Alan strang is a disturbed youth whose dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. During the ritual, alan leads a horse into a field and rides it bareback and naked, shouting in praise of equus until he reaches a spiritual and sexual climax. Shaffers drama focuses on a young man named alan, who in the midst of his urban environment develops a deep love of horses. Sir peter levin shaffer was an english dramatist, author of numerous awardwinning plays, several of which have been filmed. Equus by peter shaffer, 1974, avon edition, in english. This client is a seventeenyearold boy named alan strang, who recently. If it available for your country it will shown as book reader and user fully subscribe will benefit by having full access to all books. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The boy is a modern citizen for whom modern society doesnt exist.
Peter shaffer s equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. Martin dysart is a psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of children, but he has grown dissatisfied with his work. Ive read a lot so i suppose ive kind of developed a callus for emotional stories, but equus has just sat with me since i read it. A comparison peter shaffers equus and albert camuss the stranger 1042 words 5 pages the ways in which truths are presented to external audiences concerning outside characters display not only a good judgment of character on the presenter, but furthermore, the often insignificant nature of whom the presenter is talking about, even if the. Equus summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. 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. Equus playwright peter shaffer poses with thea sharrock, who directed a broadway revival of the play, in 2008. 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. This acclaimed book by peter shaffer is available at in several formats for your ereader. Peter shaffer, celebrated writer of equus and amadeus, has died at the age of 90 after a short illness the renowned playwright died at the marymount hospice in ireland, with family by his side. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book.
In equus, which took critics and public alike by storm and has gone on to. Writing for theatre arts in february, 1960, peter shaffer made a declaration of independence. Essays and criticism on peter shaffer critical essays. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the equus, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our.
Peter shaffers 1973 play is the latest offering from the bench theatre company. 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. Passion and worship in peter shaffers equus essay bartleby. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of equus by peter shaffer. 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.
Based on real events, equus tells of a psychiatrists attempts to understand why a 17yearold boy, alan strang, blinded six horses with a hoofpick while facing his own demons. Equus is peter shaffer s exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. In the cu production, all the actors, equine and human, stay on stage throughout the entire performance. Equus play project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Equus themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. In 1970, shaffer presented rhe battle of shri vings on the london stage.
Equus and shrivings first edition peter shaffer bauman. Existential authenticity in character, setting, and. When a deranged boy, alan strang, blinds six horses. 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. Aug 12, 2011 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. British author peter shaffer, who won tony awards for best play for equus 1974 and amadeus 1980 has died, according to his publicist.
Vision of life emerges form characterisations, action, language, structure, themes and valuations. 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, isbn 9780743287302 buy the equus ebook. Passion in peter shaffer s equus essay 2285 words 10 pages. Daniel radcliffe as alan strang in peter shaffers equus, written in 1973 and revived in 2007. Literary onomastics in peter shaffers shrivings and equus.
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. So, in equus, shaffer created alan strang, the boy of 17 who commits the crime, and dr. Shaffer was inspired to write equus by the chance to be shown on the british broadcasting corporation. I read equus by peter shaffer and i havent had a text. Equus book by peter shaffer half price books marketplace. 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. Equus book by peter shaffer official publisher page. Remarkably, though, peter shaffer achieved the feat in three successive decades. Equus by peter shaffer, 9780141188904, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Most of the action takes place in this hospitalspecifically in psychiatrist martin dysart s office. Once it entered, the chorus was always present on stage. Equus play project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks.
Among other awards, shaffers acclaimed equuswhich premiered in london and was first published in 1973won the 1975 tony award for best play. Dysart instructs alan to act out one of these rides, which turns out to be a ritual alan has created in honor of the god equus, a deity that he believes speaks from and lives in horses. The theme of religion and worship in equus from litcharts. In this video i provide comments, a summary, my rating and recommendation for peter shaffer s. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in equus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Equus, drama in two acts by peter shaffer, produced and published in 1973. Jun 07, 2016 peter shaffer, a leading british playwright whose tonywinning dramas equus and amadeus explored the male psyche through the entwined anguish of dual protagonists, died on monday in. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Psychoanalyst says nay to equus the new york times.
Equus by peter shaffer, 1974, avon edition, in english equus 1974 edition. Jun 06, 2016 peter shaffer wanted to make elaborate theatre and he succeeded. In peter shaffer s equus, a psychiatrist, martin dysart, is conducting an investigation on alan strang. Equus penguin modern classics peter shaffer paperback 12,99. A study guide for peter shaffers equus by gale, cengage. As psychiatrist martin dysart struggles to understand the motivation for alans brutality, he is. A play in two acts by peter shaffer for online ebook. Peter shaffer s 1973 play is the latest offering from the bench theatre company. It was guttural and creepy in a way i cant exactly. Analysis of equus by peter shaffer 1214 words bartleby. The questors present equus by peter shaffer twentieth century theatrical masterwork 1118 april 2015 psychiatrist martin dysart is confronted with the case of alan strang, a boy convicted of. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. 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. Martin dysart, the child psychiatrist who treats him.
