In the novel Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, the main character, Akhenaten, is strongly connected to religion and the main theme of the novel is religion. In the play, Equus, the main character, Alan, is also very connected to his religion. Alan and Akhenaten both let their religious views play such huge roles in their lives, which ultimately leads to their downfalls. While on the surface, the religion of both Akhenaten and Alan have stark contrasts, once digging deeper similarities begin to appear. The religions of the two characters aren’t similar in practice, but in the formulation of the religions, the two characters both project their issues into the foundation of the religion. Both characters feel powerless in their lives, and in order to fill that void, they turn to their religions to help them feel powerful. Akhenaten feels powerless because his physical appearance is weak and feminine. Alan feels powerless because he doesn’t have a clear direction in life and feels lost. The two use their religions to make them feel powerful by giving …show more content…
Dysart states that he’s very unhappy with his life. He and his wife are very proficient together, but there’s no passion in their relationship. Dysart doesn’t have a family life, so he uses his profession to fill that void and he appears to be a sort of fatherly figure to Alan. In Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, Meriamun sets out to find the truth about Akhenaten. As he uncovers the history of Akhenaten, he begins to develop a passion for Akhenaten’s god Aten. At the end of the novel, Meriamun reveals to us that he has a, “growing fondness for the hymns of the One God, and my profound love for the beautiful Nefertiti” (168). This shows that Meriamun is essentially filling the role of Akhenaten because he’s worshipping Aten and he’s falling in love with Akhenaten’s