Final answer:
Utterances that are intended to bring about circumstances, rather than just describe them, are classified as performative utterances or speech acts. An example of this would be saying "I knight thee," which is an action performed through speech.
Step-by-step explanation:
Utterances that are intended not to describe circumstances so much as to bring about circumstances are known as performative utterances or speech acts. These are statements that do not merely convey information, but rather perform an action simply by the fact of being spoken. For example, when a person with the appropriate authority says, "I knight thee," they are not describing a knighting; they are actually bestowing knighthood upon the individual. This usage can be seen in literature where characters might manipulate circumstances through dialogue, reflecting their intended outcomes and actions, and are not merely making conversational statements.
Instances in literary works, such as Hamlet's directive, "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy [...] That if again this apparition come He may approve our eyes and speak to it," from Shakespeare's Hamlet, serve as an example where characters use utterances to bring about a change or to direct an action. Similarly, the various lines from other texts mentioned are examples of how utterances serve to reflect not just the description of circumstances but can be employed to effect change or reveal deeper intentions within a narrative.