Analysis Of Equus By Peter Shaffer - 1214 Words

Consciousness can be defined as one’s awareness of their actions, thoughts, or surroundings. It is the ability to understand things beyond our eyes. And what I mean by that is one can see things through their eyes, but consciousness allows one to comprehend it on a deeper level. It leads to how we behave, how we function. The definition of community when I google it, is â€Å"a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.† I would describe community as a group of people who have common goals, thoughts, or interests. In IGE 120, the course theme is consciousness and community, which is why I chose to define them before going into further depth. Consciousness and community are themes that reoccur in†¦show more content†¦You’re mine! I am yours and you are mine†¦ I see you. Always! Everywhere! Forever!† (Shaffer, pg. 105). Equus is his God, therefore when Alan is about to commit a sin he knows Equus will be disappointed and jealous. He was conscious of this, so in order to prevent the disappointment from happening, he blinded the horses so they would not watch him any longer. Alan being conscious of the consequences his actions would lead to reminds me of the reading Gilgamesh by Herbert Mason. Gilgamesh’s arrogance led him on a journey that he wasn t quite prepared for, knowing that it might lead to death. Gilgamesh tells his friend, Enkidu, â€Å"Why are you worried about death†¦ I will go ahead of you, and if I die I will at least have the reward of having people say: He died in war† (Mason, pg.29). Like Alan Strang, Gilgamesh is conscious of what the outcome might be but goes ahead and does it anyway. Martin Dysart is Alan Strang’s psychiatrist and although he acknowledges Alan’s sickness, he admires his bravery. He s full of misery and fear. He was dangerous...But that boy has known a passion more ferocious than I have felt in any second of my life. And let me tell you something: I envy it (Shaffer, pg. 80). This shows that Dysart is conscious of his life but he isn’t happy about it. This leads him to be envy of Alan and makes him question if his career is humane. He believes that as a psychiatrist, he is taking away Alan Strang’s passion of horses by labelingShow MoreRelatedEquus By Peter Shaffer : A Critical Analysis988 Words   |  4 PagesEquus by Peter Shaffer: A Critical Analysis Equus was written by Peter Shaffer in the 1970s, a time for great change in both culture and the field of psychiatry. In his play, Shaffer explores the conflict between social responsibility and individual desire, and the difficulty of finding a balance between the two. The playwright contrasts the characters Martin Dysart, an unsatisfied child psychiatrist, and Alan Strang, his seventeen year old patient, to explore the two extremes of the spectrum ofRead MoreEquus By Peter Shaffer : A Critical Analysis1028 Words   |  5 PagesEquus by Peter Shaffer: A Critical Analysis The 1970s were a time of great change in both culture and in the field of psychiatry. In his play Equus, Peter Shaffer explores the conflict between social responsibility and individual desire, and the relationship between the two. The playwright contrasts the characters Martin Dysart, an unfulfilled child psychiatrist, and Alan Strang, his seventeen year old patient, to explore the boundaries of duty and desire. Likewise, Alan’s parents, Frank and DoraRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Equus By Peter Shaffer998 Words   |  4 PagesEquus is a 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 by the chance to be shown on the British Broadcasting Corporation. A friend recounted the event to him after he watched a news story talking of a young British man who blinded twenty-six horses in a stable, seemingly without any cause. Shaf fer was provoked to interoperate this in a personalRead MoreSanity Like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest1905 Words   |  8 Pagesissues of sanity like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to novels that dealt with much darker issues such as schizophrenia in Flora Schreiber’s Sybil. One of the most controversial and talked about productions of the 20th century is Peter Shaffer’s 1974 Tony winning play, Equus, which recounts Dr. Martin Dysart’s encounter and treatment of a seventeen year old boy, Alan Strang, who blinded six horses with an icepick. The play focuses on therapy sessions between Dysart and Alan in which Dysart struggles