EQUUS

__**Escapism**__ · “double your pleasure, double your fun, with doublemint, doublemint doublemint gum.” P22 · “Try the taste of Martini the most beautiful drink in the world. It’s the right one- it’s the bright one-That’s Martini!” p22 · “There’s only one ‘T’ in Typhoo! In packets and in teabags too. Anyway you make it, you’ll find it’s true: There’s only one ‘T’ in Typhoo!” p22 · “Lets go where you wanna go—Texaco!” p24 · “He even has a photograph of one up in his bedroom. A beautiful white one, looking over a gate.” P30 · “I used to have to read to him the same book over and over again, all about a horse.” P30 · Story his mom reads when he is 7/8: · “My name is Prince, and I’m a Prince among horses! Only my young master can ride me! Anyone else-I’ll throw off!” p30 · “the pagans thought horse and rider was one person.” P31 · “You-re a-you’re a-You’re a swiz!.. Bloody swiz!...Fucking swiz!” p 38 · “It was a reproduction of Our Lord on his way to Calvary. Alan found it in Reeds Art Shop, and fell absolutely in love with it. He insisted on buying it with his pocket money, and hanging it at the food of his bed where he could see it last thing at night.” P44 · Dalton: there were just odd things I noticed. I mean too often one or other of them would be sweaty first thing in the morning, when it wasn’t sick. Very sweaty, too. And its stall wouldn’t be near as mucky as it should be if it had been in all night.” P47 · “He would spent hours with the horses cleaning and grooming them, way over the call of duty. “ p 46 · “It was sexy.” P47 · “I wish I was a cowboy. They’re free..” p49 · “Behold- I give you Equus my only begotten son!” p51 · “Why is Equus in chains?” “for the sins of the world.” P66 · “I see you. I will save you.” P67 · “sandals of majesty.” P69 · “Take my sins. Eat them for my sake.” P72 · “Now the king commands you. Tonight, we ride against them all.” P73 · “His neck comes out of my body.” P73 · “He’s a modern citizen for whom society doesn’t exist.” P81 · “howling in a mist” p81 · “But that boy has known a passion more ferocious than I have felt in any second of my life. And let me tell you something: I envy it.” P82 · “they stand in the dark for an hour-like a necking couple” (17) · Singing commercials instead of replies o Double Diamond (37) · Swearing to nurse-> non-civilized speech “Fuck off” (24) o Christian cavalry in New World, horse and human one being (31) o Book of Job –Horse passage. “Ha Ha” introduced · Western movies –cowboys are intimate with horses · Bible readings of mom: “I hear her whispering that Bible to him hour after hour” (33) · “He was always mooning over religious pictures. I mean really kinky ones” (34) · Reminiscing encounter with Trojan · Secretly riding at night every three weeks– “It was sexy” (47) · Routine worship of Equus picture in bedroom o Geneology of Prince till Equus: Prince, Prance, Prankus, Flankus, Spankus, Spunkus, Legwus, Neckwus, Fleckwus, Equus o Chinkle-chankle o Make noose with string, put in mouth, then beat himself with wooden coat hanger · Grooming Nugget o “//The boy moves his hand gently over the outline of the neck and back…ALAN lifts his palm to his face and smells it deeply, closing his eyes.//” (57) · Parallel between Jesus and Equus o “It never comes out. They have me in chains.” (66) o “His Last Supper” =lump of sugar o “Take my sins. Eat them for my sake…He always does” o “Equus the Godslave, Faithful and True. Into my hands he commends himself-naked in his chinkle-chankle.” (72) · Ritual with Nugget in field o ‘I see you.’ ‘I will save you.’ o ‘Bear you away. Two shall be one.’ o ‘And my chinkle-chankle shall be in thy hand.’ o Stable=Temple=Holy of Holies o Straw Law : He was born in the straw and this is his law (to learn to ride on your own) o Sandals made of sack. Alan kisses them “devoutly” (69) o Putting chain “ritually” in his mouth before putting it into Nugget’s o Field= place of Ha Ha o Nudity o “Sacred” Stick to mouth
 * o horse named Prince, nobody can ride him (30)

· Alan singing in court, blocking out society pg 20 · The story of the horse Prince pg 30 · Alan synthesizes religion from his mothers stories, westerns and from the bible · When Dysart tries to get close to Alan he begins to sing commercial songs pg 37 · Image of the horse above Alan’s bed pg 44 · Cowboys, Alan’s idea that cowboys are free and have the perfect relationship with horses · Alan mythologizing horses, worshipping them shown through biblical language pg 56: o “Glowing world of horses” o “Kneel on the floor in reverence” o “My only begotten son” (pg 51) · Alan takes his clothes off when riding the horse pg 70 · “His neck comes out of my body” Alan being one with the horse, his own private ritual pg 73 · “I’m raw!” pg 74 · “Frozen tango dancer” pg 75 · “He’s a modern citizen for whom society doesn’t exist” pg 81 · “At least I galloped! When did you…?” pg 81


