Existential authenticity in character, setting, and. 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. Equus peter shaffer on free shipping on qualifying offers. English playwright sir peter shaffers international hit is a dazzling, complex, and.
An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel. Please feel free to contact me in regard to these documents or my services as a consultantdramaturgmuse on productions of these or other works. 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. 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.
Equus by peter shaffer 1977, paperback for sale online. Jun 14, 2019 equus peter shaffer on free shipping on qualifying offers. At the time radcliffe was starring in a revival of shaffers play equus. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay andor viewings of equus. Peter shaffer 19262016 was inspired to write equus by the chance remark of a. He is treated by a psychiatrist who, in turn, realizes some things about himself during these sessions. Equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. Comparitive analysis of power and control in equus and gattaca. Equus is a dramatic work written by english playwright peter shaffer in 1973.
The drama unfolds through the eyes of martin dysart, a psychiatrist and an amateur mythologist, who narrates the events of. Equus, drama in two acts by peter shaffer, produced and published in 1973. Peter shaffer wanted to make elaborate theatre the guardian. A psychiatrist, martin dysart, investigates the savage blinding of six horses with a metal spike in a stable in hampshire, england. Peter shaffers dramatic vision of the failure of society. Most of the action takes place in this hospitalspecifically in psychiatrist martin dysart s office. Finally, the equus script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the richard burton horse movie based on the peter shaffer play.
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. Pdf amadeus book by peter shaffer free download 160 pages. Peter shaffer s equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. Peter shaffer download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Pdf this article is about alans schizophrenia in peter shaffers play equus. The royal hunt of the sun was adapted for film in 1969, as was equus in 1977. However, when i started researching shaffers plays, i realised that, although. The creation of a secular psychological category and pugmires sound sentiments. 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. 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. It tells the story of a boy who has a strange, religious fascination with horses.
The play focuses on the relationship between strang and the psychiatrist martin dysart who has taken on. Shaffer was born to a jewish family in liverpool, the son of reka nee fredman and jack shaffer, an estate agent. Equus, written in 1973, is one of peter shaffers most celebrated plays. Integrity in the emotions, emphasizing the historical evolution and descent of.
Media in category equus play the following 18 files are in this category, out of 18 total. 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. Remarkably, though, peter shaffer achieved the feat in three successive decades. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 160 pages and is available in paperback format. Alan strang is a disturbed youth whose dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. 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. In a spotlight stands alan strang, a lean boy of seventeen, in sweater and jeans. The present paper aims to offer an overview of dixons from passions to emotions. Linguistic and literary broad research and innovation volume 5, issue 1, 2016 from passion to cynicism in peter shaffers equus andreea. Pdf downloads of all 1297 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Read equus online by peter shaffer books free 30day trial.
Its publication definitely brought an innovative spirit to the contemporary theatre. Get all the key plot points of peter shaffers equus on one page. The first edition of the novel was published in 1979, and was written by peter shaffer. In the 1970s peter shaffer wrote three major plays. 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. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on peter shaffers equus. Equus by peter shaffer, 9780141188904, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. It depicts a psychiatrists fascination with a disturbed teenagers mythopoeic obsession with horses. 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. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of equus by peter shaffer. What could take the place of science and religion, when both had proven ineffective to fully. An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion.
Equus book by peter shaffer official publisher page. To begin with, i wanted to focus my extended essay in an area of psychology in theatre. English playwright sir peter shaffers international hit is a dazzling, complex, and thrilling look at passion, sex, religion, and sanity. 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. In peter shaffer s equus, the theme of madness is present as the story explores the undefined line between evil and insanity. Alan strang, a disturbed young man, has been committed to a psychiatric hospital for blinding six horses. You will find my contact information under the about tag on the sites toolbar. Equus by peter shaffer, 9780743287302, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. In the middle of peter shaffers equus, the psychiatrist dysart discusses his vacation plans. 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. Please read our short guide how to send a book to kindle. Equus is a 1973 play by english playwright peter shaffer. An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers.
Dysart discovers a fervent, passionate, almost religious power that has both the power to destroy alan, and perhaps, to save the doctor himself. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Peter shaffers equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. He initially worked at the new york public library and for a. 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.
Martin dysart, a psychiatrist, is confronted with alan strang, a boy who has blinded six horses in a. Peter shaffer poses with daniel radcliffe in january 2009 when the actor was honored with a portrait at sardis. Remembering the great amadeus and equus playwright peter. Peter shaffers three major plays, the royal hunt of the sun. Equus is a tony awardwinning play about suppressed sexuality that took critics and audiences by storm. He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the. He wrote numerous awardwinning plays, of which several were adapted into films.
Remembering the great amadeus and equus playwright. Free download or read online amadeus pdf epub book. 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. 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. 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. 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. In peter shaffers equus, the theme of madness is present as the story explores the undefined line between evil and insanity. Equus, a play in two acts, is set in rokesby psychiatric hospital in southern england.
Jun 06, 2016 remarkably, though, peter shaffer achieved the feat in three successive decades. 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. This summer, jeremy seghers will stage peter shaffers psychological drama equus at the acre orlando. Equus is peter shaffer s exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. Equus, written in 1973, is one of peter shaffer s most celebrated plays. Through a psychiatrists analysis of the events, shaffer creates a chilling portrait of how materialism and convenience have killed our capacity for worship. The fact is that alan strang commits a gruesome act of violence by. Pauls school in london and trinity college, cambridge. 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. 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. A sensation at the time, it is still visceral and shocking on stage. Equus tells the disturbing story of a 17year old stable boy, and amadeus is the story of mozart and court composer, salieri. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of equus by peter shaffer. 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.
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