Hamlet essay

           Hamlet is one of the most puzzling characters the worlds ever seen. Think about it, you’re a prince, royalty basically, so you got it made! Especially when compared to the lower class. Yet why does he have to deal with self overhearing and performative utterance as much as we see it in Shakespeare’s play? Hamlet says many things, but his actions do not coincide with his thoughts. Sure Hamlet speaks of what is to be done, or what he may want to do, but he will never act on the times of those thoughts. I may talk to myself but usually when I think of something I leave a perlocutionary affect to may thoughts as in the form of what we call “action”. The word action has many definitions and perceptions (varying on the situations of course). Action can mean something done in example fulfilling a duty or deed, or the manner or method of performing. Action, performing, doing, all things that we see take effect throughout Shakespeare’s play. Interestingly enough Hamlet just doesn’t seem to take action, even after all the self overhearing he does. Basically Hamlet only thinks of action, but never performs it.

           It dramatically influences the play. It adds suspense, turmoil, and definitely gives us a more clear insight on Hamlets true character. Hamlet is troubled, (as I learned by memorizing the famous “To be or not to be” speech) he does not seem to know whether to stay alive and deal with his agony and live, or to die and never return. It is a serious matter when suicide comes to play. Do not forget the fact that the whole plotline starts when Hamlet does take action, by vowing or making an oath to his father. It is then when we start to unravel what is really happening, things begin to play out and Hamlet is now purposed. I see myself as a complete opposite of what Hamlets Self overhearing is like, then again the only time I usually do it is for a self motivational speech. Likewise to Hamlets when he is motivating himself to kill Claudius.  I tend to “pump my self up” when I am about to tackle on something of great importance to me. Hamlet seems to do more than that when he is thinking to himself. Though Hamlet never took action at the moment of his thoughts, I believe the reason behind it is because he kept overlooking action with other factors of the situation. Hamlet could have killed Claudius on the spot, but thought it was smart to not do so at the time, the reason why is because he had a reason valid enough (in his eyes) to stop him. This is all boiled down to different parts of his self overhearing process. I tend to realize a lot after something has happened, as do most people we tend to learn from it and later reflect on it.

           Experience is a great thing; it serves as learning or in the video technology world growth to something greater. Hamlet throughout the play experiences many trials. Dealing with a ghost, facing his uncle, dealing with Ophelia, his battle with Laertes, etc. Experience is probably one of the handiest weapons in our whole world. The fact that we know and have seen something before will always help out in our second attempt. If Hamlet wasn’t such a good man with a sword due to his past experiences with one, Laertes simply would have killed him and everybody would move on with a hamlet-less life. Its like if I haven’t experienced the sport of soccer, football, track events, how can I expect to be great at them? I learned to kick a ball roughly the age of five years old. Have I mastered it, no but am I going to be more experienced and have the upper hand against the inexperienced? Yes. In fact, experience itself has all three of Austin’s “forces”. Through attempt you gain experience, in the process you give influence to others who may be doing the same, and as a result you get better, which as a different result you make whatever you’re working at better in example a sports team. Also experience draws expectation, memory and results. If you are experienced you are now at a standard where people will expect you to know what is going on. If you’re an experienced pizza deliverer, than you better know how to drive. If you’ve made 3 goals in one game, you are probably expected to do it again the next time that game happens, or you may expect yourself to do that. As you reflect on anything, you should have a sense of memory from a previous episode of what you’re reflecting on. If not your either forgetful or a rookie. Usually when you have memory of something, you have experienced it, and left a result from when you experienced it. (Not forgetting that whatever you do or are experiencing has other factors of contribution such as Cause and purpose of action, and many others, as does different situations of life) When I reflect on something I take it, analyze it, look at my options, give an attempt of recapturing a moment I was in the same or similar situation, pursue it, and leave with a result that can either be what I wanted or not what I wanted.

           I believe Hamlet does the same exact thing when faced with a time of reflection. (This is most of his parts in the play.) We see this through the perception of hearing, or in our case reading about Hamlets Self overhearing. He always in his thought process takes the situation, analyzes it, realizes his options, and has his result. In “to be or not to be” we see a perfect example of this. Hamlet takes his situation, looks at his options as death which is unknown, or life which for him at the moment is definitely not something he wants. Then he analyzes life for himself, to bear the whips and scorns of time, or to travel to the undiscovered country where no man returns. Then comes off with a decision to live because after analyzing death and how he knows not of what its like, has a valid reason (to himself of course) to put up with his lives struggles. Performative Utterance is Saying or doing something in the world rather than describing something about it. Hamlet and many of us in our everyday lives deal with this concept. Why do we have things said and not done? It’s like breaking a promise. Though it’s true I don’t think that relates to Hamlets situation because hamlet does both. Hamlet tends to do the before mentioned steps in his self overhearing, and his performance Utterance definitely is the cause of Shakespeare play to be so interestingly entertaining and slightly puzzling.