Hamlet seems to be bipolar (even if, in part, he was supposedly feigning his ‘madness’). Not that the term was used in Shakespeare’s time, but the concept existed. Thus he named Hamlet the ‘melancholy Dane.’ The actions of the young prince certainly reflect an attempt by the playwright to portray a ‘manic-depressive’ individual—or at least one with serious mood swings—as such were understood at the time.
Now, I am writing a bipolar main character/protagonist. My Lelanva is twelve years old; that is a bit early for the worst symptoms to appear. Late adolescence and early adulthood seem to be the peak years. I do suspect the onset of puberty is going to have an impact. Plenty of mood swings are to be expected! I’ve written of the same character* at a more advanced age (her late thirties) and the problem to some degree persists, though no longer quite so dominant a factor in her life.
But Lellie is going to be a dangerous kid for a while. Dangerous to others, dangerous to herself. Learning to master the sword might help her. It can also make her even more dangerous! I know she will do something too dangerous, too impulsive, eventually (probably in a sequel) and have to run for it, embarking on a new life.
We’ll board that ship when we reach the dock.
*Lelanva grows up to become Qala the Pirate Queen, of 'The Eyes of the Wind' and the two Crocodile Chronicles novels.
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