The final act of translations has been criticised for lacking dramatic power and for ending the play in confusion. Do you agree?
The final act of translations has been criticised for lacking dramatic power and for ending the play in confusion. Do you agree? The final act of Translations is an act in which Yolland ends up as missing, so creating a number of stories as to the circumstances of his disappearance. The final act of Translations can indeed be criticised for lacking dramatic power, as throughout the act there is no particular build up of tension that leads to one significant event. It can be seen that what happens to Yolland is fairly predictable; therefore the dramatic power is not present. The act can also be seen as ending in confusion as there is no definitive point that tells us exactly what each character goes on to do. But despite this, the statement may be questioned as was it Brian Friel's purpose to do this? Perhaps by ending the play with a lack of dramatic power and in confusion, he has left the rest of the play and the events leading on from it down to the imagination of the reader. In the final act of Translations, everything flows along in a kind of way that doesn't give dramatic power, as the subject and the dramatic power it radiates is the same as it was in the beginning of the play. The subject is still the same, being that of the changing of place names and its effect on the people of Ireland, and it never changes, therefore the readers have not experienced a build up of
Language in "Our Country's Good" by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Language in Our Country's Good. Unlike in novels, in plays we do not get a direct insight into the way in which a character behaves, their temperament, their motives, their attitudes to life, their background etc, but instead we interpret all these things through language, making it one of the most key features of any play. It is through language that we as actors establish how best to play characters. Within the play Our Country's Good there are two distinct social groups. The socially higher, more educated officers and the socially lower, less educated convicts. The two groups social statuses are clearly reflected in the language used. The officers ion general posses a far more superior vocabulary to that of the convicts. This is reflected in their longer more complex utterances, for example in Act Two Scene Two. Noticeably here Phillip's language reflects his education, culture and civilised manor. "I want to rule over responsible human beings, not tyrannise over a group of animals." The convicts however tend to use far less formal, more simplistic language. Such as that used by Dabby, that also reflects her lack of education. "Not those marks on the book Lieutenant," Act One Scene Five. Many characters in the play have accents. We can only discover these accents through language, for example Cambell, who we interpreted as Scottish due to language such as "the wee
‘How effective isthe first scene as the opening of the play?’
'How effective is the first scene as the opening of the play?' Brian Friel named this play, 'Translations.' By definition a translation is 'the process of rendering from one language to another, and the product of this process.' However, something is inferred in a translation, the original text looses some of its subtleties as well as some of the sounds of the words, the phonetics, and the ways in which the words are spelt, the orthographics. Sp not only is the title referring to the change of language, but also the loss of something in the process. Immediately, even before the play has begun, this title hints to the audience or reader of the topic and perhaps themes contained within the text; namely that of language. The opening line of the play belongs to Manus; Brian Friel has 'thrown' his audience into the scene mid-conversation. From Manus's line it appears that this has been an on-going dialogue for perhaps quite some time. This also provides a sense of continuity, a continuity that will soon be destroyed - Manus's tutoring of Sarah is obviously on-going, as is Jimmy Jack's love of the Classics; we're not just in mid-conversation, we're in a time segment of their everyday, mundane lives - this is a huge contrast to the tumult later in the play. This allows the audience to immediately get a feel of the situation and of the characters. There is no formal
“Drama Shows Us That Those Who Control Language Dictate the Events of the Play” Compare Your Texts In the Light of This Opinion.
"DRAMA SHOWS US THAT THOSE WHO CONTROL LANGUAGE DICTATE THE EVENTS OF THE PLAY" COMPARE YOUR TEXTS IN THE LIGHT OF THIS OPINIION.................................................. Norman Fairclough, a modern linguist, proclaimed that "language is power," implying that if you want to control a person or gain power over a nation, you must first control language. The writers of "The Tempest" and "Translations" clearly demonstrate this theme of control through the initial gaining and then maintenance of power through language............................... Both plays share the capacity to combine comedy and tragedy, although Translations is not a tragicomedy like The Tempest. Translations summarises the events of a nation being conquered by another, dwelling on the tragedy of Irish history over the course of several hundred years. Hugh, the school master, tells us that "It is not the literal past, the "facts" of history that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language...we must never cease renewing these images." Shakespeare, on the other hand, isn't inclined to use history, preferring rather to incorporate a fairy tale ambiance into such issues as language and power. Both plays demonstrate how one language can evolve and secure displacement over another very convincingly. In The Tempest, Miranda belittles Caliban's original language as "gabble" and "babble." In
A surprising amount of Translations depends on suppression, both political and personal, and the unspoken.(TM) To what extent are suppression and the unspoken important in the text?
'A surprising amount of Translations depends on suppression, both political and personal, and the unspoken.' To what extent are suppression and the unspoken important in the text? The play 'Translations' by Brian Friel is set in Ireland in 1833, During this time Ireland was undergoing colonisation by the English and the play represents a microcosm of the events occurring all across the nation at the time. Throughout the English empire's reign many Irish people were left without say in what was being happening to their own country and having to encounter suppression by the overwhelming power the English had had over them. The play very much portrays this image within itself and Friel has deliberately done this in order to reiterate history and reveal the struggle the Irish had to encounter. Suppression and the unspoken are heavily used within the play and the importance of its role within the play varies. Although some being more important compared to others, the issues as a collective seem much valid in justifying its importance. It can be argued that Friel illustrates it like so in order to aid the audience in judging for themselves the issues surrounding the colonisation. Suppression is a
How are the characters and their relations established in Act one of Brian Friel's " Translations".
