Religion and Worship

Shaffer complicates the idea of what religion is and should be through the play through Alan's primal worship.
Dora is a very religious woman and Frank hates it. He doesn't approve of telling Alan all the Biblical stories because he thinks that is what started his fascination with religious pain and suffering.
Dysart comes to see himself as a 'priest' of modern society. As a phychiatrist his job is to worship the religion of the 'normal.' To restore his patients to normality and turn them into average citizens. The priest comes from the dream he recounts to Hesther about slicing open children as a sacrifice.
Alans chanting that Frank witnesses shows strong religious influence.
Frank removes Alan's picture of Jesus suffering and replaces it with a horse, it could be said that this confuses Alan and encourages him to make the horse into a God.
Dysat's obsession with Greek Mythology fits into this theme because he longs for a world that encourages and welcomes expression and freedom, with no concept of normality.
1. ‘Look! Life is only comprehensible through a thousand local Gods. And not just the old dead ones with names like Zeus—no, but living Geniuses of Place and Person!

Resource summary

	Created by Millie Johnson about 9 years ago