Ready Reference Treatise: Equus

By Raja Sharma

“Equus” by Peter Shaffer was written in 1973. The story of the play revolves around a psychiatrist who tries to treat a young man who happens to have a pathological religious fascination with horses.

Once, a seventeen years old boy had blinded six horses in a small town near Suffolk. When Peter Shaffer heard about this crime, he got inspired to write the present play.

He created a fictional account of the incidents which may have taken place. While writing the play, he did not know about any of the details of the real crime which he had only heard of.

Ready Reference Treatise: Equus
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: May 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311411624

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: Equus

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: Equus

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2015 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

Equus by Peter Shaffer was written in 1973. The story of the play revolves around a psychiatrist who tries to treat a young man who happens to have a pathological religious fascination with horses.

Once, a seventeen years old boy had blinded six horses in a small town near Suffolk. When Peter Shaffer heard about this crime, he got inspired to write the present play.

He created a fictional account of the incidents which may have taken place. While writing the play, he did not know about any of the details of the real crime which he had only heard of.

It is a kind of detective story that involves the attempts of the child psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Dysart, to understand why the boy had acted that way. While trying to understand the boy’s psychology, the psychiatrist wrestles with his own sense of purpose.

When the play opened in London it was a great success. The stage show ran in London between 1973 and 1975.

The Broadway production of Equus ran for 1,209 performances. Marian Seldes acted in every single performance of the Broadway run. He played different roles in the play.

The religious and ritual sacrifice themes are highly significant in the play. There are several other issues which are explored by the narrative. Alan Strang develops his own theology that involves horses and the supreme godhead, Equus.

Alan believes that the horses are the representatives of God. He often confuses his admiration of God with sexual attraction.

The author very effectively explores the conflict between personal satisfaction and societal mores. The play has a highly significant classical structure.

Through this play, the playwright also investigates the conflict between Apollonian and Dionysian values and systems which are prevalent in human life.

Equus was also adapted into a movie in the year 1977. The screenplay had also been written by the author.

Richard Burton and Peter Firth were in the lead roles in that movie. It was a highly successful movie, having been nominated for three Academy Awards. It was the winner of two Golden Globes.

Expectations of society, sexuality, religious and ritual sacrifice, and personal satisfaction are some of the most important themes which the playwright thoroughly explores in this play.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

Act One

As the opening act begins, Martin Dysart begins his monologue. He happens to be a psychiatrist in a psychiatric hospital. In his monologue he talks about the case of Alan Strang, a seventeen years old boy.

Dysart reveals his feelings about his occupation in his monologue. He declares that