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Translations, by Brian Friel the action is set in an edge school which will undergo a big change: it will be altered into a National School in which English will be the official language. Although, the English are carrying out the task of renaming Irish places into English, the fear of losing their mother tongue and so their identity is inerente the play. Themes: 1. Progress: Maire wants to learn English first because it would give her more opportunities than Irish; second, because she wanted to communicate with Yolland. In this way, she is seen as a traitor, she is betroying her roots and culture, moreover, in the moment in which it is being aglicized. Irish population is against the anglization but she is the only one that prefers it. She is a very pragmatic person and wants to improve soscially and economically. 2. National vs. Hedge School: this is a confrontation between English and Irish as teaching languages. The English wanted to imposed their language but it would signify the lost of the Irish identity. The Irish are against it, but they cannot fought againt them, because they are more powerful. 3. Change of identity: Owen is presented as a billiant man, but he has changed his identity. He has changed also his name, what shows that he had a lost of identity. He is Irish but he feels English. He speaks English and wants to impose this language over his country, even if it signifies the lost of Irish identity. As the play goes, we can see a change in the character of Owen. Towards the end he starts to feel regret for the trouble he had carried to this country, so he starts to feel his roots, although it was too late. 4. Tradition: Ireland is view as a place with a great tradition, as the reader can notice in the Irish names, for example. This is something positive for the Irish people, except for Owen, who feels annoyed for it. We can see it when he tells his colleagues the stories about the Irish names, felling it as a corruption of the language but it is not, it developed in it. It shows that he doesnt feel his roots, so he doesnt appreciate the wealthy Irish oral tradition. Also, Maire considers Hedge School rural, so she is another character that sees Irish tradition as something negative, she agrees with a change. 5. Translation problems: you can translate meanings but in the process the real beauty is lost and also a sort of background that it carries. Although, when he translate the names into English, they lost their beauty and meaning. Something similar happens when Owen tries to translate the English. He doesnt translate it properly in order not to frighten the Irish population 6. Hostility between England and Ireland 7. Rebellion of people

8. Repetitions 9. Aeneyd by Virgil 10. Regrets CHARACTERS AND AUTHOR BRIAN FRIEL Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist, autor and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He started writing short stories in The Yorker, but he’s best known for his plays. He presented some of his plays in Abbey Theatre, The West End or Broadway. Friel invented the modern memory play. TRANSLATIONS Translations is a three-act play by Irish playwright Brian Friel, set in Baile Beag, a Donegal village in 19th century agricultural Ireland. Friel has said that Translations is ‘a play about language and only about language’, but it deals with a wide range of issues – communication, Irish history or cultural imperialism. 

MANUS

Manus is the son of Hugh, brother of Owen and a teacher at the hedge school in Baile Beag. He’s sympathetic, friendly and helpful. He strongly opposes the changes the British government wants to impose. He can be seen as a metaphor of all Irish people, or Old Ireland, before the colonization. 

HUGH

School master. He thinks lowly of the English language and culture, but eventually comes to the realization that they will have to compromiso parts of their Irish culture in order to achieve peace. He’s the figure of authority in the hedge school. He’s the father of Manus and Owen. 

OWEN

He is the son of Hugh and brother of Manus. He Works as a translator for the British government. He separates himself from the history and culture of England. His task was to write down the translated names of Baile Beag’s landmarks. He’s often used as a médium between the English and the Irish. 

MAIRE

She’s a student at Hugh’s hedge school. Strong-minded woman in her twenties. Maire recognises and endorses the use of English language in Ireland – she knows English will be of better use to her. She’s an idealist and a fighter. This character can be seen as a metaphor of the new generation of Ireland. 

YOLLAND

British soldier. He escorts Owen in his task of translating Baile Beag’s landmark names into English. He

falls in love with Maire and they plan to escape, but the plan fails when Yolland suddenly disappears. His disappearance causes conflict between the British government and Ireland. 

SARAH

Student at Hugh’s hedge school. She has a speech defect, so Manus tries to teach her to read and to talk. This carácter can be seen as a metaphor of the majority of Irish people without decision. At the end of ACT II we can see how she tries to react to the unión of England (Yolland) and Ireland (Maire). 

CAPTAIN LANCEY

British captain sent by the English government. A figure of intrusive authority and representative of the lack of understanding between the English and the Irish cultures. He can be seen as a parallel with English intrusion in Ireland. He does not treat the Irish’s comprehension as completely human. 

JIMMY JACK

Elderly Bachelor. Initially used as a comic relief. Fascinated with the classical languages, and interested in marrying a classical goddess. He’s a very relaxed figure in the first parts of the play, but he’s depicted as somewhat pathetic in the last act. He lives in his imaginary stories. 

DOALTY

He, as Bridget, play fairly minor characters within the play, but serve the purpose of representing ordinary thought. He is an open-minded, open-hearted, generous and slightly thick man in his twenties. He does not take himself much seriously and allows himself to be swept up in the events around him. 

BRIDGET

She, as Doalty, play fairly minor characters within the play, but serve the purpose of representing ordinary thought. She is a plump Young girl (in her twenties), ready to laugh, vain and with a countrywoman’s instinctive cunning. Bridget appears to be more interested in things outside the classroom tan Doalty....