Equus Essay. In the play Equus by Peter Shaffer, Shaffer uses this passage to convey that Dysart is beginning to lose confidence in his profession of psychiatry

Later on in the scene Dysart reveals his dreams about Greece and wanting to be like Alan to have this intense devotion for something, but he just simply is unable to which creates a tragic element to this passage. In a way he is envious of Alan, being able to be enriched by this religious ecstasy, he too wishes he could create a religion of his own and worship it but is simply unable to, he is “utterly worshipless”. He has come to the realisation that there is nothing wrong with Alan, he just doesn’t meet the standards of society so he must be fixed, Dysart must “restore him”.

Towards the end of the scene Dysart questions Hesther as to what the definition of normal really is, whether a “normal boy has one head: a normal head has two ears”. There is a sarcastic tone toward Hesther displaying Dysart’s reluctance to remove Alan’s worship, emphasising that he understands Alan’s passion . This demonstrates Dysart’s doubt in his profession as he does not know whether it is right to cure Alan to make him what society deems normal because “passion can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created”. What Alan has is unique proposing at emptiness to his life. He feels dejected that his obsession with ancient mythology seem insignificant when compared to Alan’s intense devotion making him doubt the value of his own work.

This passage powerfully illustrates the beginning of Dysart grasping Alan’s current situation as an effect of Dysart’s disinclined outlook on demolishing Alan’s religious passion. While also effectively revealing the his lack of confidence since he is made to analyse his own life rather than Alan’s