EQUUS: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS THESIS - Digital …

1 3-79 equus : A STUDY IN CONTRASTSTHESISP resented to the Graduate Council of theNorth Texas State University in PartialFulfillment of the RequirementsFor the Degree ofMASTER OF ARTSByEllen G. Lasser, B. , TexasMay, 1978 Lasser, Ellen G., Eq uus: A S in CONTRASTS . Masterof Arts (English), May, 1978. 71 pp., bibliography, 17 play Eguus presents a series of dialectics, opposingforces in dramatic tension. The multi-leveled subjects withwhich Shaffer works confront each other as THESIS and anti- THESIS working towards a tentative synthesis. The contrastsinclude the conflict of art and science, the Apollonian andDionysian polarity, and the confrontation of Christianity andpaganism. Modern man faces these conflicts and attempts tocome to terms with them. These opposites are really para-doxes. They seem to contradict each other, but, in fact,they are not mutually exclusive.

2 Rather than contradictingeach other, each aspect of a dialectic influences its counter-point; both are necessary to make a whole OF CONTENTSC hapter PageI. INTRODUCTION0.. 1II. ART VERSUS .. 30 III. APOLLONIAN VERSUS DIONYSIAN.. 40IV. CHRISTIANITY VERSUS PAGANISM.. 57V. CONCLUSION..72iCHAPTER IINTRODUCTIONThe play equus presents a series of dialectics, opposingforces in dramatic tension. The multi-leveled subjects withwhich Shaffer works confront each other as THESIS and anti- THESIS working towards a tentative synthesis. The contrastsinclude the conflict of art and science, the Apollonian andDionysian polarity, and the confrontation of Christianity andpaganism. Modern man faces these conflicts and attempts tocome to terms with the case of art versus science, Alan personifies artand Dysart, science. Art is capable of transcending the every-day world, yet the destructive side of it paralyzes can benefit many people, yet it does not afford thetranscendence Dysart longs , the Apollonian and Dionysian confront eachother in equus .

3 Dysart is the Apollonian man, rational andmoderate. Alan is Dionysian in nature; he represents theirrational, intemperate mind. However, neither Alan norDysart is a complete being. Each must learn to have boththe Apollonian and Dionysian in his third major dialectic in equus is the conflict be-tween Christianity and paganism. The Christian world is12shocked by Alan's paganism, yet Alan's unique religion isbased on Christianity. Alan's departure from Christianityis due to a need for a more personal, meaningful relationshipwith studying the play equus itself, one might look atthe background and development of its author, Peter was born a twin (his brother is Anthony) in 1926 inLiverpool, England. He attended the St. Paul's School inLondon and worked during World War II as a conscript in acoal mine. He then attended Trinity College in Cambridgefor three years where he studied history on a 1951 Shaffer came to the United States to work inNew York.

4 He wrote television plays later produced inBritainincluding The Prodigal Father, Balcony of Terror,and The Salt Land. At the same time he was working in theacquisitions department of the New York Public Library on42nd Street and at a Doubleday bookstore. During most ofthis period he lived in the infamous Hell's Kitchen Salt Land, which dealt with the then new state ofIsrael, was particularly important to the young Shaffer was Jewish, he had never visited the fledg-ling country. However, the 1955 BBC production was wellreceived, and it gave Shaffer the confidence to turn to afull-time writing Besides equus , Shaffer's otherplays include Five Finger Exercise, The Private Ear,3 The Public Eye, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Black Comedy, Whiteies , and currently lives in London but spends severalmonths a year in New York.

5 He has pianos in both of hisapartments and plays well. His other interest is collectingAfrican masks. His fascination with New York continues,"being still entirely possessed of his fantasy concerning her,and how knowing with his eyes, ears, and inwards that she isthe most beautiful and dreadful city on earth."4A discussion of Shaffer's other works is necessary andbeneficial for several reasons. With the exception of Equusand Shrivings his works are out of print and not widely addition, as one examines the body of Shaffer's work,certain themes, motifs, and images emerge. Thus, one can seethe development of the ideas which lead to the creation of awork such as 1958 Shaffer's first theatre play was produced in Londonand became a great success. Five Finger Exercise was broughtto New York in 1959 and enjoyed a long run on Broadway drawing room play concerns the tensions within a father, Stanley Harrington, is a furniture wife, Louise, is a cultured, stylish woman.

