Peter Shaffer

Equus

By Lumi, Leon, Jones, Louis

Peter Shaffer

an English Playwright

born on May 15, 1926, in Liverpool, England. worked in the Chislet coal ine in 19!! to 19!". attended #rinity College in Ca bridge and a$ored . age so(rce in history and received a %.& in195'. was awarded the prestigio(s honorary title o) Co ander, *rder o) the %ritish E pire in 19+". ,ained English knighthood in 2''1.
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%evin %oys

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bevin Boys were yo(ng %ritish en conscripted to work in the coal ines o) the /nited 0ingdo , )ro 1ece ber 19!2 (ntil the end o) 3orld 3ar ... Chosen at rando )ro a ong the conscripts, nearly !+,''' Bevin %oys per)or ed vital b(t largely (nrecognised service in the coal ines, any not being released (ntil years a)ter the war.

419515 195! worked a variety o) $obs6

at 1o(bleday7s %ook -hop &n airline ter inal ,rand Central -tation Lord and #aylors depart ent store 8ew 9ork :(blic Library.

41951 (nder the pse(dony :eter &ntony, penned The Woman in the Wardrobe (1st detective novel; 41952 How Doth the Little Crocodile< 41955 Withered Murder

Peter Shaffers Famous Works

Five Finger Exercise =195+; The Private Ear =1962> )il ed 1966 ; The Public Eye =1962> )il ed 19"2; lac! Comed" =1965; The #o"al hunt o$ the %un (&'()* %hriving (19"'; Equus !"#$% Amadaus !"#"% +onadab =19+5; Lettice and Lovgge =19+"; The ,i$t o$ the ,orgon =1992;
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Peter Shaffer
:lays )or #elevision The %alt Land =1955; alance o$ Terror =195"; & screenplay The Lord o$ the Files =1962; :lays )or ?adio Whom Do - Have the Honour o$ .ddressing< =19+9;

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&hree plays presented at the 'ational &heatre

Five

Finger Exercise %hriving E/uus

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Peter Shaffers Equus

has proved a sensational tri( ph both in London and 8ew 9ork, where it was awarded the #ony &ward )or the %est :lay, 19"5.

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Plot
Summary6
(artin )ysart, a psychiatrist, had a case abo(t a seventeen5year5old boy na ed *lan Strang who savagely blinded si@ horses in a stable in Aa pshire, England. 1ysart started the investigation with all kinds o) co(nseling skills incl(ding hypnosis. &s 1ysart e@poses the tr(th behind the boyBs de ons, he )inds hi sel) )ace5to5 )ace with his own.

Plot
(artin )ysart started to recall this case )ro the very beginning, a)ter he CsawB *lan and 'ugget. Ae was con)(sed.

Plot
*lan blinded si@ horses. +esther, the agistrate, convinced others to bring *lan to 1ysart )or treat ent instead o) to prison. *lan didn7t cooperate with 1ysart at )irst, b(t $(st kept singing co ercial songs. )ysart had a drea abo(t carving children that night a)ter he saw *lan. D. part the )laps,E the other two then st(dy the patternE .tBs this (niF(e talent )or carving that has got e where . a .G =216;

Plot
)ysart tried to )ind the reason *lan blinded the horses so he visited *lanBs parents. Ae )o(nd that the )ather Frank was an atheist =Co (nist even;, yet the other )ora, a Catholic. #hey had any con)licts beneath the Dhar onio(sG s(r)ace. Hrank6 D-he thinks she arried beneath her.G =225; DitBs the %ible thatBs responsible )or all this.G D%loody religion I itBs o(r only real proble in this ho(seEG =226; 1ora6 Dse@ is not $(st a biological atter, b(t spirit(al as well. #hat i) ,od willed, he wo(ld )all in love one dayG =22";

Plot
Education, Hrank6 D-he doesnBt care i) he can hardly write his own na e, and she a school teacher that was. J(st as long as heBs happy, she saysEG =225; 1ora6 D. donBt believe in inter)ering too (ch with childrenEG =22"; -ove, 1ora6 Dthe boyBs h(rtKG> GHrank, heBs bleedingKG =222; and Hrank ignored her. 1ora6 DAow is he, by the way<G =22"; Shifting the .lame onto others 1ora6 D3hateverBs happened has happened beca(se o) &lan.G D.) yo( knew ,odE9o( wo(ld know 1evil. #he 1evilBs thereG =2"';

Plot
*lan had night are and cried abo(t LEkD. 1ysart played a ga e with *lan. *lan then described his e@perience abo(t eet and ride a horse )or the )irst ti e.

