An Enemy of the People

As one of the foremost dramatists of the 19th-century, Henrik Ibsen was in constant conflict with the society of his time. In this powerful work contrasting the enlightened and persecuted minority with the ignorant, powerful majority, he places his main character, Doctor Thomas Stockmann, in such a position. When the doctor learns that the famous and financially successful Baths in his home town are contaminated, he insists that they be shut down for expensive repairs. For his honesty, he is persecuted, ridiculed and declared an "enemy of the people" by the townspeople, including some who had been his closest friends. First staged in 1883, An Enemy of the People remains one of the most frequently performed plays by the writer regarded by many as the "father of modern drama." It follows in the wake of several other works by Ibsen's, including A Doll's House, currently a best-selling Dover Thrift Edition.

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When Dr. Thomas Stockmann learns that the famous and financially successful baths in his home town are contaminated, he insists they be shut down for expensive repairs. Ridiculed and persecuted by the townsfolk for his honesty, he is declared an "enemy of the people." A powerful drama by the "father of modern drama."

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When the famous and financially successful baths in his home town are contaminated, the local doctor insists they be shut down for expensive repairs, causing upheaval among the townsfolk.