Shaffer, Peter: 1926 - 2016
Equus, 1973 - Information about the Book
- General Information
- The play depicts a psychiatrist's fascination with a disturbed teenager's obsession with horses.
- Information from English Literature
- Information from Wikipedia
- Information from StageAgent
- Facts
- Awards: Winner of the New York Drama Critics and Tony awards, 1975
- Martin Dysart - A child psychiatrist who attempts to treat Alan Strang and understand the root of his pathological religious fascination with horses.
Alan Strang - A 17-year-old stable boy who has blinded six horses with a metal spike. He has an intense obsession and worship of horses, referring to them as "Equus".
Frank Strang - Alan's atheist father who is in conflict with his Christian wife over their son's upbringing.
Dora Strang - Alan's devoutly Christian mother who instilled religious teachings in him from a young age.
Jill Mason - A kind stable worker who befriends Alan and indirectly leads to the blinding of the horses.
Hesther Salomon - A magistrate who refers Alan's case to Dysart for psychiatric treatment.
Other minor characters include Harry Dalton (the stable owner), a Nurse, and a Young Horseman who gave Alan his first horseback ride as a child, sparking his equine obsession.
Developed by Perplexity AI
- Social and Cultural Context
The play premiered during an era of economic crisis and decline in Britain, characterized by inflation, labor unrest, and the loss of global power and empire. It reflects the changing attitudes towards violence committed by troubled youth, which was becoming more prevalent in British society by the 1970s. The British public's reverence for animals, especially horses, made Shaffer cautious in depicting the violent crime at the center of the play.Psychological Themes
It delves into the psyche of a disturbed teenager, Alan Strang, who develops a pathological religious fixation on horses. The play explores themes of religious obsession, ritual sacrifice, and the conflict between individual desires and societal expectations. It examines the role of the psychiatrist, Martin Dysart, in attempting to "cure" Alan while grappling with his own dissatisfaction and questioning the value of his profession.Family and Religion
Alan's psychosexual trauma stems from the bitter divide between his Christian mother and atheist father, who push their opposing belief systems onto him. His fixation on horses and the deity "Equus" emerges from this dysfunctional family dynamic and his distorted understanding of religion and sexuality.Style and Structure
The play is structured as a "psychodrama" or "case history", with Dysart narrating Alan's treatment and uncovering his motivations. It employs a highly theatrical and stylized production, with actors portraying horses through masks and hooves, blurring the lines between reality and Alan's mental world.In summary, Equus tackles weighty psychological, religious, and social themes through its exploration of a shocking crime, making it a provocative and influential work of its time.
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- Articles
- Commentary
This play explores questions about what is Normal and to what extent society will go to normalize people (or to lock them away somewhere if they can't be normalized). The role of the psychiatrist in this process both challenges and depresses Dr. Dysart, who hates the losses such normalization necessarily requires, and finds himself envying the passionate obsessions of his patient. The play is built wonderfully around symbolic use of masks and staging. The film version, on the other hand, is brutally realistic.Donley, Carol
Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University. - The Anger in Equus: "The thematic issues in Equus sometimes seem muddled and confused not because the play is disguised homosexuality, but because it is part of an ongoing fascination with life as “passion,” a fascination which also has its counterparts in English films and popular music." Barry B. Witham; March 1979
- Journey into a mind: "The themes of worship, passion and normalcy are linked by Shaffer in Equus in order to make the audience question the foundations of society." Kerith Burke; December 2004
- Enjoying Equus: "The key problem is not that a Paternal-Symbolic reality threatens to crush Alan’s Enjoyment, but that the delicate balance between reality and the objet, which serves as its constitutive, “extimate” support, is radically disrupted." Graham Wolfe; December 2004
- Napa’s Performing Arts Festival concludes with a play to remember.: About the performance in Karachi. Rafay Mahmood; March 12, 2012
- The Psychiatry Behind Equus
- Commentary