Self-Overhearing is conscious self talking.
How it relates in my everyday life and why it's important
How I make decisions, how I talk to myself, and the actions I take are things that are all related to each other. As seen in Hamlet how he addresses him self and the manner in which he does it, all give the audience clues into his mental state. Yet in my life it gives me and those around me clues on how I am going to react to certain situations. Although I don't go into drawn out soliloquies quoted in iambic pentameter, like every other person on this earth I talk to my self. And I think that is something Shakespeare is trying to get across in the play "Hamlet". One of the most famous quotes in the play says, "to thine own self be true,". How can you be more true to your own self than by knowing your actions. Being true to your self is more than just actions though, it also involves the entire thought process that comes before and the plethora of choices and decisions that no one else knows we must make. And for this, what better piece of literature to read than Hamlet?
Footnotes:
^1 (quintessential implying the highest level of perfection of or example of)
^2 performative utterances
Performativity
Ben Casnocha
The Art of Self-Overhearing: Metacognition and Decision Making
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