I think that it is important to understand William as much as possible, seeing as he is the main character in the play and as Chadwick, I interact with him a considerable amount, therefore, my understanding of his character will affect the way I behave towards him.
As a group, and through reading into our characters, we have come to terms with the fact that William may have a form of Aspergers as he is very awkward in social situations and unhinged. In a way, he is like the darker brother of Christopher from the Curious Incident. I think we believe that William develops schizophrenia throughout the piece.
The condition may develop slowly. The first signs of schizophrenia, such as becoming socially withdrawn and unresponsive or experiencing changes in sleeping patterns, can be hard to identify. This is because the first symptoms often develop during adolescence and changes can be mistaken for an adolescent "phase".
People often have episodes of schizophrenia, during which their symptoms are particularly severe, followed by periods where they experience few or no positive symptoms. This is known as acute schizophrenia.
Strange Behaviour
Adolescents with schizophrenia may engage in bizarre behaviour or speech. For instance, they may walk backwards or move repetitively. Bizarre, repetitive behaviour is more characteristic of adolescent schizophrenia when compared with adult schizophrenia, as noted by a review of research by Dr. Chris Hollis in the May 2000 issue of "Advances in Psychiatric Treatment."
Throughout the play, these characteristics are displayed by William, he is repetitive, doesn't understand personal space , engages in bizarre speech and so on. I think as Chadwick, I would recognise the symptoms and know the potential characteristics of the affliction, so I think I would be a lot more cautious when engaging with William, and weary, bearing in mind his condition constantly.
No comments:
Post a Comment