How are the characters and their relations established in Act one of Brian Friel's " Translations" Characters and their relations are effectivelly established in different ways by Brian Friel in his play " Translations". Friel uses the relations of characters to emphasise certain characteristics. By being subjected to the interpretation of a character through the opinions of other characters allows the reader to form a judgement of the character. Friel uses stage directions to build-up a character. Once the character is present on stage, if the character lives up to the characteristics mentioned in the stage directions the reader or audience can easily focus on these flaws or assets and therefore get a better understanding of the character. Manus is one of the first characters that is introduced in Act one. He is described to be in his late/early thirties, shabbily dressed aswell as, ' pale-faced, lightly built' This description shows Manus to be a weak and feeble figure and this physial description suits his character well as when reading Act one, one learns that he is a very lame character who is easily manipulated by his father. Manus' weakness is shown through his relations with three characters, his father Hugh, Maire and his brother Manus. Although Hugh is an extremely able man, Manus accepts being ordered out by his father as though he were his servent. An example
The language in "The Royal Hunt of the Sun"
The language in "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" Language can convey and determine many things shaping a play in many areas. It can provide a strong reflection of status, portray different cultures, and describe the set up of location and the characters within that location. It can you allow you an understanding into the period of time that the play is set in, display the themes and issues within a play and allow gives a voice to the playwright to express what feelings that have of particular issues. I will assess these areas in the "Royal Hunt of the Sun" and un-pick to a large extent how each of the above is used within scenes and describe the effect this creates. It is very clear from the language used in act one scene one in the description of Pizzaro that he is a character with a great sense of importance and high status. Not only does he seem to possess such powerful control, he is described to carry and portray this power within the emotions he gives out. Being described as 'tough, commanding and harsh'...with gestures that are 'blunt, often violent' and using expressions that are 'intense and capable of fury' he is obviously aware of his position and exercises this status. The language Old Martin uses throughout the play is full of strong imagery and stressed emotions. Within his first speech he describes his image of Pizzaro using spiritual qualities 'my bright image
How does the language and structure used in the play Flowers for Algernon help to convey the characters and themes of the play?
How does the language and structure used in the play Flowers for Algernon help to convey the characters and themes of the play? In the radio play 'The play of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon' which was adapted by Bert Coules, language and structure convey the themes and characters of the play. Charlie's personality throughout the play is mainly developed throughout by the implementation of language. The changes which occur in Charlie are also emphasized dramatically through the use of language and progress reports. The play explores the themes of medial and ethical issues and how language affects this. Structure and language both play a large part in the radio play ''The play of Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon' by conveying the characters and themes of the play. Charlie Gordon's character is demonstrated clearly through the language of the play. His childlike personality especially is shown clearly in the beginning and at the end of the play. This trait of Charlie's personality is shown most effectively by the use of language, as shown when Charlie races Algernon in the 'amazed'. When Charlie finally wins, he exclaims "Ha! I won! I beat Algernon!", which is similar to what a child would say after losing consistently and then winning. Similarly, when Charlie first loses to Algernon, he creates a reason to why he hasn't won, using an excuse to try make himself feel
Why is the play called Translations?
Olivia Ollin Candidate no.- 7035 Pate's Grammar School - Centre no. - 57329 Coursework Section A 6. Why is the play called Translations? The notion of the word translation is most commonly associated with the idea of converting an expression into a different language; an idea certainly prevalent in Friel's play, through the Anglicisation of Irish place names and the numerous occasions where Owen interprets for the British soldiers. On another level, the word is also representative of the idea of converting something from one 'form, function or state to another'1, and is synonymous with the idea of change. Through the context of the British colonisation, we see not only the way in which the national identity of Ireland is altered, but also how personal identities are discerned and affected. The play is set in the summer of 1833, in rural North Western Ireland, a time of great political, social and economical unrest, amidst the arrival of two British soldiers sent to map the land. Ireland had been an area of British interest since the rule of Henry II in the 12th Century, however it was not until the early 17th Century and the reign of Henry VIII that British rule was consolidated, and only after 1801 that the Act of Union was officially (and somewhat reluctantly) accepted by both countries' Parliaments. Following the Spring Rice committee's report of 1824, a survey
There are some dramatic devices and techniques that Friel uses to illuminate the play's central themes. These could be the structure of the play, language and translation, and the ending.
What are the dramatic devices Friel uses to illuminate the play's central themes? (Consider names and naming, language and translation, map-making etc). There are some dramatic devices and techniques that Friel uses to illuminate the play's central themes. These could be the structure of the play, language and translation, and the ending. The structure of the play allows it to explore the theme of cross-cultural conflict and communication. The play could be about whether two communities can be together without conflict resulting in a change to the original community. In this play a change happens to the Irish community and they feel their traditions and ways of life have gone and at the end it look as if the whole way of life for Irish community is coming to an end. This happens as the result of the English becoming involved with the Irish. At first the audience is introduced to the situation. An Irish community is to be mapped then its place names standardised. The English soldiers are doing this and this means that the linguistic and cultural traditions of the Irish community may be compromised or destroyed. This is one of the complications of the play. Most plays will begin with a situation and then bring some complications and resolve them at the end. However at the end of the play, the whole way of life for the Irish community looks like it may be coming to an end.