 * Commercialism/False Face of Society**

· “I cant even cope with the ones I have” p19 · “It is this unique talent for carving that has got me where I am.” P24 · “I’ve started to feel distinctly nauseous.” P24 · Passion, you see, can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created. · When Equus leaves, if he leaves at all, it will be with your intestines in his teeth - and I don't stock replacements. · here is now, in my mouth, this sharp chain - and it never comes out. · All right! The normal is the good smile in a child's eyes. There's also the dead stare in a million adults. It both sustains and kills, like a god. It is the ordinary made beautiful, it is also the average made lethal. Normal is the indispensable murderous god of health and I am his priest. · **Martin Dysart**: That's what his stare has been saying to me all this time: 'At least I galloped - when did you?' · “Antiseptic proficiency.” P61 · “Life is only comprehensible through a thousand local Gods.” P 62 · “I have cut from them parts of individuality repugnant to this God, and at that length…” p65 · “It’s calling me out of the black cave of the psyche.” 75 · “It asks questions I’ve avoided all my professional life.” P76 · “Can you think of anything worse one can do to anybody than take away their worship.” P80 · “without worship you shrink.” P82 · “I shrank my own life.” P82 · “I sit looking at pages of centaurs trampling the soil of Argos—and outside my window he is trying to become one.” P83 · “wide gold mask, all noble and bearded, like the so-called Mask of Agamemnon” (24) · Grandfather on mother’s side who enjoyed dressage o “used to ride every morning…all dressed up in bowler hat and jodhpurs”(32) o “Indulging in equitation, he called it”(32) · “cooped up all week in that dreadful shop. Electrical and kitchenware!” (33) · Frank: “Upper-class riff-raff! That’s all they are, people who go riding! That’s what they want-trample on ordinary people!” (42) · “The horse isn’t dressed. It’s the most naked thing you ever saw…Even the most broken down old nag has got its life! To put a bowler on it is filthy! ...Putting them through their paces! Bloody gymkhanas! ...No one understands! ...Except cowboys…They’re free…I bet all cowboys are orphans!” (49) · Working at Bryson’s (mechanic) shop –“I loved it…You get to spend every minute with electrical things. It’s fun.” (53) “Of course it might just drive you off your chump” (54) · Mechanic brands –later become the enemy of Equus o Philco o Remington o Robex o Croydex o Volex o Pifco o Beautiflor o Windowlene o Hoover · Alan blotting out true personality in front of society with commercial songs (doublemint, martini typhoo tea, texaco) pg 23 · Grandfather in bowler hat and jodhpurs pg 32 · Lack of faith in society, all the ‘layers’ around it · Jodhpurs & bowler hats “restraining horses” pg 49 · “Antiseptic proficiency” Life in the 20th century pg 61 · “Domestic monster” pg 61 · “The normal is also the dead stone in a million adults.” pg 65 · “Murderous God of health” Dysart is normalizing people pg 65 · “The Hosts of Jodhpur. The Hosts of Bowler and Gymkhana.” Pg 73 · “Dim torch” pg 75 · “Can you think worse one can do to anybody than take away their worship?” Comment on role of psychiatrists in society pg 80 · “I can’t jump because the bit forbids it” pg 18


 * __Identity__**
 * “ You see I am lost.” –Dysart pg 18
 * “Without worship you shrink.” pg 18
 * “I’m wearing the horse’s head myself.” pg 18
 * “My face is going green behind the mask.” Pg 24
 * · “I feel the job is unworthy to fill me.” Pg 25
 * · “The normal is also the dead stone in a million adults.” Pg 65
 * · “Murderous god of health” pg 65
 * · “It’s calling me out of the black cave of the psyche.” Pg 75
 * · “All the things a child is born into deadens and sterilizes him” pg 75
 * · “Can you think of worse one can do to anybody than take away their worship?” pg 80
 * · “But that boy has known a passion more ferocious than I have felt in any second of my life.” Pg 82
 * · “A little boy on a mini scooter.” Pg 108
 * · “Passion you see can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created.” Pg 108
 * · “You can’t gallop anymore Alan” pg 108

