Hamlet, Self-Overhearing and Performativity

     It is often said that actions speak louder than words. I disagree with this. I would say that such claim is erroneous because words are actions in themselves. Words have real world implications that can be seen in everyday life; we make assertions, promises, threats and judges hand down sentences that can condemn criminals to a life in prison. Hamlet, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, shows us the impact of words as Hamlet’s performative utterances are not only describing his present state but also creating meaning for and changing the reality created within the play.

     We use words and language all the time. We use it in our physical world to convey ideas, opinions or ask for something. We also use it in our minds, in a self-overhearing way. We talk to ourselves in order to straighten our thoughts or debate an issue with ourselves. Despite no one else hearing our thoughts, we hear them and them being there makes them as real as if we had promised a loved one something. Much like so, Hamlet’s soliloquys constitute a self-overhearing like process in which his words constitute actions more than anything. In his soliloquies, he condemns Claudius for what he did to his father and convinces himself that killing him is the correct thing to do. His soliloquies have impact in the world of Hamlet, because they are the performatives that Hamlet uses to decide what to do and that in turn shapes the course of events.

     Performative utterances can only be successful if the receiving party infers the correct meaning behind the words. Hamlet often uses his words to act crazy, and fools almost every character into thinking he is mad. He uses words to try to shape the unfolding events in a way that would set up the success of his plans and that would help further his agenda. He successfully fooling almost all characters to believe in his madness though his performative shows us the success of it.

     Performativity impacts the world around, but can also be seen to impact the performer directly. Hamlet uses words to do a plethora of things within the play and to give meaning to the reality of it. Through his performativity, especially that seen in his soliloquies, his self-overhearing reveals to him a good deal about himself. He uses performativity to criticize himself and reflect on the reality that is unfolding around him. He also uses performativity to come to logical conclusions, which are revealing to him in terms of his agenda.

     Performativity is impactful, and can describe as well as create. Hamlet shows us that to be true, but apart from that we can see it in ourselves and in the real world around us. Performativity creates a sense of what’s true and our self-overhearing can reveal things to us we did not previously know.