Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
The following activities will help you revise Friel’s presentation of the different characters in
the play.
Complete the grid below, either working individually or in pairs.
Character
Stage directions that
reveal character
Age: early 60s
Hugh
First entrance ‘A large
man, with residual
dignity, shabbily
dressed, carrying a stick.
He has, as always, a
large quantity of drink
taken …’
Dialogue: find
quotations to illustrate
the characters
‘Before we commence
our studia I have three
items of information to
impart to you – (to
Manus) a bowl of tea,
strong tea, black –
‘We must learn where we
live.’
Character analysis
Charismatic,
erudite/learned,
predictable and
inflexible.
His appearance and
drunkenness don’t fit his
role as schoolmaster. He
only contemplates real
change at the very end.
Manus
Owen
Jimmy
Jack
Maire
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Sarah
Bridget
Doalty
Captain
Lancey
Lieutenant
Yolland
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Other character activities
1. Find evidence of how Friel has given each character an idiolect to help differentiate between
them – e.g. Hugh’s use of Latin in his ordinary speech, e.g. ‘Adsum, Doalty, adsum.’ Also his
repeated intention to tell the pupils three things, but never getting to the third.
2. Find examples of how Friel tries to replicate real spontaneous speech, e.g. using
interruptions, hesitations and repetitions.
3. Explore the relationships of different groups of characters, e.g. O’Donnell family: Hugh,
Manus, Owen
Exam style questions
Edexcel
Discuss how far Friel creates characters and relationships that represent those that exist in 19th
century Ireland. Start by reading the end of Act 1, from ‘Hugh is now drunk. He holds on to the
edge of the table.’ to the end of the act.
Use this extract as a starting point and refer to other parts of the play. Consider Friel’s use of
literary and linguistic features and relevant contextual factors. Support your answer with
evidence from the text.
OCR
Explore how far Friel presents characters and relationships that represent those that exist in 19th
century Ireland. Start by reading the end of Act 1, from ‘Hugh is now drunk. He holds on to the
edge of the table.’ to the end of the act.
Consider the use of dramatic and stylistic techniques in the extract, its significance within the
play and any relevant dramatic or other contexts.
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Teaching notes and suggestions
Character
Hugh
Stage directions
Dialogue - examples
Age: early 60s
‘Before we commence our
studia I have three items of
information to impart to
you – (to Manus) a bowl of
tea, strong tea, black -.
First entrance ‘A large man,
with residual dignity,
shabbily dressed, carrying a
stick. He has, as always, a
large quantity of drink taken
…’
Age: late 20s/early 30s
Manus
Play opening ‘pale-faced,
lightly built, intense, and
works as an unpaid
assistant… lame’.
Act 3 opening ‘His
movements are determined
and urgent.’
Age: in his 20s
Owen
First entrance ‘a handsome,
attractive young man …
dressed smartly … his
manner is easy and charming
… stands framed’.
Act 2 opening Re: Name-Book
‘totally engrossed in his
task’
Age: in his 60s
Jimmy
Jack
Play opening ‘Infant Prodigy
… never washes … gods and
the ancient myth… as real
and as immediate as
everyday life’.
‘We must learn where we
live.’
Re: new school ‘My father
has applied for it … I
couldn’t – I can’t go in
against him.’
After hearing Lancey speak
in Act 1‘What sort of a
translation was that,
Owen?’
Maire
First entrance ‘strongminded, strong-bodied…
head of curly hair’. First
entrance Act 3 ‘her hair in
disarray … in acute distress
… distraught’
Age: not clear, 17 to 35?
Sarah
Play opening ‘speech defect
… considered… dumb…
waiflike appearance’. Act 3
opening ‘more waiflike than
ever’
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Charismatic,
erudite/learned,
predictable and inflexible.
His appearance and
drunkenness don’t fit his
role as schoolmaster. He
only contemplates real
change at the very end.
Exploited by his father,
losing Maire because of