%(t *lanBs e@(ltancy was s(ddenly interr(pted by his parents. Frank6 DCo e down at once. ?ight this o ent.G=222; 0 Damsel in distress1 Castle1 Horse1 Prince Charming2

Plot
&lan6 D&ll the power going any way yo( wantedE #hen s(ddenly . was on the gro(nd, where 1ad p(lled e. . co(ld have bashed hi EG =2!'; D. wish . was a cowboy. #heyBre )ree. #hey $(st swing (p and then itBs iles o) grassE . bet all cowboys are orphansKE . bet they areKG =2!1;

Plot
*(r Lord on his way to Calvary

& horse looking over a gate

Plot
Hrank ca e to visit 1ysart and told hi strange rit(al. abo(t &lan7s

1ysart6 D3hy is EF((s in chains<G &lan6 DHor the sins o) the world.G=25+;

Plot
&C# . 15 M 1+ &lan told 1ysart how he started to work in stable &lan asked 1ysart abo(t his arriage and annoyed hi > the roo beca e 1ysart7s tort(re cha ber. 1ysart and Aesther arg(ed abo(t 7what is nor al.C &C# . 19 M 21 1ysart gave &lan a hypnosis and realiNed his cere ony and his CA&A&B.

Plot
&C# .. 22 M 25 Con)lict abo(t 3orship, :assion and :ain in 1ysartBs head. 1ysart6 DCan yo( think o) anything worse one can do to anybody than take away their worship<G =2"2; 1ysart6 D%(t that boy has known a passion ore )erocio(s than . have )elt in any second o) y li)eE . envy it.G Aesther6 D9o( canBt.G=2"!;

Plot
&C# .. 26 M 2! 1ysart gave &lan 7#r(th 1r(g7, and &lan started to talk abo(t Jill, the night they got o(t, how he et his )ather, and how they went to the stable. &lan acted o(t what happened that night. &C# .. 25 1ysartBs con)ession. 1ysart6 D:assion, yo( see, can be destroyed by a doctor. /t cannot .e created01 =2''; D. need I ore desperately than y children need e I a way o) seeing in the dark.G =2'1;

2haracters
+esther Salomon, a magistrate

(artin )ysart, a psychiatrist

Doctor Patient Atheist

*lan Strang +orses

3ill (ason * 4oung +orseman

Frank Strang, his father )ora Strang, his mother

atholic

+arry )alton, a stable owner

2haracters
(artin )ysart5
.n this play, he played the role o) a psychiatrist, trying to c(re the seventeen5year5old yo(ng an, &lan. Like &lan, the protagonist, in the beginning o) this play, 1ysart also acted like the readers considering &lanBs behavior Dabnor al.G Aowever, later on 1ysart )o(nd &lanBs strange behavior, in )act, ca e )ro passion and essentiality which co(ld not be )o(nd in 1ysart hi sel). #he relationship between Martin and his wi)e were indi))erent beca(se they didnBt have good se@ and no children. #he doctor tried to conceal this Dabnor alG secret behind his Dnor alG $ob. -o he had beco e $ealo(s o) &lan -trangBs passion. %esides, the doctor tho(ght his trying to c(re &lan ay also destroy the yo(ng anBs original passion.

2haracters
*lan Strang5
Ae is one o) the ain characters in this play. &lan, at his childhood, was constantly driven into religio(s tho(ghts by his other and )orbidden to watch #O beca(se o) his )ather. Ais other told hi the story abo(t Jes(s ChristBs s())ering )or h( an beings, and he attached the pict(re o) the story on the wall o) his bedroo . 3hen his )ather tore it o)) the wall beca(se o) the F(arrel with 1ora abo(t religion, &lan went into hysterical crying )or days witho(t stopping. Later, given the photo o) a horse, &lan )inally stopped crying. %esides, at the age o) si@, one day when &lan was b(ilding a sandcastle on a beach, he et a horse an and cli bed onto the horseback. Hro then on, he had passionately loved horses, which a))ected his se@(al aptit(de and ca(sed his blinding si@ horses. .n addition, &lanBs last na e, -trang, was F(ite si ilar to the word, strange, and this ight be the hint o) his strange behavior.

2haracters
Frank Strang5
Hrank was &lanBs )ather, and he was an atheist. Ae )orbade &lan )ro watching #O, and he so eti es arg(ed with his pio(s wi)e on so e religio(s atters. #he opposite attit(des to religion ca(sed the loveless at osphere o) this )a ily, and he went to the theater to watch ad(lt ovies.

2haracters
)ora Strang5
1ora was &lanBs other, and she was a religio(s person. -he (sed to tell stories in the %ible to &lan when he was $(st a child, and the content o) the story was abo(t Jes(s ChristBs s())ering to death. &lanBs )ather considered it a bloody religion, and the doctor also considered that 1ora sho(ld take responsibility )or &lanBs e@tre e behavior. Aowever, 1ora said that &lanBs terrible behavior was ca(sed by 1evil. 3hat she said beco es an irony beca(se she was a D)aith)(lG religio(s wo an, and she was obvio(sly trying to p(t the bla e on devils.

