Compare the ways Brian Friel presents ideas about divided identity in Making History with Michael Frayn in Spies

Divided identity operator is shown in both Spies and Making Historyfrom the beginning. Stephen Wheatley has two voices, his onetime(a) self (Stefan Weitzler) and his younger self, which forms a prominent split in his identity. Hugh ONeills split self is displayed a little subtler in the stage directions. ONeill is described to speak in an upper-class side of meat accent except on those occasions specifically scripted. The word scripted makes me mean of exemplifying and implies ONeills front is a feigned identity he puts on. This could also show that he is perhaps embarrassed by his Irish grow which contradict his betrayal of England later on in the play.This relates to Spies as Stephen Wheatley speaks the incline language with an English accent, when he is actually (unknowingly) German. Stephen Wheatleys father reminds me of ONeill overly as he is betraying his German background by working as an English spy, more like ONeill working as an Earl for England when he originate s from the contend clownish Ireland. ONeill seems to be un occupyed in the important events he needs to attend, only ifmore focused onsuch as the flowers hes decorating the room with and how he looks in his jacket.This gives the audience a first impression of ONeill he is more enthusiastic close to his new English wife rather than his (important) role. This lack of interest could show ONeill has a short attention span explaining, for example, his various affairs and marriages. This mercurial nature reminds me of Keith in Spies he starts out the enthusiastic draw of the investigation into whether his m opposite is a spy or not, but loses interest as time goes on and matters become more serious. However, you could also say that Keith is much unlike the temperamental ONeill as he is much like his father structured, organised and somewhat obsessive.Frayn shows this not only through how he was obsessing other his mother being a German spy, but through the fact he constantly wanted control of the mission and got angry when Stephen showed initiative. Frayn draws a parallel between Keiths bedroom and his fathers garage Keiths toys, like Mr Haywards car, ar in perfect condition and ar very rargonly played with. We see that Hughs habit of switching comes from his background fostered by Irish parents when young, he then lived with an upper-class English family who taught him to act properly so he could serve Queen Elizabeth as an Earl in Ireland.Thisblurring of culture, nationality and religion makes it difficult for ONeill to recognize who he really is is he English or Irish, Roman Catholic or Protestant? The fact hes just married Mary Bagenal is significant as he is risking his friends (ODonnell calls her an late bitch) and powerful rolefor his new love. ODonnells ignorance towards Mabels origin reminds me of Mr and Mrs Haywards prejudice towards Stephen and the rest of the street they are shown to very rarely today speak to Stephen and never socialise with their neighbours (besides Auntie Dee).The way they speak to Stephen could be xenophobia as they could somehow know Stephens real nationality, however I think it is more likely that they just have a fear of the unknown. This could have been influenced by Mr Hayward who seems to be the most paranoid of the family carrying his protective bayonet around everywhere. Flowers and plants are used frequently as metaphors in both the two texts to represent different identities. When Mary is talking about seeds she states not to plant the fennel skillful the dill or the two with cross-fertilize oull end up with a seed thats neither one thing nor the other. This represents the mixing of English Protestants and Irish Catholics, in other words the relationship between Mabel and ONeill. Additionally, this could relate to when we are t elder Mabel is pregnant the baby is the cross-fertilized, Irish/English, Protestant/Catholic seed. pull down the props on stage ONeill is using are symbolic as th ey area Spanish broom, Genista. Spain was a Roman Catholic country at the time and they (ineffectively) fought with Ireland years on in the Battle of Kinsale, which is what the entire play is based around.The Genistas reminds me of Mr. Haywards obsessing over his roses, although a different, frightening, tension is portrayed with him doing this. Frayn uses repeat and lists when describing Keiths work on his garden (Keiths father worked and worked and as he worked he whistled or around the house, incessantly digging and dunging, and trimming and pruning, forever undercoating and painting, and wiring and rewiring, forever making perfection yet more perfect)to present the characters compulsive attitude.The attention of his gardening tends to be on the roses which could be symbolic in a patriotic way roses are a typical English flower and the way he is described to be planting them sounds like hes building a fort to keep out enemies (the German, Wheatley family). The privet flower ( a misspelling of private by Keith) signified privacy, but had a suffocating smell whenever Stephen was in the privet with