this, supportive to Sarah,
intense feelings, principled,
learned, his appearance
doesn’t fit his role, looks
weaker than he is.
Act 1, ‘Honest to God, it’s
such a delight to be back
here with you all again –
‘civilised’ people. Anyhow –
may I bring them in?’. Act 2
‘trying to denominate and
at the same time describe
that tiny area…’
Impressive, manipulative,
attractive, confident,
mercenary. Committed to
creating Name-Book, but
changes his mind in Act 3
‘my mistake – nothing to do
with us.’ in reaction to
Lancey’s threats. He links
the English and the
villagers.
‘I was just thinking to
myself last night: if you had
the choosing between
Athene and Artemis and
Helen of Troy… which
would you take?’
Unkempt and dirty,
eccentric, isolated from
real events around him,
immersed in the classics. By
the end admits ‘what I
really want … at my time of
life, companionship’
Act 1 ‘Well now, isn’t that
a pretty sight. There’s your
milk. How’s Sarah?’ Later in
Act 1 ‘We should all be
learning to speak English.’
Act 2, Scene 2. ‘I want to
live with you – anywhere’
Sarcastic, ambitious for
herself and for Manus, not
content with being a
milkmaid in the village.
She’s attracted to Yolland,
hopeful he will return.
‘to communicate, she
grunts and makes
unintelligible nasal sounds’
Very little dialogue until
end of Act 2 Scene 2 and
runs off to tell Manus about
Maire and Yolland.
Shy, emotionally and
physically fragile, loyal to
Manus but ironic that she
tells him about Maire and
Yolland, which appears to
end the status quo in the
village.
Act 3 ‘crying, shaking his
head’
Age: in her 20s
Character analysis examples
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Age: in her 20s
Bridget
First entrance ‘plump …
ready to laugh, vain …
cunning’. Act 3 ‘They are
self-consciously noisier,
more ebullient, more
garrulous than ever’
Age: in his 20s
Doalty
First entrance, with Bridget,
he’s ‘open-minded, openhearted, generous and
slightly thick’ Act 3 enters
with Bridget, as above. After
Lancey’s ultimatum ‘Doalty
does not move. Bridget runs
… panic’
Age: middle-aged
Captain
Lancey
First entrance ‘small, crisp
officer, expert in his field as
cartographer but uneasy
with people … especially
these foreign civilians.’
Age: late 20s/early 30s
Lieutenant
Yolland
First entrance ‘tall and thin
and gangling, blond hair, a
shy, awkward manner. A
soldier by accident.’
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Act 1, shortly before Hugh
enters ‘And wait till you
hear this… the sweet smell
was everywhere’. Act 3 ‘If
you want to know about
Yolland, ask the Donnelly
twins … He’s a powerful
fiddler, O’Shea …’
Ignorant of potato blight
cause and effect,
superstitious, a gossip who
sometimes says too much
and has to suddenly change
the subject, sensing she’s
creating danger.
Act 1 ‘every time they’d
stick one of these poles
into the ground and move
across the bog, I’d creep up
and shift it’ and ‘What
d’you make of that for an
implement, Bridget?’. Act
3, of Lancey ‘he’ll not put
me out without a fight’
Sabotaging the English
soldiers’ surveying work;
immature, imitates Hugh;
uses crude innuendo to
Bridget; has the closest link
to the Donnelly twins, who
seem to be involved in
resistance/ terrorism
against the English.
Addressing the school Act 1
‘A map … you understand?
… information on every
corner of this part of the
Empire’.
Act 3 ‘they’ll begin evicting
and levelling … (Pointing to
Bridget) I know you. I know
where you live.’
Aloof, formal, powerful, a
bully, patronising, lacking
in social skills, intimidating.
‘Lancey’s a bloody ramrod
but George’s all right.’
Owen uses a weaponrelated metaphor. Yolland
calls Lancey ‘The perfect
colonial civil servant’
Act 1 ‘I hope we’re not too
– too crude an intrusion on
your lives.’ Act 2.1 ‘I’m
afraid I’m a great
disappointment to him.’
(his father). Act 2, scene 2
to Maire ‘I’m not going to
leave here …’
George, unassuming,
hesitant, polite, amenable,
feels at home in Baile Beag
and is attracted to Maire.
His liking for poteen is a
symbol of how he engages
with the Irish rural way of
life.
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Other character activities

