Equus is a tony awardwinning play about suppressed sexuality that took critics and audiences by storm. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Alan strang, a disturbed young man, has been committed to a psychiatric hospital for blinding six horses. Read equus online by peter shaffer books free 30day trial.
Peter shaffer poses with daniel radcliffe in january 2009 when the actor was honored with a portrait at sardis. Comparitive analysis of power and control in equus and gattaca. Most of the action takes place in this hospitalspecifically in psychiatrist martin dysart s office. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 160 pages and is available in paperback format. Sir peter shaffer, in full sir peter levin shaffer, born may 15, 1926, liverpool, englanddied june 6, 2016, curraheen, county cork, ireland, british playwright of considerable range who moved easily from farce to the portrayal of human anguish. Alans pose represents a contour of great tenderness. The play focuses on the relationship between strang and the psychiatrist martin dysart who has taken on. Peter shaffer s equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. Equus is a dramatic work written by english playwright peter shaffer in 1973.
In the middle of peter shaffers equus, the psychiatrist dysart discusses his vacation plans. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of equus. Sir peter shaffer, in full sir peter levin shaffer, born may 15, 1926, liverpool, englanddied june 6, 2016, curraheen, county cork, ireland, british playwright of considerable range who moved easily from farce to the portrayal of human anguish shaffer was educated at st. You will find my contact information under the about tag on the sites toolbar. Peter shaffer 19262016 was inspired to write equus by the chance remark of a. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of equus by peter shaffer. This summer, jeremy seghers will stage peter shaffers psychological drama equus at the acre orlando. Equus, written in 1973, is one of peter shaffers most celebrated plays. Alan strang is a disturbed youth whose dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. Remembering the great amadeus and equus playwright. Peter shaffer, one of the most commercially successful english playwrights of the latter 20 th century, and the author of the frequently revived amadeus and equus, died june 6. Peter shaffer wanted to make elaborate theatre the guardian. The first edition of the novel was published in 1979, and was written by peter shaffer. Linguistic and literary broad research and innovation volume 5, issue 1, 2016 from passion to cynicism in peter shaffers equus andreea.
An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffer s exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. However, as characters in dysarts office discuss and reconstruct past events in the life of alan strang, the plays central character, they play out these events as full scenes, oscillating between. He is treated by a psychiatrist who, in turn, realizes some things about himself during these sessions. Dysart discovers a fervent, passionate, almost religious power that has both the power to destroy alan, and perhaps, to save the doctor himself. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of equus by peter shaffer. Jun 06, 2016 remarkably, though, peter shaffer achieved the feat in three successive decades. Peter shaffers first major success, five finger exercise, came in 1958 at londons comedy theatre and placed him firmly within the chronology of the new drama then sweeping the british stage. Through a psychiatrists analysis of the events, shaffer creates a chilling portrait of how materialism and convenience have killed our capacity for worship and passion and, consequently, our capacity for pain.
The atrocity was committed by an unassuming seventeenyearold stable boy named alan strang, the only son of an opinionated but inwardlytimid father and a genteel, religious mother. English playwright sir peter shaffers international hit is a dazzling, complex, and. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on peter shaffers equus. In the 1970s peter shaffer wrote three major plays. Peter shaffers dramatic vision of the failure of society. Pdf downloads of all 1297 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. When first staged, equus 1973 by peter shaffer provoked. A sensation at the time, it is still visceral and shocking on stage. Equus by peter shaffer, 9780743287302, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. He wrote numerous awardwinning plays, of which several were adapted into films. An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers. Equus peter shaffer on free shipping on qualifying offers. However, when i started researching shaffers plays, i realised that, although.
In peter shaffer s equus, the theme of madness is present as the story explores the undefined line between evil and insanity. It depicts a psychiatrists fascination with a disturbed teenagers mythopoeic obsession with horses. The royal hunt of the sun was adapted for film in 1969, as was equus in 1977. What could take the place of science and religion, when both had proven ineffective to fully. Pdf this article is about alans schizophrenia in peter shaffers play equus. Martin dysart, a psychiatrist, is confronted with alan strang, a boy who has blinded six horses in a.
