Dysart In Eques

Dysart's Religious Dilemma

What is defined as true faith? Is it one's personal faith dependent on what they believe in? Maybe it is influences in one's life that makes them choose the path they travel by, or perhaps it is the wonder and lustful nature of human beings to question and pursue this wonder. Doctor Martin Dysart seems to question his faith and appears to not have a good solid faith.

The influences that Allen and Dysart share are of different origins but have similar connections. Dysart cannot seem to grasp the ideal that one God rules over every aspect of a human being. When referring to the Gods Dysart stated: "Worship as many as your can see - and more will appear" (Page 62). This is not a concrete supported ideal, for there is only one God that you can rely on. Dysart believes that life is only comprehensible through multiple Gods, and that one God cannot handle everything perhaps. His religious life is definitely unstable and it seems that Dysart is trying to find the answers but has trouble knowing where to look. Allen's case is that he thinks that the answer has been found, Equus, but doesn't know really how to handle the situation. Instead of worshiping Equus he tries to command him, so does that make him the god?

On the other hand, maybe Dysart was influenced by something greater than himself. Certainly it seems that Allen was this man's personal Jesus Christ. Allen was able to deal with problems that Dysart had never been able to even overcome. Dysart states, "What way is this? What dark is this? I cannot call it ordained of God: I can't get that far. I will however pay it so much homage. There is now, in my mouth, this sharp chain. And it never comes out" (Page 109). He seems to respect the fact that there is some kind of God but he doesn't want to go as far as stating that this particular approach or way is ordained by God. This "dark" that is consuming him