Equus and Hedda Gabbler Comparison Essay
Peter Shaffer’s Equus and Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler plays both illustrate how madness can affect one’s life tragically. In Equus Alan’s madness derived from his obsession with horses and Hedda Gabler’s deceiving attitude, actions leads to her own tragic suicidal death. Even though both plays have different plots, they certainly both have the theme “madness”. Hedda obsessed with with her pistol and Alan with his horses. Equus" is a drama in which the themes of passion, reason and worship and the ideas of what is "normal" and "abnormal" are created. Hedda Gabler is a drama which the themes of jealousy, power and deception are show.
In Peter Shaffer’s Equus Alan Strang a young man who was brought up with both of parents yet the parents had different views towards his upbringing. Alan’s mother a devoted religious woman always thought with her heart rather than her mind when it came to her son’s happiness. She stated that Alan’s first encounter with a horse was when he was about 6, he was playing on a beach and it rode up to him. He found it magnificent. The rider let him ride it and he was thrilled (pg 38). Also when Alan was growing up his favourite book was about a horse named Prince, who would only let one boy, his master ride him. As he states “I used have to read him the same book over and over, all about a horse...it was called prince, and on one could ride him”. He used to make his mod read it over and over to him. Alan insisted that his mother change her tone when quoting Prince (30). The religious stories that his mother used to tell him were significant for his madness state. His mother may have had a different perception and intent when reading these stories to him but unfortunately Alan elaborated too much with his obsessive thoughts of horses and sexuality. Because once his mother stated that in the bible horses are spoken of and referred to as all mighty, powerful creatures. There are many other examples...