Assignment Explore the idea of "conflict" as it is developed in Peter Shaffer's play, "Equus."  Response Conflict weighs down many of the primary characters in "Equus." Although religion can be sourced as the root for many of these conflicts it is merely the topic and not the type of conflict. Throughout the novel three types of conflicts are displayed. Parental conflicts, professional conflicts and adolescent conflicts. Frank and Dora Strang, although loving, share different, often conflicting, values and opinions on many aspects of life leading to disagreements and arguments. These parental conflicts manifest themselves within Alan's psyche and contribute to the moulding of his personality and attitudes to life. A primary example of a parental conflict between Frank and Dora is in their attitudes and acceptance of religion. Dora, a devout Christian, attempts to instil Christian values and ideologies within Alan from a young age. Her obsessive piety, however, makes her incapable of fairly judging Alan for his actions as she holds him to the standards of her religion. A violent outbreak in hospital sees Dora hit Alan, refusing to take responsibility for the "loony  Alan has become, blaming the devil for his socially unacceptable actions. Frank, on the other hand, treats religion with disdain. He believes that it is the reason that Alan has grown up to become the teenager he is, indirectly blaming his wife when he states to Dysart, "A boy spends night after night having this stuff read into him: an innocent man tortured to death -- thorns driven into his head -- nails into his hands -- a spear jammed through his ribs...bloody religion -- it's our only real problem in this house." He holds puritanical, old fashioned values but is found to be unable to meet his own moral standards when Alan spots him at a pornographic film, providing further evidence of the conflicting parental values as Frank must find sexual satisfaction in late