Sleep Disorders in Shakespeare’s Drama: A Neuro-Literary Perspective

Abstract

This study aims to analyze Shakespeare's portrayal of sleep disorders from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on the aesthetic design of dramatic character developments that result in these illnesses. By combining literary, scientific, and psychological viewpoints, the study aims to demonstrate that Shakespeare dramatizes the cases of infected characters within the context of well-crafted plots, using figurative language rather than diagnosing their illnesses clinically. The study also highlights the hidden motivations and human causes that give rise to parasomnias, as well as the dangers to the community through the vivid plot flow. Neuropsychological studies highlight the consequences of these problems for the diseased person, but this study goes beyond that to illustrate the dangers to the community as well through the vivid plot flow, as in the case of Macbeth, adding a new dimension to the adverse effects of sleep.