Act 2 Scene 1, which is just before the love scene, is very different. Maire and George at this point are still very shy and use Owen to translate everything between them:
Maire: Tell him then
Owen: Tell him what?
Maire: About the dance.
Maire is essentially inviting George to the dance and is displaying feelings towards George. It is evident in the following scene that they have had a good time together and are in love as they run from the ball. The scene subsequent to the love scene (Act 3 Scene 1) has a different premise and feeling than the fairytale love scene; it is bleak and rushed as the audience are told that George is missing, and Manus is packing up to leave implying some guilt and is evidently traumatized. Manus goes to the extent of ignoring Sarah, which as she represents Ireland, makes a big impact; he is giving up. The scene has a black mood, which contrasts with the hope the lovers shared in the previous scene.
The scene has significance as it gives a romantic side to the play whilst still representing the recurrent themes. The use of place names as communication gives a magical, mythical bond between George and Maire, which draws the lovers together. Firstly, they gesture to one another, the most primitive form of communication; an example of this:
(Indicating himself) ‘George’.
George is telling Maire his name, which is his identity and what describes him as a person. As the pair recite their names to one another, it is as if they are allowing one another into their hearts, as a gesture of love.
The pair also try to communicate in Latin, common words of one another’s language and using the elements, which increase the audience’s suspense as the lovers desperately, try to get their meanings across. George’s constant ‘sorry-sorry?’ and ‘Oh my God’ shows the desperation with which he tries to communicate and gives the audience an insight into how much he has grown to care for Maire. At the beginning of the scene, George and Maire, although speaking in different languages, are saying similar things:
Maire: The grass must be wet. My feet are soaking.
Yolland: Your feet must be wet. The grass is soaking.
This would give a comic vibe, and the scene begins in an upbeat tone, two lovers in the first flush of love, excited and speaking at a fast pace, although not understanding one another, but still being on the same wavelength.
The scene is touching as the pair echo one another and the audience realise their relationship is an impossibility; they have a distinct lack of communication and socially it would not be right; the audience is also reminded about Manus:
Maire: Manus’ll wonder where I’ve got to.
Manus is another obstacle to Maire and George’s relationship and the anxiety in Maire’s line is apparent, adding suspense to the scene and makes the audience wonder what will happen to them.
The scene is very ironic in many ways; Yolland desperately wants to live in Baile Baeg and tries to embrace Gaelic, although he has a hard time learning it. He also has very strong feelings for Maire and wants to communicate with her- the only way this is possible is through the place names, which he only knows so well through his job of removing them. George is excited and cannot wait to live with Maire in Baile Baeg, yet Maire wants to leave more than anything. It is possible that the love each holds for the other is false, and purely because in their misguided view, the other represents their dream. Maire refers to George as ‘Lieutenant George’ which shows she is in awe of his English status, she is impressed and as she has stated before wants to live in an English community, George is her way to get that life; which is shown in ‘Take me away with you, George’, which is what she says just before they kiss. Whereas George states ‘I’m not going to leave here’ he is set upon staying and wants to be with Maire, which is also ironic as he really never will leave Baile Baeg after his mysterious disappearance. Their misunderstanding shows that if they had good communication, they probably wouldn’t want to be with one another- their relationship is a fantasy. The pair’s repetition of ‘Always’ is ironic to the audience or reader, as it is clear that their relationship could not be forever; George and Maire are from different worlds, and the community would not take their relationship lightly, as is later seen. George and Maire are very different people, George much better educated, from an alternative background and English, which creates underlying conflict between the two characters.
Tension and suspense are added to the build up of the kiss, as after the couple have recited the place names and ‘always’ the pair are constantly moving towards and away from each other, increasing the anticipation of the kiss. When they do kiss it is sudden, breaking the tension of the long build up. The big revelation to the audience is of course, Sarah being witness to the kiss and saying ‘Manus…Manus!’ which shows that she has gone to tell him about George and Maire, bring the scene to a climax. It is also poignant that after Sarah has been given the gift of speech, she is now about to use it to tell her teacher and change everything in Baile Baeg, possibly costing George’s life.
As the scene acts as a microcosm of the play’s messages, Friel displays the themes of translation, cultural differences and conflict of interests all in one scene. As a result, I think that this is a very important, if not the most important scene of the entire play, as the scenes before all build up to this moment, and the later events preceding it are all results of George and Maire’s union. Brian Friel has also managed to keep the audience interested by using tension, pace, irony and suspense; and successfully brings the end of the act to a climax, keeping the audience engaged.