2haracters
+esther Salomon5
-he asked 1r. 1ysart to c(re &lanBs eccentric DillnessG in psychiatry. -he treated the yo(ng an with the view di))erent )ro the society. Aer int(ition told her that &lan was s())ering and needed help, so what she tho(ght was c(ring &lan, not $(st p(tting hi into $ail.

+arry )alton5
Ae was &lanBs boss, who represented the view o) society. Ae insisted on p(tting &lan into $ail beca(se he tho(ght &lan abnor al. %oth Aarry and Aesther tho(ght &lan was not in his right ind> however, Aesther treated hi with sy pathy, b(t Aarry with resent ent.

2haracters
+orseman5
&t the age o) si@, &lan saw a an riding a horse on the beach. #he horse an invited &lan to ride the horse. 3hen sitting on the horseback, &lan got the wonder)(l )eeling that he had never had be)ore, and &lan )elt that he had escaped )ro his )atherBs restriction. #he horse an co(ld be regarded as &lanBs savior in spirit.

3ill (ason5
-he was &lanBs coworker. *nce she bro(ght &lan to watch ad(lt ovie in a theater, where he saw his )ather. %esides, she wanted to have se@ with &lan in the stable, b(t he was i potent $(st beca(se he )elt that he betrayed his EF((s. %esides, &lan )elt the horses were staring at hi thro(gh the sh(t door, and then he co(ldnBt stand the g(ilt and blinded all o) the . -o Jill co(ld be regarded as the )(se o) this terrible incident.

&heme
#he play is ainly abo(t the concept o) nor ality.

3hat is Dnor alG< Hor e@a ple6 L#he 8or al is the good s ile in a childBs eyesG b(t also as Dthe dead stare in a illion ad(ltsG. =25";

Sym.ol
+orses5 6odslave D3hy is EF((s in chains<G and DHor the sins o) the world.G=25+; DEF((s, y ,odslaveEwe ride against the all.G=265; #he chains relate back to the pict(re o) Jes(s on his way to Calvary that was replaced by the pict(re o) the horse. Sta.le5 Equus temple D Aoly o) Aolies.G=259; DAeBs a ean b(ggerK ?ide5 or )allK #hatBs -traw Law.G=259; #his relates to Christianity. Jes(s was born in a stable in the straw.

Sym.ol
&elly &7%5 dangerous drug D.tBs a dangero(s dr(g.G =219; D9o( sit in )ront o) that thing long eno(gh,Elike ost o) the pop(lation.G =219; DMindless violenceK Mindless $okesK...G =22'; D3hat did yo( do last night<... 3atched telly.G =2!!; (ask5 priest D.B a chie) priest Eholding a sharp kni)e.G and Dthe sacri)ice is a herd o) children.G =216; DCarving (p children.G =22+; D:assion, yo( see, can be destroyed by a doctor. .t cannot be created.G =2'';

2horus
Peter Shaffer uses a chorus to make sounds descri.ed as the Equus noise0
8Suddenly / heard this noise01 9$:% #he EF((sB noise is )irst heard in the beach scene when &lan has his )irst enco(nter with a horse. 82horus makes a warning hum01 9":% .t is described a Cwarning h( B and is showing that EF((s is watching what &lan is doing and disapproves.

&he theme of religion e;plored in Equus

*ne o) the a$or the es in :eter -ha))erBs play LEF((sL is religion, or ore speci)ically religio(s worship, and its i portance to the e otional and ental well being o) an. #his the e is e@plored thro(gh several characters thro(gho(t the play and as the play progresses it beco es clear it is worship, and thro(gh that passion, what everything in the end co es down to.

(idnight ?ide
8&he <ing ride out on Equus, mightiest of horses= *(E'>1=265M266;
#he idnight ride is a sacra ental eans o) identi)ication with a Christ who tra ple his ene ies. -everal phantas s which ha(nt the boyBs ind are blended in skill)(l gradation6 hostilities, sel)5p(nish ent, erotic desire and religio(s needs. #he prepositional phrase Don yo(G beco es Din yo(G and leads to direct transcend6 D. want to %E yo( )orever and )oreverE& en.G #he boy wants to transcend both hi sel) and ti e. #he repeated phrase Done personG accent(ates the search )or ontological sec(rity. #he play is a F(est )or being.

&he issue
of the influences of the parents on a child
8?eligion is the opium of the people,1 99!% 8especially when / hear her whispering that Bi.le to him hour after hour, up there in his room01 99@% 8/t can mark anyone for life, that kind of thing01 99A% Many o) the phrases that &lan has taken and (sed in his religion are connected with the Christian religion that 1ora believes so devo(tly in.