Hugh’s use of Latin in his ordinary speech, e.g. ‘Adsum, Doalty, adsum.’ Also his
repeated intention to tell the pupils three things, but never getting to the third.

Doalty’s manoeuvre/filler ‘Cripes’ and Irish colloquialisms ‘aul eejit’ ‘be Jasus’.

Bridget’s non-standard grammar ‘Did any of yous hear … ’ and dialect ‘wee ones’ to mean
small/young children.

Jimmy Jack’s immersion in Greek language and mythology, also his use of the Irish
colloquialism ‘sure …’ also used by other characters.

Yolland’s short, hesitant turns when first introduced and when alone with Maire in Act 2
Scene 2 compared to his long, fluent turns when explaining his background to Owen in
Act 2 Scene 1.
2. Examples of how Friel tries to replicate real spontaneous speech, e.g. using interruptions,
hesitations and repetitions ‘a scaled drawing of – of – of -/ It might be better if…’; spelling to
reflect pronunciation ‘flow-ers. Come on – flow-ers.’
3.

O’Donnell family: Hugh, Manus, Owen

Hedge school pupils: Jimmy Jack, Maire, Sarah, Doalty and Bridget

Colonisers/map-makers: Lancey, Yolland, Owen

Female characters: Maire, Sarah, Bridget

Possible love triangle: Manus, Maire, Yolland

Classical scholars: Hugh, Manus, Jimmy Jack

Off-stage characters: e.g. Donnelly twins, Nellie Ruadh (and baby), Anna na mBreag
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Revising key characters
Translations by Brian Friel
Exam style questions
Handy hints and notes for students to consider for their essays – give as many as you think your
students would benefit from or use as part of feedback after marking the essay:

Friel’s stage directions are important: ‘Hugh is now drunk’ not fully absorbing Lancey’s
message. The ‘few desultory claps’ show the others do not support his welcome to the
English. The final stage direction creates a tableau where each character is doing what
characterises them, e.g. Owen introduces Maire to Yolland. Their attempted relationship
in Act 2, scene 2 ends in loss and violence, as it does for England and Ireland, too.

Having just listened to and understood both versions of the explanation of what the
English soldiers are doing, Friel has Hugh and Manus give very different reactions: Hugh
‘happy to offer you our friendship, our hospitality …’ but Manus ‘it’s a bloody military
operation’.

Manus and Owen are brothers, yet represent conflicting points of view: Manus the Irish,
rural view and Owen the English, colonial one to local mapping and renaming, thus to the
whole country. Owen: ‘And in a way we complement each other’ followed by the
ominous stage direction ‘punches’ foreshadows English military pressure on Ireland to
accept colonisation.

Manus remains suspicious and hostile towards what the English are doing, expressed
through rhetorical questions, e.g. ‘What’s ‘incorrect’ about the place-names we have
here?’ with scare quote emphasis. In Act 2 Scene 1 Manus shows his hostility by refusing
to speak English to Yolland.

Owen’s reaction to being called Roland reflects the English point of view to changing Irish
place names: ‘what the hell. It’s only a name.’ suggests origin, history and custom can be
discarded, while names of people and places being ‘standardised… Anglicised’ is
acceptable.

The English soldiers are described as ‘Gentlemen’ (by Hugh), Lancey as a ‘ramrod’, (used
for ramming the charge into a firearm) and Yolland as ‘George’s all right’, probably
named after King George III or IV (both by Owen). In Act 3, an attack on Yolland is
treated like an attack on the Crown, and Lancey’s description as a ‘ramrod’ foreshadows
his first retaliatory action ‘we will shoot all livestock’.

Friel has Owen call himself ‘the go-between’ suggesting he is neutral in his views and yet
he softened the message Lancey was giving about the soldiers’ activities in mapping,
renaming and so colonising Ireland. In contrast he refers to the Irish characters as ‘you
bastards’, as if he’s unsure of their support. He’s both an insider and outsider in Baile
Beag.
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