An Enemy of the People

1) Compare the following pairs of characters.

a) Dr. Stockman and Peter Stockman

b) Mrs. Stockman and Petra Stockman

2) In the First Act, Hovstad and Aslaksen support Dr. Stockman, but their
attitude experiences a sudden change in the First Scene of the Second
Act. Why is this change produced in each of them ?

3) Mrs Stockman says at the end of Act One: Without power, what good is
the truth? Comment on this sentence in the context of the play.

4) Is Dr. Stockman a hero or a man who is anxious to be the centre of

attention? Or a bit of both? Justify your answer.

5) What can we learn from him?

6) Two topics of An Enemy of the People which are relevant to our modern
democracies are the role of the press and the manipulation of democratic
debate. Write briefly on them in the light of the play.

7) In Act Three, Dr. Stockman receives the visit of the ambasadors of

hell, who try to tempt him out of his conviction. The most cunning of
them is Kiil. How does he try to coax Dr. Stockman?