An Enemy of the People – Henrik Ibsen – First performed in 1882, Henrik Ibsens An Enemy of the People is the story of the animosity that can befall someone whose actions, while in the best interest of the public good, threaten the economic well being of a community. The story begins during an evening of entertaining at the household of Dr. Stockmann, the titular enemy of the people. When the mayor of the town, Dr. Stockmanns brother Peter, and the editor of the town newspaper, Hovstad, come to Dr. Stockmanns home, he is confronted over the rumors that the water of the town baths may be contaminated. The two brothers argue over the morality of concealing or falsely shaping the narrative in regards to the problem. When a letter arrives confirming the contamination, Dr. Stockmann convinces Hovstad that he must publish the report, which sets into motion a great conflict amongst the townspeople over the financial cost of dealing with the contamination. In this tensely dramatic work we find Ibsen at his best in addressing the economic consequences of doing the right thing. This edition follows the translation of R. Farquharson Sharp, includes an introduction by Otto Heller, and a biographical afterword.
About the author
Henrik Johan Ibsen was a major Norwegian playwright largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. He is often referred to as the ‘father of modern drama.’ Ibsen is held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors and one of the most important playwrights of all time, celebrated as a national symbol by Norwegians.His plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when Victorian values of family life and propriety largely held sway in Europe and any challenge to them was considered immoral and outrageous. Ibsen’s work examined the realities that lay behind many facades, possessing a revelatory nature that was disquieting to many contemporaries.Ibsen largely founded the modern stage by introducing a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality. Victorian-era plays were expected to be moral dramas with noble protagonists pitted against darker forces; every drama was expected to result in a morally appropriate conclusion, meaning that goodness was to bring happiness, and immorality pain. Ibsen challenged this notion and the beliefs of his times and shattered the illusions of his audiences.
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