Hamlet Essay (Rework)

Integrity: the name given for doing what one states and turning one’s thoughts and spoken words into the reality that was stated or thought. This definition closely follows what English philosopher J.L Austin’s idea of performative utterance. His theory was based off the fact that what people said could actually change or impact the reality we live in. This is also true for Hamlet; the guy who most people think talked too much and couldn’t make up his mind about anything. Not surprisingly, performative utterance plays a critical role in the play Hamlet as well as my own life.

Hamlet confronts the ghost of his father and swears to avenge him. This statement says that he will avenge his father’s death through locution: the ability to create a message in an understandable way, with the illocutionary effect letting the ghost know that the action will actually be done and Hamlet isn’t just blowing smoke, and finally the perlocutionary effect of Hamlet doing what he swore by slaying Claudius in Act five Scene two. If Hamlet did not do this, this very text would probably look more like this: Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge him and after a long series of weird and almost connecting events, Claudius is slain by Hamlet in apparent act of trying to kill the person who killed him at the end of the play. The madness that Hamlet showed to Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and pretty much all other characters in the play except Horatio would be just as confusing to the audience as well.

In my self-overhearing, I reflect on what I’ve done, mostly about the faux passes I’ve committed and try to better myself from those experiences. Compared to Hamlet, I do not try to influence others as so much myself. Whether it is in “To be or nor to be” or some other soliloquy, Hamlet needs to influence people with what he says to achieve the murder of Claudius. I on the other hand typically say to myself, “Did I really just do that? Or, “Oops! What do I do from here?” and even, “Ok this situation pretty much sucks for everybody involved, what can I take away from this though?” By thinking and saying these thoughts I help get myself to that goal where hopefully I will not make the mistake again. 

I am not really trying to influence anyone as much as take myself from point A to point B. In my process of reflection, recollecting past events or incidents by nature brings a feeling of nostalgia, or remembrance by nature. Remembering the mindset I had when I was going through and goals I had back then brings back the expectations I had and reminds myself about how badly I wanted some of those goals to succeed. The actually arrival at point B or where I am now was when I took those memories and expectations and turned them into an actual reality.

Hamlet is the greatest manipulator in the play Hamlet through the use of his performative utterances. Although the only action he actually commits in the entire play, based off of what he says, he is able to lead the entire cast of the play on a wild goose chase, whether it be through taking the appearance of misery or madness. Performative utterance is also critical to how I work as a person as well because it gives me the outline of the probable future actions I will take. They get me at least halfway to whatever goal I am going for by refining my thoughts in the process. Without performative utterances, the actions of the play as well as my life would be very disjointed and very jerky in sense of fluidity from one action to the next. This is a result of the heavy role performative utterance has in planning and actually committing to action.