Act 1 · “You see, I’m lost.” à now questions his life, his career (Dysart) · “The thing is, I’m desperate. You see, I’m wearing that horse’s head myself.” · “I can’t see it, because my educated, average head is being held at the wrong angle.” · “my horse power, if you like—is too little.” · “Some days I blame Hesther. She brought him to me.” · The only thing is, unknown to them, I’ve started to feel distinctly nauseous” à his masks begins to slip [his dream of the Greek sacrificial ceremony, representing society] · “and with each victim, it’s getting worse” à the nausea · “He has the strangest stare I have ever met.” · Alan’;s change in attitude “it took him two more days of commercials, and then he snapped.” · “it’s just professional menopause. Everyone gets it sooner or later.” · Alan asks the questions à doctor becomes patient · The tape recorder à different method of analysis
 * Change**

Act 2
 * · “Of course I’ve stared at such images before…And weirdly often now with me the feeling is that they are staring at us” (75)
 * · Change in mother’s attitude: nice=> “she’s saying the most dreadful things”
 * o “we’re not criminals”=> denying parental input/responsibility
 * o “he was my little Alan, and then the Devil came”
 * · Alan’s denial of what he talked about with Dysart: “It was lies anyway….Just a con trick, that’s all…Made me say a lot of lies”
 * · Demeaning Dysart’s method of psychoanalysis
 * o “Just a con trick”
 * o “Your bloody tricks”
 * o “truth drug”
 * · Further change in Alan’s attitude=> wants to tell more about himself
 * o “He wants a way to speak. To finally tell me what happened in that stable. Tape’s too isolate, and hypnosis is a trick. At least that’s the pretence”
 * · When Alan sees his dad in the movie theatre, he realizes that everybody has secrets like him, and also is disappointed about his father
 * o “I got the shakes”
 * o “It was like a hole had been drilled in my tummy. A hole –right here. And the air was getting in!”
 * o “I kept thinking –all those airs he put on!”
 * o “Bugger! Old bugger! Filthy old bugger!”
 * o “I suddenly thought –//they all do it! All of them!//”
 * o “They’re not just Dads –they’re people with pricks! And Dad –he’s not just Dad either. He’s a man with a prick too.”
 * o “I just thought about Dad, and how he was nothing special –just a poor old sod on his own”
 * o “Was that the first time you ever thought…that she [mother] was unfair to your dad? A: Absolutely!”
 * o “Poor old sod, that’s what I felt –he’s just like me! He hates ladies and gents just like me! Posh things –and la-di-da. He goes off by himself at night, and does his own secret thing which no one’ll know about, just like me!”
 * o “There’s no difference –he’s just the same as me –just the same! –Christ!”
 * o “You were happy at that second…When you realized about your dad. How lots of people have secrets, not just you? A: Yes”
 * o “You felt sort of free…free to do anything? A: Yes”
 * · Change in Frank’s attitude towards his son
 * o “His face. It was scared.”
 * · Change in attitude towards Jill. First sexual then is ashamed and almost chases her away
 * o “They burst into giggles”
 * o [brutally] “I put it in her”
 * o “Why don’t we just lie here together in the straw. And talk”
 * o [He turns on her, hissing. His face is distorted –possessed]
 * o [In horrified alarm…leaves the barn…and dashes up the tunnel out of sight]
 * · Change is Alan’s status in front of Equus: Faithful follower=> shameful sinner
 * · This change leads to change in Alan’s behavior to Equus: worship=>disable
 * o “Noble Equus…Thou –God –Seest –NOTHING!”
 * · What Dysart predicts will happen to Alan now that Equus has been carved out of his life => normalization
 * o “He’ll be delivered from madness…He’ll feel himself acceptable…make this boy an ardent husband –a caring citizen –a worshipper of abstract and unifying God”
 * o “My achievement …is more likely to make a ghost”
 * o “I’ll take away his Field of Ha Ha, and give him Normal places for his ecstasy –multi-lane highways driven through the guts of cities”
 * o “I’ll give him the good Normal world where we’re tethered beside [the animals] blinking our nights away in a non-stop drench of cathode-ray over our shriveling heads”
 * o “He’ll trot on his metal pony tamely through the concrete evening”
 * o “He’ll never touch hide again”
 * o “With any luck his private parts will come to feel as plastic to him as the products of the factory to which he will almost certainly be sent”
 * o “He may even come to find sex funny. Smirky funny. Bit of grunt funny. Trampled and furtive and entirely in control”
 * o “Hopefully he’ll feel nothing at his fork but Approved Flesh.”
 * o “Passion, you see, can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created”
 * o “You won’t gallop any more, Alan…forgetting that they [scooter, car, gee-gees] were ever anything more to you than bearers of little profits and little losses”
 * o “You will, however, be without pain.”
 * · Change in Dysart after encountering Alan => realization of the hypocrisy of his job
 * o “And now for me it never stops: that voice of Equus out of the cave –‘Why Me?...Account for Me!”
 * o “In an ultimate sense I cannot know what I do in this place –yet I do ultimate things”
 * o “Essentially I don’t know what I do- yet I do essential things. Irreversible, terminal things.”
 * o “I stand in the dark with a pick in my hand, striking at heads!”
 * o “I need –more desperately than my children need me –a way of seeing in the dark”


