Writing Assignment 2

Equus: A Dialogue

The Characters:

Dr. Robert Steinberg is an orthodox psychoanalyst and self-professed atheist. He is also a friend and psychiatric colleague of Martin Dysart. In conversation with Dysart, Robert became closely acquainted with the case of Alan Strang and with Dysart’s personal reactions to the case.

The Reverend John Morpeth is a former professor in religious studies at Cambridge University. He is known for his book about contemporary religious experience, titled Worship All That You See And More Will Appear: Modernity and the Eclipse of Passion. Morpeth is also pastor of the Anglican church attended by Dora Strang. As Dora’s pastor and counselor, he gained intimate knowledge of her family and of the events surrounding Alan Strang’s illness. It happened that in the course of Alan’s treatment, Dr. Dysart himself visited Rev. Morpeth on several occasions, first in the hope of learning more about Alan but later to discuss his own, profoundly disturbing reactions to Alan’s case.

The Dialogue:

Having learned about each other, Dr. Steinberg and Rev. Morpeth carried on a dialogue via email, in which they shared their perceptions of both Alan and Dysart. Drawing selectively on what you have learned in this class thus far, present a series of excerpts from their dialogue, in which they compare and critique each other’s views on the following questions:

1. Alan’s illness: his bizarre behaviour and its psychological and/or religious features.

2. Dysart’s personal crisis, as brought on by treating Alan Strang, and what Dysart learned, or failed to learn, in the process.

The only requirement as to how you elaborate the dialogue is this:

neither can be entirely right or wrong in the other’s opinion.

The dialogue should be five full pages (minimum, you can write more), double spaced, 1” margins (maximum), 12-point font, paginated. Indicate the assignment (e.g., “Equus Dialogue”) and your name on the same line. Leave no more than one space between this and the beginning of the text.

Grading: I will grade the dialogue on the basis of how well it represents a close reading of the play, a clear understanding and application of the Freudian analytical concepts (via Dr. Steinberg, the atheist), and a genuine effort to present an open-minded, religious perspective (that of Rev. Morpeth).

Enjoy