Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses. The play’s action is something of a detective story, involving the attempts of the child psychiatrist Dr.
Contents
- 1 Why does Alan blind the horses in Equus?
- 2 What horrific crime did Alan commit in Equus?
- 3 What is the main theme of Equus?
- 4 What does the horse symbolize in Equus?
- 5 Why is Dysart jealous of Alan?
- 6 What is the central conflict in Equus?
- 7 Who is the narrator in Equus?
- 8 What is Frank Strang’s religion?
- 9 What Equus means?
Why does Alan blind the horses in Equus?
Alan, however, ended up in blinding horses as the result of his worship of this deity. I found some possible reasons for his blinding horses: his ambivalence to the god, Equus; or the embodiment of his super-ego; or the denial of adult society. I suggest, more importantly, the fear of Eros.
What horrific crime did Alan commit in Equus?
Set in 1970s Britain, the play tells the story of Alan (Eli Coppock), a shy young stablehand sent to Rockesby Psychiatric Hospital for the horrific crime of blinding five horses.
What is the main theme of Equus?
Normalcy. Normalcy is a major theme in the play “Equus” by Peter Schaffer. Normalcy includes that which is usual, acceptable, peaceable, and socially-approved by a majority or whole of a population, or by individuals.
What does the horse symbolize in Equus?
The horse is the primary symbol in Equus, and at a glance, it represents everything we might expect a horse to represent: power, freedom, animal desire. Indeed, Alan Strang’s worship of the horse-god Equus emphasizes the pure physicality of the horse.
Why is Dysart jealous of Alan?
– To Hesther, Dysart admits that he is jealous of Alan despite the pain that the boy experiences, since this pain stems from an extreme passion that individuals are rarely able to attain. To Dysart, the pain is worth the passion; in his dull, passionless life, he would welcome this intensity.
What is the central conflict in Equus?
Equus is a 1973 play by Peter Shaffer about a young stableboy who is driven to madness by his emotional pain, insecurity, and his inability to face his past in a rational manner.
Who is the narrator in Equus?
Peter Schaffer tells his play “Equus” from the point of view of Martin Dysart, who acts as one of the two main characters, and the narrator of the play.
What is Frank Strang’s religion?
Frank Strang He is a selfdeclared atheist, which goes hand-in-hand with his political beliefs (Dysart calls him an ”old-type Socialist. Relentlessly self-improving”). He frequently quotes Karl Marx’s adage, ”Religion is the opium of the people” in response to his wife’s religious beliefs.
What Equus means?
The word equus is Latin for “horse” and is cognate with the Greek ἵππος (hippos, “horse”) and Mycenaean Greek i-qo /ikkʷos/, the earliest attested variant of the Greek word, written in Linear B syllabic script.