82ome on, &roBanCC .ear me away>1 9$9% 8Bear you away0 &wo shall .e one01 9@"% #he bearing away phrase see s to originate )ro the ti e when &lan was riding #ro$an on the beach and the horse an said to ake #ro$an go )aster all yo( have to say is Cbear e awayB. #his phrase also s(ggests bearing away )ro the Cnor al worldB and arriving in a world o) passion and EF((sB religion.

8/ used to have to read him the same .ook over and over, all a.out horse01 999%

3hen &lan was yo(nger, 1ora told hi that when Christian cavalry )irst appeared in the 8ew 3orld, the pagans tho(ght that horse and rider were one person, even a ,od. #hese events )ro &lanBs past are links and have had a great in)l(ence on hi . Many o) these links appear to originate )ro things his other had said to hi abo(t religion, clearly de onstrating the power o) the role and in)l(ences o) a parent on a child.

8&he +osts of 3odhpur0 &he +osts of Bowler and 6ymkhana0 *ll those who show him off for their vanity0 &ie rosettes on his head for their vanity>1 =265; &lanBs interest in horses ay have also had been sparked by his other and her horsy side o) the )a ily. #his shows that &lan has taken these views )ro Hrank who has strong views against C(pper5class ri))5ra))B and the world o) eF(itation. &lan see s to be con)(sed by his parentBs divided views on religion, horses and se@. Aowever, it can be arg(ed that this is not &lanBs parentsB )a(lt as at the end o) the day it is &lan hi sel) who takes his parentsB views and chooses to (se the on his own religion.

WD?<S+DP D' B*S/2 2DE'SE--/'6 S</--S

source

Empathy 5 the co(nselor (st concentrate on (nderstanding how the client sees the world and )eels abo(t it, and (st be able to show the client that she has this (nderstanding. *cceptance 5 the co(nselor (st be able to show the client that shePhe accepts the client as so eone o) worth, that shePhe val(es the client (nconditionally as a person, even i) she disapproves o) the client7s behavior. 6enuineness 5 the co(nselor (st be really there in the relationship, not pretending to be so eone shePhe isn7t, not saying one thing and eaning another, not hiding herPhis )eelings.
the Lperson5centeredL approach to co(nseling the & erican psychologist 2arl ?ogers

&ransference and 2ountertransference5

source

&re nat(ral pro$ective behaviors and are to be e@pected in the co(nseling relationship.

&ransference

refers to certain unconsciously redirected feelings, fears, or emotions from a client towards the counselor0

%y 3evin C2 4ac!son =2''2; refers to the proBecting of a counselorFs e;periences, values and repressed emotions that are awakened .y identification with the clientFs e;periences

2ountertransference

Guestions

3hy does &lan blind the horses< 3hy does he say L0.LL MEK...0.LL MEKL a)ter he relives the act with 1ysart < .s 1ysart ore concerned abo(t &lan7s wel)are than his own<

*n the beach, why is Hrank so angry with the ho(se an who takes &lan riding< 3hy is this event so i portant to &lan< 1oes &lan want 1ysart to Lc(reL hi < 3hy does he reveal his inner world to 1ysart< 3hat does 1ysart ean when in the play7s last scene he says, L#here is now, in y o(th, this sharp chain. &nd it never co es o(tL<

?eference
English Sources5
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Q

&lley #heatre. DEF((s6 & #heatre ,(ide.G 2'''52''1. 26 &pril 2''6 Rhttp6PPwww.alleytheatre.orgPi agesPalleyP-,SET//-.pd)U. D7EF((s76 &n analysis o) nor alityG by Christine. 26 &pril 2''6
Rhttp6PPwww.cathedralschool.here)ord.sch.(kPsitePEF((s&nanalysiso)nor ality.ht U.

Q Q

Q Q

Aays, ?ichard. DEF((s6 A( an Con)licts and the #rinity.G 26 &pril 2''6 Rhttp6PPwww.religion5online.orgPshowarticle.asp<titleV116"U. Jackson, 0evin C. DCo(nselling #rans)erence and Co(nter#rans)erence .ss(es.G March 2''2 Rhttp6PPwww.contactpoint.caPb(lletinsPv65n2Pv65n2y.ht lU. Menanet. D-ha))er, :eter6 1926.G -wissEd(c5#ea . &(g(st 25, 2''5. 26 &pril 2''6 Rhttp6PPwww.swissed(c.chPenglishPreadinglistPsha))erpPU. -ha))er, :eter. E/uus2 Three Pla"s5 Five Finger Exercise1 %hrivings1 E/uus. ?pt. ed. 8ew 9ork6 :eng(in, 19"+. 19"52'1.

2hinese Sources5
Q

199! Rhttp6PPwww.csie.nt(.ed(.twPMnt(cs+2P:E*:LEPb25'6'1'PeF((s.ht U.