Ibsen’s drama follows a doctor ostracized for exposing a truth that threatens his town.
An Enemy of the People centers on Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a respected physician who discovers that the town’s profitable baths are dangerously contaminated. When he attempts to make his findings public, his actions threaten the town’s economic stability and reputation. What begins as a scientific warning quickly escalates into a public conflict, as community leaders, the press, and neighbors turn against him to protect their own interests.
Written by Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People is one of the playwright’s most politically charged works, first performed in 1882. Ibsen, a central figure of modern drama, is known for plays that confront social hypocrisy, moral compromise, and the pressures exerted by majority opinion, themes that are sharply articulated through Dr. Stockmann’s struggle.