Equus Peter Shaffer Analysis

The author of Equus, Peter Shaffer, explores the idea of differing views of Religion by showing contrasting characters and conflicting points of view. Specifically focusing on how showing the contrasting ideas of sanity and insanity in regards to Alan and Dysart. These techniques of contrasting characters and contrasting points of view are used to explore the main idea of what is normal.

The issue with points of view in Equus is that the characters all believe they are right and that their view is the one and only thing that is correct. The characters in this play are very narrow-minded and are not open to other outlook and opinions. Religion is a major theme in this novel and like other opinions on topics; each person believes they have the truthful stance on it. Frank Strang is an atheist. He attempts to push this view onto his wife, Dora and son, Alan. He often mentions Karl Marx’s quote, “Religion is the Opium of the people” and holds his wife responsible for Alan’s psychological condition. He thinks people who follow any
This is showed as he blinded six horses. Alan’s development is influence heavily by his mother and father which would be expected. His mother forces religion on him and his dad steers him away from that so he replaces that devotion for God with horses. This would have a dramatic effect of Alan’s developing mind as a child. It made him believe that Equus was the all-powerful god that he would do anything for, which makes him turn on the horses when he feels he is being humiliated by them. When Alan is taken to Dysart for psychological analysis, he only responds in television advertisement jingles. He does this as he is uncomfortable with the questions Dysart is interrogating him with and he is not yet ready to respond. Many may think he sings them because he was raised watching a great deal of television, but it may reflect on society’s capitalist behaviors. This would be Alan’s own form of