Performative Utterances and Gender Performance in Shakespeare's Richard III

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.36.2019.0115
• Pages: 115-132
• Published date: 01 January 2019
• Date: 01 January 2019
• Author: Bilal Hamamra
• Subject Matter: Curse,Speech Act,Gender Performance,Minor Literature

115 Bethlehem University Journal 36 (2019)

Performative Utterances and Gender

Performance in Shakespeare’s Richard III

Bilal Hamamra

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the discourse of cursing and gender performance

in Shakespeare’s Richard III (1592) through Judith Butler’s theory of gender

as a performative act in conjunction with J. L. Austin’s concept of performative

utterances, in order to further a cultural understanding of the beliefs surrounding

curses in early modern England. I deploy Richard III as a case study to

demonstrate that speech-act theory is applicable in a dramatic text, a context

that Austin failed to consider when he theorized illocutionary acts. Since the

construction of feminine identities in Richard III is based on performance--

in early modern England boy actors impersonated female figures vocally and

physically, I argue that curses are gendered feminine despite the fact that cursing

women transgress the conventional feminine virtue of silence and despite the

cultural belief that curses produce agency of which women are conventionally

deprived. As such, the discourse of female cursing can be read as a case of

minor literature, a mode of enunciation that challenges and eclipses Richard’s

discourse, and which emanates from the conventional view that the female curse

is a performative speech act that is divinely endorsed. It is an effective means of

retaliation, leading to the destruction of villainous figures.

Key Words: Curse, Speech Act, Gender Performance, Minor Literature

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article do not represent

the opinions of the Journal’s editorial board and staff of the Dean of Research

at Bethlehem University. The accuracy of the material and any errors in this

publication are the sole responsibility of the author.

116

Bethlehem University Journal 36 (2019)

ﺐﺴﺘﻜﻤﻟا ﻲﻋﺎﻤﺘﺟﻻا عﻮﻨﻟاو ﻲﺋادﻷا ﻖﻄﻨﻟا

ﺐﺴﺘﻜﻤﻟا ﻲﻋﺎﻤﺘﺟﻻا عﻮﻨﻟاو ﻲﺋادﻷا ﻖﻄﻨﻟا

ﺚﻟﺎﺜﻟا درﺎﺸﺘﻳر« ﺮﻴﺒﺴﻜﺷ ﺔﻴﺣﺮﺴﻣ ﻲﻓ

ﺚﻟﺎﺜﻟا درﺎﺸﺘﻳر« ﺮﻴﺒﺴﻜﺷ ﺔﻴﺣﺮﺴﻣ ﻲﻓ

»

ةﺮﻣﺎﻤﺣ لﻼﺑ

ﺺﺨﻠﻣ

ثــﻟﺎﺜﻟا درﺎــﺸﺘﯿر رﯿﺒــﺴﻛﺸ ﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤ ﻲــﻓ ﻲــﻋﺎﻤﺘﺠﻻا عوــﻨﻟاو مﺘــﺸﻟا بﺎــطﺨ ﺔــﺴارد ﻰــﻟا لﺎــﻘﻤﻟا اذــﻫ فدــﻬﯿ

بــﺴﺘﻛﻤ ﻲــﻨﯿوﻛﺘ لــﻤﺎﻋ ﻲــﻋﺎﻤﺘﺠﻻا عوــﻨﻟا رــﺒﺘﻌﺘ ﻲــﺘﻟا رــﻠﺘﺒ ثدوــﺠ ﺔــﯿرظﻨ ﻰــﻠﻋ دﺎــﻤﺘﻋﻻﺎﺒ كــﻟذو ،(1592)

ةرــﺘﻔﻟا ﻲــﻓ مﺘــﺸﻟﺎﺒ ﺔــﻘﻠﻌﺘﻤﻟا تادــﻘﺘﻌﻤﻟا ﺔــﻓﺎﻘﺜ مــﻬﻓ دــﺼﻘﺒ ،نﺘــﺴوا نوــﺠﻟ ﻲــﺌادﻷا مﻼﻛــﻟا ﺔــﯿرظﻨﺒ ﺎــﻬطﺒرﺒ ً

ﺎــﻀﯿأو

مﻼﻛــﻟا ﺔــﯿرظﻨ نأ نــﻫرﺒﯿ ﺎــﺠذوﻤﻨﺎﻛ III درﺎــﺸﺘﯿر ﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤ ثــﺤﺎﺒﻟا فــظوﯿ .ﺎــﯿﻨﺎطﯿرﺒ ﻲــﻓ ﻰــﻟوﻷا ﺔــﺜﯿدﺤﻟا