I read equus by peter shaffer and i havent had a text creep me out on a level that visceral in a long time. Peter levin shaffer was born on may 15, 1926 in liverpool, lancashire, england to reka fredman and jack shaffer. 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. Ostensibly an extended dialogue between a mentally ill boy and his psychiatrist, shaffers play goes far beyond the realms of psychoanalysis and begins to stir the surface of an incipient numinous awakening. Peter shaffer has 32 books on goodreads with 59556 ratings. Dec 17, 2017 in this video i provide comments, a summary, my rating and recommendation for peter shaffer s equus. Equus 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. In equus, shaffer has given us a chorus of horses who produce the equus noise, a kind of choral chant made up of voices and sounds.
Passion in peter shaffers equus essay 2285 words bartleby. A study guide for peter shaffers equus, excerpted from gales acclaimed drama for students. This summer, jeremy seghers will stage peter shaffers psychological drama equus at the acre orlando. 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. 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 this paper on equus, an attempt is made to explore from an analytic point of view the psychodynamics of the protagonist, alan, and his therapist, dysart. Selfconsciously staging itself in the psychotherapy sessions of a disturbed young man, peter shaffer s equus is a shocking exploration of the limits of faith, of the intersecting worlds of the sacred and profane, and of the paltry value of a mundane life, published in penguin modern classics.
Equus first edition peter shaffer bauman rare books. Shaffers vision of human life represented in the play. The 1973 london premiere of shaffers compelling drama at the old vic prompted widespread critical praise and its costar peter firth would follow the play to its broadway premiere in 1975, where anthony hopkins and, later, richard burton took on the role of psychiatrist. One day hesther salomon, a court magistrate, comes into his office, imploring him to take on a new client. Both the preoedipal and oedipal aspects are discussed. Selfconsciously staging itself in the psychotherapy sessions of a disturbed young man, peter shaffers equus is a shocking exploration of the limits of faith, of the intersecting worlds of the sacred and profane, and of the paltry value of a mundane life, published in penguin modern classics. Peter shaffers equus 1973 won the 1975 tony award for best play. Selfconsciously staging itself in the psychotherapy sessions of a disturbed young man, peter shaffers equus is a shocking exploration of the limits of faith, of the intersecting worlds of the sacred and profane, and of the paltry value of a mundane life, published in penguin modern classics when a deranged boy, alan strang, blinds six horses with a metal spike he is sentenced to. 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. It depicts a psychiatrists fascination with a disturbed teenagers mythopoeic obsession with horses. First edition of shaffers tony awardwinning psychological drama.
Equus isbn 9780743287302 pdf epub peter shaffer ebook. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading equus. The dialogue, setting changes, and my god the horses. He set out to construct a fictional account of what might have caused the. A sensation at the time, it is still visceral and shocking on stage. 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. The concepts of passion and worship are intimately related in equus, and over the course of the play, shaffer complicates our idea of what religion is and should be. How does shaffer view modern society and individual life in it. 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. Alan strang, a disturbed young man, has been committed to a psychiatric hospital for blinding six horses. Jan 08, 2007 selfconsciously staging itself in the psychotherapy sessions of a disturbed young man, peter shaffer s equus is a shocking exploration of the limits of faith, of the intersecting worlds of the sacred and profane, and of the paltry value of a mundane life, published in penguin modern classics.
Equus playwright peter shaffer dead at 90 cbc news. Among his plays, the salt land 1954, equus 1973 which won shaffer the 1975 tony award for best play as well. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of equus by peter shaffer. He is learning, through his investigation of alans horrific crime, about what it really means to make someone normal and what a psychiatrist really does. In a spotlight stands alan strang, a lean boy of seventeen, in sweater and jeans. 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. Equus, a play in two acts, is set in rokesby psychiatric hospital in southern england. Equus book by peter shaffer official publisher page simon.
An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm, equus is peter shaffers exploration of the way modern society has. Peter shaffers 1973 play, equus, is arguably the most pagan work of art created in the 20th century. Analysis of the book equus by peter shaffer 998 words 4 pages. Equus by peter shaffer the questors theatre youtube. Peter shaffer wanted to make elaborate theatre and he. A comparison peter shaffers equus and albert camuss the.
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