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

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)

ﺐﺴﺘﻜﻤﻟاﻲﻋﺎﻤﺘﺟﻻاعﻮﻨﻟاوﻲﺋادﻷاﻖﻄﻨﻟا

ﺐﺴﺘﻜﻤﻟاﻲﻋﺎﻤﺘﺟﻻاعﻮﻨﻟاوﻲﺋادﻷاﻖﻄﻨﻟا

ﺚﻟﺎﺜﻟادرﺎﺸﺘﻳر« ﺮﻴﺒﺴﻜﺷﺔﻴﺣﺮﺴﻣﻲﻓ

ﺚﻟﺎﺜﻟادرﺎﺸﺘﻳر« ﺮﻴﺒﺴﻜﺷﺔﻴﺣﺮﺴﻣﻲﻓ

»

ةﺮﻣﺎﻤﺣلﻼﺑ

ﺺﺨﻠﻣ

ثــﻟﺎﺜﻟادرﺎــﺸﺘﯿررﯿﺒــﺴﻛﺸﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤﻲــﻓﻲــﻋﺎﻤﺘﺠﻻاعوــﻨﻟاومﺘــﺸﻟابﺎــطﺨﺔــﺴاردﻰــﻟالﺎــﻘﻤﻟااذــﻫفدــﻬﯿ

بــﺴﺘﻛﻤﻲــﻨﯿوﻛﺘلــﻤﺎﻋﻲــﻋﺎﻤﺘﺠﻻاعوــﻨﻟارــﺒﺘﻌﺘﻲــﺘﻟارــﻠﺘﺒثدوــﺠﺔــﯿرظﻨﻰــﻠﻋدﺎــﻤﺘﻋﻻﺎﺒكــﻟذو،(1592)

ةرــﺘﻔﻟاﻲــﻓمﺘــﺸﻟﺎﺒﺔــﻘﻠﻌﺘﻤﻟاتادــﻘﺘﻌﻤﻟاﺔــﻓﺎﻘﺜمــﻬﻓدــﺼﻘﺒ،نﺘــﺴوانوــﺠﻟﻲــﺌادﻷامﻼﻛــﻟاﺔــﯿرظﻨﺒﺎــﻬطﺒرﺒً

ﺎــﻀﯿأو

مﻼﻛــﻟاﺔــﯿرظﻨنأنــﻫرﺒﯿﺎــﺠذوﻤﻨﺎﻛ III درﺎــﺸﺘﯿرﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤثــﺤﺎﺒﻟافــظوﯿ .ﺎــﯿﻨﺎطﯿرﺒﻲــﻓﻰــﻟوﻷاﺔــﺜﯿدﺤﻟا

ﺔــﯿوﻬﻟالﯿﻛــﺸﺘنأثــﯿﺤو .ﻪــﺘﯿرظﻨﻲــﻓنﺘــﺴواﺎــﻫرﺒﺘﻌﯿمــﻟﻲــﺘﻟاو،ﺔــﯿﻤاردﻟاصوــﺼﻨﻟالــﯿﻠﺤﺘﻟﺢــﻠﺼﺘﻲــﺌادﻷا

ﺔــﯿوﺜﻨﻷاصوﺨــﺸﻟانوــﺼﻤﻘﺘﯿلﺎــﻔطﻷانﺎﻛثــﯿﺤ،ﻲﺤرــﺴﻤﻟاءادﻷاﻰــﻠﻋّ

ﻲــﻨﺒﻤﺔﯿﺤرــﺴﻤﻟاﻲــﻓﺔــﯿوﺜﻨﻷا

ةأرــﻤﻟاموــﻘﺘﺎــﻤدﻨﻋﻪــﻨاثــﯿﺤً

ﺎــﯿوﺜﻨأفــّ

ﻨﺼُﺘنانــﻛﻤﯿمﺘــﺸﻟاﺔــﻐﻟنﺄــﺒثــﺤﺎﺒﻟادــﻘﺘﻌﯿكــﻟذﻟ .ادــﺴﺠوﺎــﺘوﺼ

نــﻤةأرــﻤﻟاﻊــﻤلــﻤﺎﻌﺘﯿيذــﻟادﺌﺎــﺴﻟاﻲــﻓﺎﻘﺜﻟاطــﻤﻨﻟاضرﺎــﻌُﺘوتوﻛــﺴﻟاﺔــﻠﯿﻀﻓكــﻬﺘﻨﺘﻲــﻬﻓنــﻌﻠﻟﺎﺒوأمﺘــﺸﻟﺎﺒ

عو ـ ـ ﻨﻪــﻨاﻰــﻠﻋأر ـ ـ ﻘ ُ

ﯿنأنــﻛﻤُ

ﯿيوــﺜﻨﻷامﺘــﺸﻟانﺈــﻓاذــﻟ،ﺔطﻠــﺴﻟانــﻤﺎــﻬﻤرﺤﯿوﺎــﻬﺘوﺼﺎﻬﺒﻠــﺴوةرطﯿــﺴﻟاقــﻠطﻨﻤ

ﻰــﻟاً

ﻻوــﺤﺘﻤثــﻟﺎﺜﻟادرﺎــﺸﺘﯿرﺒلــّﺜﻤُ

ﻤﻟاﺔطﻠــﺴﻟابﺎــطﺨىدــﺤﺘﯿكــﻟذﺒوــﻬﻓنﯿــﺸﻤﻬُ

ﻤﻟاواتﺎــﯿﻠﻗﻷابدأنــﻤ

.دﺌﺎــﺴﻟاﻲــﺴﺎﯿﺴﻟامﺎــظﻨﻟاﻲــﻠﺜﻤﻤرــﯿﻤدﺘﻰــﻟايدؤــﺘﻪــﻟﺎّ

ﻌﻓﺔــﯿﻤﺎﻘﺘﻨاﺔﻠﯿــﺴو

ﺔﻌﻤﺎﺠﻲﻓﻲﻤﻠﻌﻟاثﺤﺒﻟاةدﺎﻤﻋوأﺔﻠﺠﻤﻟارﯿرﺤﺘﺔﺌﯿﻫرﺎﻛﻓانﻋﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟاﻲﻓةدراوﻟارﺎﻛﻓﻻارﺒﻌﺘﻻ

.ﺎﻬﯿﻓءﺎطﺨأﺔﯿأوأﺔطوطﺨﻤﻟانوﻤﻀﻤنﻋدﯿﺤوﻟالوؤﺴﻤﻟافﻟؤﻤﻟارﺒﺘﻌﯿ .مﺤﻟتﯿﺒ