ﺔــﯿوﻬﻟا لﯿﻛــﺸﺘ نأ ثــﯿﺤو .ﻪــﺘﯿرظﻨ ﻲــﻓ نﺘــﺴوا ﺎــﻫرﺒﺘﻌﯿ مــﻟ ﻲــﺘﻟاو ،ﺔــﯿﻤاردﻟا صوــﺼﻨﻟا لــﯿﻠﺤﺘﻟ ﺢــﻠﺼﺘ ﻲــﺌادﻷا

ﺔــﯿوﺜﻨﻷا صوﺨــﺸﻟا نوــﺼﻤﻘﺘﯿ لﺎــﻔطﻷا نﺎﻛ ثــﯿﺤ ،ﻲﺤرــﺴﻤﻟا ءادﻷا ﻰــﻠﻋ ّ

ﻲــﻨﺒﻤ ﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤﻟا ﻲــﻓ ﺔــﯿوﺜﻨﻷا

ةأرــﻤﻟا موــﻘﺘ ﺎــﻤدﻨﻋ ﻪــﻨا ثــﯿﺤ ً

ﺎــﯿوﺜﻨأ فــّ

ﻨﺼُﺘ نا نــﻛﻤﯿ مﺘــﺸﻟا ﺔــﻐﻟ نﺄــﺒ ثــﺤﺎﺒﻟا دــﻘﺘﻌﯿ كــﻟذﻟ .ادــﺴﺠو ﺎــﺘوﺼ

نــﻤ ةأرــﻤﻟا ﻊــﻤ لــﻤﺎﻌﺘﯿ يذــﻟا دﺌﺎــﺴﻟا ﻲــﻓﺎﻘﺜﻟا طــﻤﻨﻟا ضرﺎــﻌُﺘو توﻛــﺴﻟا ﺔــﻠﯿﻀﻓ كــﻬﺘﻨﺘ ﻲــﻬﻓ نــﻌﻠﻟﺎﺒ وأ مﺘــﺸﻟﺎﺒ

عو ـ ـ ﻨ ﻪــﻨا ﻰــﻠﻋ أر ـ ـ ﻘ ُ

ﯿ نأ نــﻛﻤُ

ﯿ يوــﺜﻨﻷا مﺘــﺸﻟا نﺈــﻓ اذــﻟ ، ﺔطﻠــﺴﻟا نــﻤ ﺎــﻬﻤرﺤﯿو ﺎــﻬﺘوﺼ ﺎﻬﺒﻠــﺴو ةرطﯿــﺴﻟا قــﻠطﻨﻤ

ﻰــﻟا ً

ﻻوــﺤﺘﻤ ثــﻟﺎﺜﻟا درﺎــﺸﺘﯿرﺒ لــّﺜﻤُ

ﻤﻟا ﺔطﻠــﺴﻟا بﺎــطﺨ ىدــﺤﺘﯿ كــﻟذﺒ وــﻬﻓ نﯿــﺸﻤﻬُ

ﻤﻟا وا تﺎــﯿﻠﻗﻷا بدأ نــﻤ

.دﺌﺎــﺴﻟا ﻲــﺴﺎﯿﺴﻟا مﺎــظﻨﻟا ﻲــﻠﺜﻤﻤ رــﯿﻤدﺘ ﻰــﻟا يدؤــﺘ ﻪــﻟﺎّ

ﻌﻓ ﺔــﯿﻤﺎﻘﺘﻨا ﺔﻠﯿــﺴو

ﺔﻌﻤﺎﺠ ﻲﻓ ﻲﻤﻠﻌﻟا ثﺤﺒﻟا ةدﺎﻤﻋ وأ ﺔﻠﺠﻤﻟا رﯿرﺤﺘ ﺔﺌﯿﻫ رﺎﻛﻓا نﻋ ﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟا ﻲﻓ ةدراوﻟا رﺎﻛﻓﻻا رﺒﻌﺘ ﻻ

.ﺎﻬﯿﻓ ءﺎطﺨأ ﺔﯿأ وأ ﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟا نوﻤﻀﻤ نﻋ دﯿﺤوﻟا لوؤﺴﻤﻟا فﻟؤﻤﻟا رﺒﺘﻌﯿ .مﺤﻟ تﯿﺒ