translations

             Lancey could also be accused of underestimating the intellect of the Irish further exemplifying his superiority and unawareness as when Jimmy converses in Latin he mistakes it for "Gaelic". By Lancey placing Gaelic on parity with Latin, it may inadvertently present the idea that the English and even the out side world, so to speak, consider the Gaelic language to be a "dead language", an idea commonly thought about Latin. Through this Friel may be commenting on the necessity for change in Ireland.
             Through Lancey, Friel is able to present the idea of the powerful English society gaining control and ownership of the Irish by obtaining "accurate information on every corner of this part of the Empire". The power of the British is exemplified here, as the language of supremacy is able to provoke an image of the inferiority of the Irish in comparison to the formidable British "Empire". The audience finds by reading on that the intention is to create a map of Ireland "which will be executed to a scale of six inches to the English mile" and the all place names will be "Anglicised" so by extending their rule and increasing their power. A theme which Friel comments on widely in the play is that fact that a name holds identity, and so by the powerful English society anglicizing the names, the names not only changes, but the identity of that place and the individual connection a place can hold, thus altering the culture and the heritage. This aids Friel's interlinked comment on how an enforced change has a destructive nature when it leads to the erosion of the Irish culture, identity and heritage destroys the inspiration of the future generation is lost (as exemplified by Sarah's final refusal speak later in the play).
             Another character that is first introduced in these pages is Lieutenant Yolland. It can be said that the character of Yolland is symbolic as a respecter of tradition and this idea is made clear from this first presentation of him.