Circuit arrangement, having an actuation circuit and a switching element, wherein the circuit arrangement is designed to switch over between a first and a second switching state of the switching element; wherein the actuation circuit is designed to provide a variable pre-actuation voltage that is dependent on the switching state of the switching element, wherein the pre-actuation voltage is a voltage that is applied to the control connection of the switching element as the actuation voltage during one of the two switching states, and wherein the actuation circuit is also designed to vary the pre-actuation voltage during a switching state without the switching state changing, wherein the first switching state is a state in which the switching element is turned on and the second switching state is a state in which the switching element is turned off; wherein the pre-actuation voltage is a turn-off actuation voltage V_off that is used to turn off the switching element and that is disconnected from the control connection of the switching element as long as the switching element is turned on, and wherein the actuation circuit is furthermore designed to change the turn-off actuation voltage V_off during the first switching state of the switching element, and to change the turn-off actuation voltage V_off during the second switching state of the switching element, wherein the actuation circuit is furthermore designed to reduce the pre-actuation voltage from a first value to a second value during the first switching state of the switching element, and to increase the pre-actuation voltage from the second value to the first value during the second switching state of the switching element. an actuation circuit and a switching element, wherein the circuit arrangement is designed to switch over between a first and a second switching state of the switching element; wherein the actuation circuit is designed to provide a variable pre-actuation voltage that is dependent on the switching state of the switching element, wherein the pre-actuation voltage is a voltage that is applied to the control connection of the switching element as the actuation voltage during one of the two switching states, and wherein the actuation circuit is also designed to vary the pre-actuation voltage during a switching state without the switching state changing, wherein the first switching state is a state in which the switching element is turned on and the second switching state is a state in which the switching element is turned off; wherein the pre-actuation voltage is a turn-off actuation voltage V_off that is used to turn off the switching element and that is disconnected from the control connection of the switching element as long as the switching element is turned on, and wherein the actuation circuit is furthermore designed to change the turn-off actuation voltage V_off during the first switching state of the switching element, and to change the turn-off actuation voltage V_off during the second switching state of the switching element, wherein the actuation circuit is furthermore designed to reduce the pre-actuation voltage from a first value to a second value during the first switching state of the switching element, and to increase the pre-actuation voltage from the second value to the first value during the second switching state of the switching element.