It is one thing to be able to "talk the talk," but one must also be able to "walk the walk." Quite contrarily, though, what if I were to tell you that by talking the talk, you were able to change the reality and direction that you were walking? We are able to promote and prevent outcomes beforehand and create more impact and meaning through each and every word we utter. It's the more artistic part of the English language, of which William Shakespeare sculpted one of the most famous protagonists in literature, Hamlet. The course of Hamlet's plot twisted and turned through the foreshadowing presented by the performative utterances located within each of Hamlet's soliloquies, and by them, Hamlet evolved by his words as a character.
After studying Shakespeare, one begins to realize that words are not just words anymore; there is always some deeper meaning hidden between the lines of each text. For example, when Marcellus debates with Horatio about following Hamlet to his council with King Hamlet's ghost, he proclaims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." If it were not already obvious to the reader by now that Hamlet's situation was already overbearing and awkward - what with his uncle being married to his widowed mother - this statement in Act I makes it concrete. The double meaning is found in the word "state," meaning that not only was something wrong with Denmark as a country, it's state of being was also jeopardized by the death of a great king and the rule of his corrupted brother. Since this statement alone changes the course of the play, it can be considered as a performative utterance, because not only does it passively describe the given reality at hand, it also changes the reality and foreshadows a negative change in plot.
The evolution of Hamlet's characterization depended on his own self-overhearing during his self-directed conversations in which he reflects upon his feelings and converts them into matured thoughts. From there, his thoughts develop into choice, and his new choices direct his actions, which inadvertently shape the story. This self-evaluation is seen within Hamlet's most famous soliloquy beginning with "To be or not to be." During his reflection, he begins with the contemplation of suicide, then analyzes the torturous truths of the world, but as he progresses on his train of thought, he discovers the reason behind choosing life over death. It is by this outspoken process in the play that Hamlet literally talks to himself, reflects on his words, and gains insight and knowledge that evolves his character. In the end, Hamlet evolved by the faith that he gave himself through these performative utterances and not by action alone.
Aside from the literary world, "talking the talk" changes our fates in the real world as well. It's when we say something before we do it that reinforces our actions. When we hear ourselves speak and reflect on our words, we can decipher more meaning and evolve as people. The fate of our lives does not depend on action alone, but words create the change that is prevalent in today's society as well. Ghandi could not change a nation without words, and neither could Martin Luther King Jr. The double meanings, the performative utterances, and the very value of words that we shared with Shakespeare put our lives in motion, and "walking the walk" can never be put before "talking the talk."
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