Hamlet Essay

Performative utterances seem to hold a sort of omnipresence both in Hamlet and in life. Daily life constitutes to a variety of promises being made, commitments being created and labels being given. No different than language implications today, Hamlet, set hundreds of years ago, seems to be chalk full of performative utterances that apply meaning and action to language. Perhaps the most tangible benefit of performative utterances in both the play and in today’s reality is its influence on self-realization and exploration.

By definition, performative utterances are credited with changing reality and creating fact. In many cases, these utterances once made to ourselves or to others make us more inclined to carry out said commitment or promise. By committing to something, we create a fact that a commitment has been made and therefore a new reality. This case is exemplified in the beginning scenes of Hamlet, when Hamlet promises that he wants to avenge the death of his father. Throughout the play this promise haunts Hamlet who consistently questions his own bravery and loyalty to his late father. In the scene with Fortinbras’s army, Hamlet becomes disgusted with himself when he realizes soldiers can seemingly kill without a cause while he has yet to kill Claudius, a villain blatantly deserving of death. Hamlet repeatedly kicks himself for not carrying out the promise he made to the ghost in the hall way yet continues to steal clear of actually murdering his uncle. For Hamlet the disconnect comes not between his promises and sincerity but between his promises and acting on them. Although he is able to complete the first action of restoring justice to the kingdom by promising to kill Claudius, he fails to complete the second action, which obviously is essential to obtaining justice, actually killing his uncle.

For Hamlet his strength comes in words; they are perhaps his greatest attribute. Various soliloquies throughout the play reinforce the fact that Hamlet is capable of flowing meaningful language. Self overhearing in these extensive speeches serves to educate not only the audience but also Hamlet. These soliloquies act as a window in Hamlet’s though process, revealing his deepest thoughts and most hidden grievances. In these speeches he reveals many things including but not limited too; his sanity, his thoughts of suicide, and his disgust in himself. These revelations provide insight to the audience but more importantly help Hamlet realize and talk his way through things he did not understand before. Today we have these same conversations but within the privacy of our own minds, we don’t need to display our inner conflicts in order to move a play along as Hamlet does.

In Hamlet language is so important it acts as a force and is labeled as an action. Performative utterances are abundant throughout the play though Hamlet takes time upholding them. He succeeds in creating new reality with his promises yet fails to satisfy them in a timely matter. Language additionally aids in revealing Hamlets inner thoughts to the audience and to himself through a series of dramatic soliloquies. In this play and often in life, words tend to hold more weight than we give them credit for.