ENGLISH - Equus Quotes

Question 0

Alan acts as catalyst for the opening up of truths within Dysart’s life
-quote

Answer 0

“The doubts have been there for years…It’s only the extremity of this case that’s made them active.”

Question 1

Truth necessary for Alam’s recovery see his conscious embrace of truth after abreaction
-quote and lighting change

Answer 1

“KILL ME. KILL ME”

Light quickly brightens after this acceptance

Question 2

What represents truths of characters feelings?

Answer 2

Dreams

• Dysart’s unhappiness in job
• Alan’s pain

Question 3

Impact of denying truth

• Dora quote
• Dysart’s quote

Answer 3

Dora: “I only know he was my little Alan, and then the devil came”
-finding another source of blame rather than considering the influence of herself and Frank

Dysart: “no we didn’t go in for them [children]”

• denying truths of his infertility
• created distanced relationship between he and Margaret

Question 4

Whose truth
Hesther’s perspective that he is a disturbed boy in pain vs Dysart and Dalton’s
-Hesther’s quote

Answer 4

“He’s in pain, Martin. He’s been in pain for most of his life.”

Question 5

Rehabilitation vs punishment

-dalton quote

Answer 5

“In my opinion the boy should be in prison. Not in a hospital at the tax-payers’ expense.”

Question 6

Relationship between Dysart and Alan initially adversial

-stage symbolism

Answer 6

Square of wood resembles a railed boxing ring to demonstrate the conflict in this relationship

Question 7

Dora and Franks impact on Alan

Answer 7

Dora’s religiosity and Frank’s domineering behaviour led to Alan’s rebellion.

Question 8

Alan’s mothers alienating abuse

Answer 8

She slaps his face

Question 9

Alan distant from father but grows in awareness after cinema

Answer 9

A:”poor old sod.”

Question 10

The human condition
Importance of a meaningful life vs a ‘normal’ life
Dysart vs hesther

Answer 10

Dysart sees Alan’s passion and doesn’t want to rob him of that but hesther sees his pain
“My desire might be to make this boy an ardent husband - a caring citizen - a worshipper of abstract and unifying God. My achievement, however, is more likely to make a ghost!”

“Look… to go through life and call it yours - your life - you first have to get your own pain. Pain that’s unique to you. You can’t just dip into the common bin and say ‘That’s enough!’…”

Question 11

Human condition
Community (conformity vs individuality)
Stage craft

Answer 11

Square of wood on circle of wood demonstrates the conflict involved with the struggle to conform and also be individual

Question 12

Human condition
Responsibilities (to self and society)
Dysart quote on passion

Answer 12

“Passion, you see, can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created.”

He knows it his his job to help Alan for his and society’s benefit, yet he also knows this will impact Alan negatively

Question 13

The human condition
Conformity
Setting

Answer 13

The electrical shop

Question 14

Settings

Answer 14

Psychiatrists office, field (freedom), house, electrical shop (conformity), beach, cinema (discovery)

Question 15

Symbols

Answer 15

Horses (alive, grace, worship, wild vs tame), placebo (want to tell truth), cinema, tunnel upstage (path to truth, dark corners of mind), chains in horses mouths (traps emotions and takes away freedom), mask and dream (good vs evil, hiding truth), square of wood on circle on wood (individuality vs conformity)

Question 16

Use of lighting

Answer 16

Warm light in Hesther’s presence

Light quickly brightens after Alan’s acceptance of the truth

Question 17

Performed flashbacks

What do they convey?

Answer 17

Fluidity of time, unpacking the mind, audience able to experience

Question 18

Constant visibility of actors

Meaning?

Answer 18

Horses always present in A mind equus always watching

Question 19

Horse costumes

Masks

Answer 19

Masks illustrate entrapment

Question 20

Martin talking about his inabilities/holidays

Answer 20

“Such wild returns I take to the womb of civilization. Three weeks a year in the Peloponnese, every bed booked in advance, every meal paid for by vouchers.”

Question 21

Martins failure to redeem himself

Answer 21

“There is no, in my mouth, this sharp chain. And it never comes out.”

Question 22

Martins misgivings are more general than Toms, just about himself and work (professional menopause)

• horse metaphor/symbol quote
• working life quotes

Answer 22

“I can’t jump because the bit forbids it, and my own basic force -my horsepower, if you like -is too little.”
“Just a fifteen-year-old schizophrenic, and a girl of eight thrashed into catatonia by her father. Normal, really.”
“One more dented little face. One more adolescent freak. The usual unusual.”

Question 23

Alan not functional at the beginning of he play, just sings jingles

Answer 23

“Double your pleasure, Double your fun, With Doublemint, Doublemint Doublemint gum”

• doesn’t respond to Martins questions
• silence or singing
• singing gets louder as he asks more questions

Question 24

Martin isn't judgemental, unlike others | -Harry Dalton's (stable owner) opinion of him

Answer 24

"In my opinion the boy should be in prison. Not in hospital at the tax-payers' expense." "He's a loony"

Question 25

Hesther Salomon (magistrate) and what she embodies in the play

Answer 25

-embodiment for the belief of redemption, works in this area (judge) -capacity for passion/compassion -shows a humane capacity that can enrich our lives -in her presence the light goes warm "He's in pain Martin. He's been in pain for most of his life."

Question 26

Symbolic ending

Answer 26

-sudden blackout -abrupt -all enveloping -conveys his pain "There is now, in my mouth, this sharp chain. And it never comes out."