Free download or read online amadeus pdf epub book. The present paper aims to offer an overview of dixons from passions to emotions. Having been written in the third quarter of the 20 th century, equus, by peter shaffer, had to summarize, or at least include or echo, most of the major questions in vogue. The action takes place after the event in the hospital which the courts have remanded alan, and while the crime is central to the play, the play revolves around the character of the. Shaffer was inspired to write equus when he heard of a crime involving a 17yearold who blinded six horses in a small town in suffolk. Media in category equus play the following 18 files are in this category, out of 18 total. Remembering the great amadeus and equus playwright peter. The drama unfolds through the eyes of martin dysart, a psychiatrist and an amateur mythologist, who narrates the events of.
Equus is a drama 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 shaffer was inspired to write equus when he heard of a crime involving a 17yearold who blinded six horses in a small town in suffolk. Pauls school in london and trinity college, cambridge. He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the. Remarkably, though, peter shaffer achieved the feat in three successive decades. Equus, written in 1973, is one of peter shaffer s most celebrated plays. The first stage success from the author of equus and amadeus, this taut family drama centers on a young german student who, coming to england to tutor the daughter of welltodo family is drawn into the various. Peter shaffers equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. Equus is peter shaffer s exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion.
Inspired by actual events, the play tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has horrifically blinded six horses. Equus is the dramatization of a psychologically damaged young man, alan, who, for no known reason, blinded six horses with a hoof pick at the stables he worked at. It tells the story of a boy who has a strange, religious fascination with horses. Please read our short guide how to send a book to kindle. Equus, a play in two acts, is set in rokesby psychiatric hospital in southern england. Its publication definitely brought an innovative spirit to the contemporary theatre. Equus is a drama 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 creation of a secular psychological category and pugmires sound sentiments. Equus tells the disturbing story of a 17year old stable boy, and amadeus is the story of mozart and court composer, salieri. As psychiatrist martin dysart struggles to understand the motivation for alans brutality, he is. Sir peter levin shaffer was an english dramatist, author of numerous awardwinning plays, several of which have been filmed. Though not as unconventional in subject matter or as influential in defining the shift from the drawing room to the row house as john osbournes look back in anger 1956, shaffers play. Equus book by peter shaffer official publisher page. 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. In equus, which took critics and public alike by storm and has gone on to become a modern classic, peter shaffer depicts the story of a deranged youth who blinds six horses with a spike. In peter shaffers equus, the theme of madness is present as the story explores the undefined line between evil and insanity. Shaffer was born to a jewish family in liverpool, the son of reka nee fredman and jack shaffer, an estate agent. Get all the key plot points of peter shaffers equus on one page. Existential authenticity in character, setting, and. Equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. A psychiatrist, martin dysart, investigates the savage blinding of six horses with a metal spike in a stable in hampshire, england.
Peter shaffer download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. It depicts a psychiatrists fascination with a disturbed teenagers mythopoeic obsession with horses the drama unfolds through the eyes of martin dysart, a psychiatrist and an amateur mythologist, who narrates the events of his rehabilitation of alan strang, a 17yearold stable boy who has been arrested for. Through a psychiatrists analysis of the events, shaffer creates a chilling portrait of how materialism and convenience have killed our capacity for worship. He initially worked at the new york public library and for a. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The main characters of this plays, drama story are. Equus study guide contains a biography of peter shaffer, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Among his plays, the salt land 1954, equus 1973 which won shaffer the 1975 tony award for best play as well as the new york drama critics circle award, amadeus 1979 which won the evening standard drama award and the theatre critics award for the london production. Equus by peter shaffer, 9780141188904, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. To begin with, i wanted to focus my extended essay in an area of psychology in theatre. I know, i know, i still need to get the cast names in there and ill be eternally tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to drop. Jun 14, 2019 equus peter shaffer on free shipping on qualifying offers. The fact is that alan strang commits a gruesome act of violence by.
However, as characters in dysarts office discuss and reconstruct past events in the life of alan strang, the plays central character, they play. At the time radcliffe was starring in a revival of shaffers play equus. The creators of sparknotes equus study guide from litcharts. Finally, the equus script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the richard burton horse movie based on the peter shaffer play. Integrity in the emotions, emphasizing the historical evolution and descent of. In a spotlight stands alan strang, a lean boy of seventeen, in sweater and jeans. Equus, drama in two acts by peter shaffer, produced and published in 1973.
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