6 The son, Clive,is about nineteen years old; he is nervous, intelligent, butlikeable. His sister, Pamela, is a happy, carefree German tutor, Walter Langer, has been employed to teach4 Pamela while the family is residing in the country. Attwenty-two Walter is warm and almost all of the plays Shaffer refers to Greece. InFive Finger Exercise Clive is fascinated by the Greek trage-dies, an interest which Stanley views as silly and and his father's continuous confrontations cause the boygreat anxiety. The contrast between Clive and the other charac-ters is the basis of the play. Clive tries to agree withwhatever each parent says, but they are generally in constantly criticizes Stanley for being uncultured finally screws up enough courage to tell his fatherthat he wants to STUDY poetry and the arts at does not understand Clive's direction because it isnot useful; however, Louise defends Clive by her usual insultstoward and Walter enter, and as they banter, Walter revealshis hatred for Germany and his desire to make a home inEngland.

7 Clive tells him he is lucky not to have a family,but Walter thinks Clive is the fortunate one. In fact,Walter would very much like to be part of the Harringtonfamily. The contrast between Walter and Clive is an exampleof a recurring theme of Shaffer's, the theme of wants to reject his family, but Walter wants to adoptthat very family. Louise gives Walter a pet name as she hasdone for Clive in the past. The closer Louise and Walter be-come the more obvious is Clive's jealousy of their months later when Clive is home from college onvacation, the family situation is still tense. Clive argueswith his father, criticizing the cheap furniture he often uses stereotypes in his characterizations. Themiddle-class man, forceful, narrow-minded, opinionated, andaggressive is seen here in the form of rejects his father's work as a furniture manufac-turer.

8 Stanley is so concerned with Clive's making a decisionfor the future that he is unable to see Clive for what he emphasizes the importance of self as well as meaning-ful work. Clive tries to explain this concern to his father:I am Myself. Myself. You thinkof me only as what I might become. What Imight make of myself. But I am myself now--with every breath I take, every blink of theeyelash..But we can never don't write us, don't you see? Theykeep us apart. And words don't help becausethey're unreal. We live away from our skinsminute to minute, feeling everything quitedifferently, and one minute's just as trueabout us as any again sides with Clive,which only serves to in-crease the gap between father and son. The only person Cliveis really able to communicate with at this point is is typical of another stereotype Shaffer uses, theyoung man trying to find himself.

9 But Louise's friendshipwith Walter has grown too; he confides in her regarding hisknowledge of the evil in Germany and wins her sympathy byclaiming to be an orphan. As Louise holds first Walter's hand and6then his face, Clive walks in on them and speaks in drunkenconfusion of Louise's French but unaristocratic is similar to some of Shaffer's other middle-classwomen. Although she is middle class, she pretends to be ofhigher social standing. Clive warns Walter that Louise ismanipulative and asks Walter to vacation with him at refuses because he wants to belong to the family toomuch. Clive, hurt by the rejection, reaches out for his to communicate with him, he acuses Walter and Louise ofkissing. Stanley responds by hitting following morning Louise tells Clive that he mustnot be jealous. However, Clive tries to persuade Walter toreturn to Germany.

10 Walter finally admits that he is not anorphan; his father, a former Nazi from Auschwitz, has beatenhim constantly. Nevertheless, Clive still wants Walter tries subtly to seduce Walter, but the young manmisinterprets her suggestions and asks her to be his newmother. Devastated, Louise cools towards him and begins totalk to Stanley of divorce. She asks him, also, to fireWalter on the pretense that Pam has a crush on him. Stanleysees through the ruse and fires Walter, accusing him oftrying to seduce Louise. He names Clive as his informant, butClive confesses to having lied. He admits the real damage heand his mother have caused has been the damage to is shattered by the preceding events. She evenaccuses her son of being homosexual. Walter, too, is des-troyed by the crumpled illusion of the family he ideallyloved; he tries to gas himself but fails.