The portrayal of interpreters in audiovisual texts, illustrated by the character of Missandei in the TV series Game of Thrones

Abstract

In this chapter the performance of the character Missandei as an interpreter in the TV series Game of Thrones will be analysed in order to examine whether a realistic picture of the profession is potrayed or not. The role of language interpreters in audiovisual text has varied considerably since they first appeared on screen in 1961. Therefore, a brief overview of the different representations of interpreters in audiovisual texts will be given before focusing on the character Missandei and her interpreting performance throughout the TV series. In order to examine her performance, the evaluation schemes for consecutive interpreting from Domínguez Araújo (2013) and for liaison interpreting from Limbach and Álvarez (2019) will be used, focusing on the parameters interpreting setting, interpreting mode, preparation time, working conditions, and performance, the latter being subdivided into presentation, expression, problem solving, content, discourse management and expression in the foreign language.