Autistic Culture | Where Autism Meets Identity!

Autistica: Shakespeare is Autistic With Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis

Feb 25, 2025

In this captivating conversation, Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis, a Shakespeare expert and M. Mitchell chair at Morehouse College, reveals how the Bard's characters reflect neurodivergent traits. She discusses the Globe Theatre's adaptations for disabilities and the power of Shakespeare therapy in diverse settings. Hamlet's introspection and Coriolanus's strong justice sense are highlighted as emblematic of autistic experiences. The discussion also touches on ableism in the plays and the relevance of Shakespeare's complex language to autistic comprehension, offering a fresh lens on his timeless works.

Ask episode

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

Shakespeare's Impact on Language and Disability

01:50 • 17min

Shakespeare and Neurodivergence

18:45 • 7min

Autism and Identity in Shakespeare's Characters

25:50 • 15min

Exploring Neurodivergence Through Shakespeare's Lens

40:52 • 5min

Creating Neurodiversity-Friendly Classrooms

45:33 • 2min

Shakespeare and Neurodiversity

47:29 • 16min

The Joy of Puzzles and Upcoming Themes

01:03:41 • 3min

In this episode of Autistica, Matt and Angela are joined by Shakespeare scholar Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis to explore how Shakespeare’s plays connect with autistic experiences—from emotional intensity to characters whose traits feel deeply neurodivergent.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

Autistic-coded heroes – How characters like Hamlet, Coriolanus, Othello, and King Lear embody autistic themes such as moral intensity, social disconnect, and emotional overload.
Disability lens on the Bard – Dr. Loftis shares her journey into studying Shakespeare through a disability perspective, and the rise of autism-friendly and relaxed performances at venues like The Globe.
Bottom-up processing & inertia – Why lines like “To be or not to be” can feel like expressions of autistic inertia, and how Shakespeare’s language structure invites bottom-up processing that resonates with neurodivergent minds.
Otherness & ableism – How portrayals of “the outsider” in Shakespeare’s works reflect societal treatment of autistic people, and where ableist framing still appears.
Shakespeare as therapy – From prison programs to elder care, and even modern neurodivergent Shakespeare meetups, his works offer catharsis and connection.
Was Shakespeare neurodivergent? – Considering his prolific, atypical perspective on language and emotion as possible indicators of neurodivergence.

Featured Guest: Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis

Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis is a Shakespeare scholar, disability studies researcher, and author whose work explores how literature intersects with neurodivergence and lived experience.

🔗 Explore Dr. Loftis’s Academic Profile on Academia.edu

📖 William Shakespeare Was on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger’s Syndrome) – Read on ResearchGate

Related Episodes:

Questlove is Autistic

Eminem is Autistic

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.