Wednesday, May 29, 2013
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ABOUT ME
This page was designed for a Grade 12 Culminating Unit conducted by English taecher, Mr. Bailey.
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This page is a research WIKI of the 1973 play, Equus.
To read the entries, please look for the "READ MORE" button located on the bottom right side of every post.
To add a comment, click on the post you would like to comment and scroll all the way to the bottom. Make sure you're logged in. Don't be afraid to comment!
**Note: Each contribution will be signed by the student.
Bibliography
‘Equus’ Peter Shaffer. Editor Adrian Burke – Longman Literature.
Review: Equus
BBC Review: Equus
Allrovi Movie Review: Equus
IMDB Movie Review: Equus
BBC Theatre Review: Equus
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Layout, About Me, Social Links Related, and Video section edited by Winnie Mac
Social Links Related
I think the reason why Alan blinded the horses was because perhaps the horses witness something he did and to hide the truth he decided to blind all 5 of them
ReplyDeleteyes i agree with you as well. Perhaps it also has to do with religion and the stories that his mother, Dora, taught him as well.
ReplyDeleteEven though Alan was very passionate about horses, he decided that the best option was to blind all six of Dalton's horses with a hoof pick. The reason behind his action, in my opinion, was that since the horses have seen him 'sin', he felt that he had to protect himself from the vengeance of Equus.
ReplyDeleteDora, his mother, does not understand why Alan would stab these horses is because Frank, the father, kept Alan's sins a secret. Frank exposes Alan's sin on page 52 to Dystart (the doctor) and requested Dystart to not tell Dora. Perhaps he kept this secret away from Dora was because of her strong beliefs. Dora seemed pretty strict on religion since she was always "shoving" it down Alan's throat.
But judging from the information I was given in Act I, this would be my reason why Alan would do such a crime to these horses.
Maybe Jason but he does have a fascination with horses. In his addition, his mom told him stories from the bible and showed other pieces of entertainment that included horses. Who knows what info was inside the bible as well, there can be some kind of ritual that he dreamed of following. It's still possible that he is psychotic, I don't know for sure but I have a feeling he is. Hopefully Dysart can diagnose him or make him reveal some kind of info.
ReplyDelete- Hien
Also, Alan's attitude is extreme. As you can tell in Act one when Alan was sent to the Psychiatric hospital to see Dysart, his attitude reminds me of a 12 year old boy. He talks back, he does not want to listen, he does things his own way, and every time Dysart tries to ask him questions or to help him he gives him a total different answer.Alan thinks it is a game. He is not open to anyone, he keeps things to himself. Dysart as well tries to get close with him, tries to get Alan to open up. There is a quote on page 65, where it says "The normal is the good smile in a child's eyes-all right. it is also the dead stare in a million adults." I believe that this quote shows that when Dysart looks into Alan's eyes he does not see a smile. He sees evil in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteSo one of the dilemmas of the play is to decide what sanity is. How do we "cure" people? Is perhaps their suffering more human than a "cure". This relates to the concept of social acceptance.
ReplyDeleteCould you discuss the characters a bit more. What do you think of these characters? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Nice start to the blog! Good questions Svetlana. Do you have any research on the production history?
ReplyDeleteI believe that every character has a weakness such as, Alan he is anti-social, he cant interact with people, that is why he does not have any friends. Dora, she cant stop talking or thinking about religion. It is in her blood, and now she is teaching or have finished teaching Alan about religion and sexual appeal. Dysart, he can not look at Alan, he can barley even try to "cure" him because Dysart knows that Alan CAN have sexual intercourse, and that he CAN have a great life, where as Dysart can not. Frank, he hides the fact that he watches porn which is his big secret, but since in the play they mention or imply that most people do watch porn and are not afraid to say it, Frank however is afraid and i think that is his weakness
ReplyDeletei have done some research on the reviews of the play and most people say that by far it was the greatest work of drama (and pyschology)that has ever been written. I was surprised that many people has said that because the play is so detailed and "out of this world" if i may say so myself. Usually some people do not appreciate the violence, and the nudity. But i guess this one really got to them.
ReplyDeleteThe book is getting a little more interesting. I still believe Alan has done a sin, and the horses he blinded was for him to protect himself from God.
ReplyDeleteYes, the book is getting a bit more interesting. Basically Dysart at the moment is struggling to get Alan to confess his doings.
ReplyDeleteAt one point Alan brings up a "drug" he thought the doctors used to allow patients to easily talk/confess. When Dysart heard of this "drug", he thought it was a great opportunity to give Alan a placebo (fake drug, making him think it is the actual drug he was talking about).
We can see Dysart struggling to "cure" Alan because Dystart is placed in a situation where he is forced to strip him of his personal identity.
I think Dysart will eventually feel bad for Alan because he is basicaly changing the way Alan thinks. He's stripping him from his beliefs, passion, and objectives and replacing them with new ones. So Dysart is not actually "curing" Alan in my opinion, but hes making him become an "average" member of society.
Too add on Svetlana's comment on the production of the play Equus - Here is a bit more information on the production history!
ReplyDeleteEquus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973 and originally directed by John Dexter.
The date that Equus was first premiered was in 1973 at the Royal National Theater in Lambeth, London, UK.
The plot of the play remained the same as the book with just slight changes in the script. Basically A psychiatrist named Martin Dysart, investigates the case of a seventeen-year-old boy blinding six horses with a metal spike in a stable.
Despite the fact that Equus is considered an old film to most people, it was recently revived in 2007. Starring the famous British actor, Daniel Radcliffe (known for playing the role Harry Potter), who played the lead role, Alan, and Richard Griffiths who plays Dysart.
The play Equus has received many awards and nominations. In 1975 the play received - New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play and was recently nominated for 2009 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Play.
i like horses too
ReplyDeleteReply to teacherji's question - What do you think of these characters? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
ReplyDeleteMartin Dysart - the central character of the play who is a psychiatrist who treats children with psychological disorders. One of Dysart's weaknesses is that he lacks passion for life. In the play, Dysart represents normal society, and pushes the idea of being "normal" on to his patients. But his strength is that he has an open opinion. In the play, Dysart ends up finds himself envying Alan's passion, obsessions, and worship and sees these attributes as a positive thing to have.
Alan Strang - a seventeen-year-old boy who is filled with passion, despite the fact that he grew up with his two parents that hold different beliefs. His actions are influenced by his parents most of the time, which to me seems like his weakness. Alan also believes in Equus, is his god, and he worships horses. For Alan the horses can play a big role in his life. It could be his strength and weakness at the same time. Alan loves all of the horses, and felt extremely guilty when he makes love with Jill after. This guilt lead him to cutting the six horses' eyes.
- Frank & Nora's review will be posted up soon.
For more about characters -
ReplyDeletehttp://equusdaily.blogspot.ca/2013/06/discussion-2-characters.html