Extreme Passion Illustrated in Peter Shaffer's Play, Equus

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Recommended: Theme of insanity in literature

One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickenson wrote

Much madness is divinest Sense-

To a discerning Eye-

Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Passion is the key to every person's actions: passion for a career fuels people through school, passion for another human leads to the next generation, passion for life is what makes each of us get up every morning. However, an extraordinary amount of passion can lead people to rash decisions and actions, which is exactly what happens in Peter Shaffer's play, Equus. Passion of this amount, when expressed, is usually known as insanity, or madness.

When first introduced to Shaffer's bo...

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