Equus Essay & Criticism

Equus Critical Overview

When Equus premiered on July 26, 1973, it provoked strong reactions from critics, as might be expected given the play's startling topic and innovative production. Many reviews praised the philosophical and theatrical complexity of the work, heralding it as the high point of Shaffer's dramatic career. Dissenting reviews called the play pretentious or contrived; few writers, however, failed to observe that the play was a major theatrical event of the 1973 London season. Michael Billington of the Manchester Guardian described the play as "sensationally good." Billington observed that Shaffer continued to explore a theme common to his earlier works but judged Equus superior to its predecessors because in it, "the intellectual argument and the poetic imagery are virtually indivisible." Harold Hobson of the Sunday Times similarly raved about the play.

Taking an opposing view, Ian Christie of the Daily Express called the script "pretentious, philo- written and found the...
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