someone else there was often a stifled atmosphere. I think this smell indicated the un commodious stage at the start of puberty, where people start to discover their identities in more detail.The elder trees were outside the safe cul-de-sac, near to Uncle putzs hideaway which similarly equal Stephenss admission into the adult world and puberty. In the first scene, ONeill presents Mabel with a ring which is symbolic as it was made in London the smashing of the country Ireland are enemy with and the only person to have one is the Queen of England, Elizabeth. This moment is like the initiation of Mabels new identity when Mabel changes were a tough breed the upstarts to the ONeills being the tough breed.This is similar to Mrs Hayward wearing her cravat to cover her abuse symbolising the initiation of her oppression. The stake scene occurs about a year later in the same room and Mabel has undoubtedly added her touch as it is described as more comfortable and colourful this perhaps indicates that she could have changed ONeill. In the first scene we saw that Mabel was quite naive and had little knowledge of the Irish (she believed ONeills taunts of shaking hands with an archbishop turns them black), and now we see not much has changed but in fact gotten worse.She is sat alone (showing she has not settled in or made any friends) and her reaction to horseplay (her eyes are shut tight. She sits frozen in terror for a few seconds even when it is obvious that the screaming is horseplay) shows that she is unbosom frightened of the Irish. She is almost desperate for her sister, Mary, to stay which again shows her lack of company. It is apparent that Mabel is unhappy living in Ireland, however when Mary tries to hint for her to come home, her answers are uninterested as if she were satisfied in Ireland she uses single words such as Yes. , Really? and Good. . There is a pathos felt for Mabels isolation in this scene which is similar to what is felt for Mrs Hayward when she is kept prisoner by her abusive husband in her own house. Mrs Hayward is especially shown in a consonant light when the only person she can turn to is Stephen this involved downgrading herself to sitting down in a dirty privet bush wearing makeup and go around clothes at an attempt to persuade him to help her. ONeill is not the only character with a divided identity in the play Mabel has one too.When talking with Mary she puts on a facade that she is loyal to Hugh and the Irish, however when alone with him she disapproves of his politics or betrayal to England and tells him not to go to war, and condemns his culture deficient the tramps out of here, showing her misery. Whats more, we unexpectedly see that she has other abilities than being ONeills wife and doing delicate and complicated lacework Mabel seems very knowledgeable, wise and authorized in the areas of politics. Her divided identity reminds me a lot of Mrs. Haywards. Primarily, she is seen as the faultless, serene Mrs.Hayward who relaxes with her feet up and a book, but when we find out she is in love with Uncle bill this is disapproved of not just by Mr. Hayward, butthe rest of the street, like Mabels love is disapproved of by her siblings, England and Ireland. ONeills feelings change for Mabel the mistresses show that he is bored of her and he has apathy towards the fact she is pregnant. ONeill has a mercurial nature, which is perhaps the cause of all these different wives, loyalties (and disloyalties) to opposing countries, and the arguments with Mabel and later with Harry.Act two begins with ONeill in a rougher location than the wealthy house were used to, with such lack of furniture that he has to use a wooden box as a desk. ONeill even tells ODonnell What you see is what I have showing the loss of all the materialistic things that he had before. For the audienc e, it is immediately made obvious that Ireland have lost the war and ONeill is symbolically on his knees as he is writing a letter to Queen Elizabeth begging for forgiveness and his old job.When Harry arrives in the scene, he comes with news of Mabels death through blood poisoning, which is representative that shes been poisoned by ONeills Irish blood. In Spies, there is a recurring theme, just like the blood in Making History, of the bring getting closer and closer which builds tension until finally Uncle Peter significantly killed by it. Frayn again uses repetition to create this suspense all throughout the book, from just mentioning the train line to the intimidating huge thunder of the train when he is in the tunnel. My final point is of course about the making of the history itself.It is apparent from the start that Lombard was going to exaggerate in the book, but by the end we know he used ONeill so Roman Catholics could have an idol. This shows when the grieving (even after many years) and drunken ONeill is staggering about his room, reading sentences like noblest son of noble lineage and that he grew in comeliness and urbanity, tact and eloquence, wisdom and knowledge that supposedly describe him. Divided identity is the main theme of the play, whereas in Spies it is just one of the many readings of the novel. Why?