Shaffer, Peter: 1926 - 2016

Equus, 1973 - Thematic Parallels: Passion

Passion is a strong and intense emotion or enthusiasm for something. It’s what drives people to pursue activities, goals, or causes with deep commitment, energy, and joy.
Shaffer, Peter: Equus, 1973
The play revolves around the conflict between passion and societal conformity.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Angelou, Maya: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969, ~290pp
  This memoir deals with themes of identity, trauma, repression, and the journey to personal liberation—emotional and psychological motifs present in “Equus.”
  - Both works depict the painful, transformative process of self-understanding, often through suffering or transgression. Each author questions what it really means to be “healed” or “normal.”
- Moore, Brian: Lies of Silence, 1990, ~210pp
  This is a novel exploring psychological depth and exploration of moral and personal conflict.
  - Both protagonists face intense moral and psychological dilemmas. They explore the question: What does it mean to do the “right” thing when morality is ambiguous? For both authhors modern civilization suppresses genuine emotion in favor of conformity.
- Shaw, George Bernard: Saint Joan, 1923, ~160pp
  This play explores faith, passion, and individual struggle against society.
  - Both plays explore the cost of enforcing conformity — Joan is executed; Alan is “cured” (spiritually lobotomized). Both playwrights question whether rationality and normality are truly “better” than the dangerous intensity of belief. In both works, the true “tragedy” is not the hero’s downfall, but the world’s inability to contain their vision.
- Williams, Tennessee: A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947, ~100pp
  This play explores passion, madness, and human desires.
  - Both works dramatize mental instability as a reaction to repression, guilt, and societal pressure, blurring the line between sanity and madness. They suggest that modern life destroys the soul’s vitality, privileging reason, conformity, and materialism over emotional truth or spirituality. Desire becomes both creative and destructive — it gives meaning to their lives but also leads to collapse when it cannot be integrated into societal norms.
List of general discussion questions on Passion (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Passion (pdf)