Parasomnias and Disruptive Sleep Disorders in Shakespeare’s Drama: A Neuro-Literary Approach

William Shakespeare demonstrates a high ability to monitor human behavior and a variety of natural phenomena. In his plays, the groundbreaking playwright incorporated the knowledge of his age about natural human phenomena and further described many clinical and mental disorders. 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. The study analyzes the parasomnias of insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep talking, nightmares, and apnea. Macbeth clearly illustrates these ailments, except for apnea, which is analyzed in Henry 4, Part 2. Other plays, such as Henry V, Richard II, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and The Tempest, are subject to scrutiny for the various disorders in question. 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. The researcher recommends further interdisciplinary studies of the individual cases within the cultural context of the Renaissance.