 * Sarah- Identity Quotes- Equus,**
 * Dysart: "I'm lost" p18
 * "I'm wearing that horse's head myself" p18
 * "All reined up in old language and old assumptions, straining to jump..." p18
 * dream on pg 24, questions his profession
 * "it's this unique talent for carving that has got me where I am" p24
 * "I've started to feel distinctly nauseous." p24
 * "job unworthy to fill me" p25
 * Alan and his search for religion:
 * "dosing it down the boy's throat" p34
 * "Because I am faithful" p30 (Prince story)
 * he simonates the horses and grooms them "way over the call of duty" p46
 * "I wish I was a cowboy. They're free." p49
 * "Antisceptic proficiency" p 61, what life has become in 21st century, efficient but without feeling
 * "Life is only comprehensible though a thousand local Gods." p62
 * "worship as many as you can see-- and more will appear!" p62
 * "I have cut from them parts of individuality repugnant to this God, and as what length" p65
 * "It never comes out. They have me in chains." p66
 * "His neck comes out of my body." o73
 * "I'm raw! Raw!" p74
 * "It's calling me out of the black cave of the psyche." p75
 * "It asks questions I've avoided all my professional life." p76
 * "can you think of anythign worse one can do to somebody than take away their worshop?" p80
 * "He's a modern citizen for whom society doesn't exist." p81
 * "Many men have less vital with their wives." p81
 * "But that boy has known a passion more ferocious than I have felt in any secodn of my life. And let me tell you something: I envy it." p82
 * "without worship you shrink." p82
 * "I shrank my own life" p82
 * "I sit looking at pages of centaurs trampling the soil of Argos- and outside my window he is trying to //become one//" p83
 * //"//All right! the normal is the good smile in a child's eyes. There's also the dead stare in a million adults. It both sustains and kills, like god. It is the ordinary made lethal. Normal is the indespensible murderous god of Health and I am his priest." pg--??
 * "At least I galloped- when did you?"
 * "Passion, you see, can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created." p108
 * "I need- more desperately than my children need me- a way of seeing in the dark." p108
 * "you won't gallop any more, Alan." p108
 * "When Equus leaves, if he leaves at all, it will be with your intestines in his teeth- and I don't stock replacements."


 * Sarah, Dramatic techniques- Equus part1**

- begins with chorus -uses Shakespearian sololoquis and asides to get more intimate with audience, audience all around= claustrophobia and intimacy --prologue and epilogue Lighting, begins with darkness, only dim light on the square—sets the mood of the play o Lighting= a motif - Light of cigarette before lights on, symbolic of a weak man in a huge darkness O - Use of the benches and the circle for montages -actors dressed as horses but not completely= a ritualized experience, meant not to be real- trying to put a very primal vital fundamental experience within a form, because no one can truly capture the true primal essence of what Alan experiences- this is the best way to do it, because no one can feel the full vitality of Alans experience, but by ritualized horses and making them do ceremonial movements, one can capture the essence of it in an artful way (in a work of art)- it becomes more understandable - All actors on stage - Audience on stage - Tunnel only entrance or exit, tunnel represents the deep unconscious - Alan and horses p 17 “Alan leads Nugget out of the square and they disappear together up the tunnel, the horse’s hooves scraping delicately on the wood” o 1st instance of horses, reenactment encourages the audience as observers→ a part of an intimate relationship between Alan and religion - p 18, “Dysart rises, and addresses both the large audience in the theater and the smaller one on stage” o acknowledges audience’s participation in the experiences - p18 “the light gets warmer” talking about Alan - p 23 “Nurse and patient move on to the circle, and walk downstage to the bench where the doctor first sat, which is to serve also as Alan’s bed.” - = use of the benches and the circle, montage and use of whole stage - p24, scene 5, Dysart addresses the audience- first monologue, his monologue shows the correlations between the priest and being a psychiatrist- where Dysart questions his profession - montage with nurse p 26, where Alan has nightmares and yells out “Ek” - p 29 “Dysart walks around the circle” before greeting Dora when he was previously with Hesther, signifies a different event - sound of “Ek!” on tape-recorder ritualizes the experience p 35 - “Cries of Ek! On tape fill the theater, from all around.” P35