Equus

Equus- Peter Shaffer

 

 Brief synopsis:

Teenager Alan Strang, fought over by a religious mother and an atheist father, finds release in horses. Then something drives him to blind the horses with a spike. Why? While treating the boy, Martin Dysart, a psychiatrist, discovers his own life is paradoxically in the witness box. A savage, passionate play which pinpoints the modern human spiritual quest.

 

Form and structure:
Equus is in the structure of a conventional detective thriller with the question seemingly being 'why did the boy blind the horses?' Yet Dysart's direct address of the audience breaks the conventions of a naturalistic drama and draws attention to him, suggesting that his problems are bigger than those of Alan. The 'crime' is known from the beginning of the play, so the tension is created through the search for a motive. One of the play's biggest ironies is that Dysart finishes commenting on himself and his own actions rather than those of Alan.
The play's structure consists of a series of interviews between Alan and Dysart, interspersed with monologues of conversations Dysart has. This allows Dysart to dominate the play to a large extent, emphasising the problems he experiences.

Main Characters:
Alan Strang-

'A lean boy of seventeen' who works as a stable hand and develops a religious obsession with horses, based on his complicated feelings which originate from his religious background and his increasing sexual side as a teenager.

Martin Dysart-

A psychiatrist in his mid-fourties. Is discontented with his life, yet Alan brings interest, expects him to be 'the usual unusual' but Strang emphasises the void of desire for Dysart, which ends up as destructive as too much desire.

Frank Strang-

Alan's father. An atheist working-class man who clashes with Alan's mothers when she tries to impose her strong Christian beliefs on Alan. Alan catches him watching an adult film to satisfy his needs which are not fulfilled within his marriage.

Dora Strang-

Alan's mother. Strongly religious middle-class woman who reads to Alan from the bible daily. She told Alan sexual acts were dirty but that he could find true love and contentment by way of religious devotion and marriage.

Hesther Salomon-

A magistrate, who persuaded Dysart to take on Alan. She refers to Alan's case as 'shocking'. Took her '2 hours of solid arguing' to get Alan sent to the hospital instead of facing life imprisonment.

Jill Mason-

'a girl in her early twenties, pretty an middle class'. Gets Alan a job at Dalton's stables. Sex is not a taboo subject for Jill, unlike for Alan. They watch 'skinflicks' yet when Jill wants to have sex in the stables, Alan feels very uncomfortable in front of the horses, and ends up blinding six of them.

Themes:

• Desire. Alan’s desire, despite being misplaced, is presented as being enviable in ‘Equus’.  Dysart’s life has a distinct absence of all desire and lust and this is presented as destructive. Dysart dwells on the failure of his marriage as it has a distinct lack of the animalistic, raw passion presented in Alan and Jill’s relationship. Shaffer presents desire as a necessity in life, yet it needs to be balanced out as too much of it being misplaced also be very destructive. Shaffer demonstrates society’s view and conforming to society’s norms as being negative as Alan’s misplacement of his desire leads society to shun him. Hesther repeatedly refers to Alan’s case as ‘shocking’ yet Shaffer is trying to make the statement that it is not shocking how Alan has ended up due to the pressures and the expectations of society, and Dysart’s weakness in living without desire makes Alan seem comparatively stronger. Shaffer is suggesting that living under complete desire is more satisfying than living without desire.
• Religion. Whilst Dora (his mother) is strongly religious, reading the bible every night, Frank (his father), is against religion and goes so far to quote Karl Marx by saying ‘religion is the opium of the people’. Alan’s need to escape his conflicting home life is so extreme that he is led to worship and possess an unconventional object of desire.
• A modern citizen. Dysart comments on the spiritual and moral vacuum in which twentieth century humanity exists. Human being's alienation from any sense of overall purpose in life is profoundly experienced.

Struggle for Identity and quotations:

Individual Struggle
'He blinded six horses with a metal spike'
'I redouble my efforts to look professional'
'I shrank my own life'
'I envy it'
 
Religious Struggle
'Religion is the opium of the people'- Karl Marx quote
'I want to BE you forever and ever!'
'Equus, I love you!'
 
Sexual Struggle
Alan and the horse looked 'like a necking couple'
'I looked up into it's mouth. It was huge. There was a chain in it'
'They sort of pulled me. I couldn't take my eyes off them'
'The way their necks twist and sweat shines in the folds'
When talking about grooming 'the harder you do it the more the horse loves it'
'Cream dropping from'
'I want to be in you!'
'When I touched her, I felt him'
'I wanted the foam off his neck'
 
Social Struggle
Dysart expects the 'usual unusual'
Mother speaks about him 'we loved Alan'- not conditional love.
'There is now, in my mouth, this sharp chain, and it never comes out' -Dysart