Performative Utterance and Self-Over hearing In Hamlet

“Certain language does not merely describe action but acts in being spoken.” Performative utterance obtains a huge impact in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. It means to not only state something, but to alter reality through the statement. Hamlet's performative utterance keeps his intentions consistent.
As a character in the play, Hamlet not only participates in performative utterance and self-overhearing, he influences the plot and other characters through them. The recitation of Hamlet’s several soliloquies constitutes action. His speech actually creates action and changes reality. There is not always an immediate product. Through self-overhearing, Hamlet kept his plans for revenge alive. The impact of self-overhearing is displayed through Hamlet’s ability to remain consistent in his intentions of killing Claudius. Every time he discussed his emotions and intent for revenge, he made those feelings more and more permanent in his memory. He made the hatred for his uncle impossible to forget. Hamlet’s language therefore altered reality through his soliloquies. Despite behind with-held from the other characters, his speeches affected the lives of the others. While seeking revenge on Claudius, Hamlet unintentionally killed Ophelia’s father Polonius. If his own self-overhearing didn’t constantly remind him of his hatred towards Claudius, this tragedy wouldn’t have occurred.
By swearing to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet actually created a fact. He didn’t just describe how he wants to kill his uncle, he swore that he will. This is performative utterance; the alteration of reality through speech. The play within the play that was intended to be the host of Claudius’s death was achieved had Hamlet not made the oath to the ghost. Almost every action Hamlet executed can be derived from his promise to kill Claudius.
The self-overhearing displayed in Hamlet varies with my own version of self-overhearing. Memorizing the “to be or not to be” soliloquy was a difficult task. Remembering this challenging task, makes me reflect on the things that did and did not work. Whenever I rethink the experience, I am self-overhearing. I am reminded of good study techniques and I gain confidence in my schoolwork. In Hamlet, self-overhearing led to the tragic ending of the play. In my personal experience, it has assisted me in my studies and confidence toward my schoolwork. Whether in modern society or a famous Shakespeare play, neither performative utterance nor self-overhearing seize to stop changing reality.