An Enemy of the People: Act IV Summary & Analysis

In a large room in Captain Horster’s house, townspeople are gathering before the start of a meeting. One citizen greets another and asks if he’s brought his “whistle”; the second responds eagerly that he always brings his whistle to public meetings, and that one of his friends will soon arrive with a cow horn. Another man asks the crowd what the meeting is about. While some citizens express admiration for Dr. Stockmann’s disregard for authority, others remark that he must be wrong, because the People’s Messenger and the Householders’ Association have come out against him. They all decide to take their cues from Mr. Aslaksen, as is usual at public meetings.

Captain Horster escorts Katherine, Petra, Morten and Ejlif to a place where they can sit secluded from the rowdy crowd. Katherine asks if there will be a “disturbance,” and the captain says gravely that it’s impossible to tell. She thanks him for offering his house for the meeting, commending his bravery.

Hovstad, Billing, and Peter take their places on the floor; soon after, Dr. Stockmann enters in a suit and bows dramatically. He stops next to his wife, who reminds him not to lose his temper, and steps onto the platform to begin the meeting. Before he can say anything, Mr. Aslaksen suggests that the people should elect a chairman for the meeting. Dr. Stockmann doesn’t want to do this, but the crowd pipes up in agreement. Peter suggests that Mr. Aslaksen act as chairman, and the crowd voices its agreement. He mounts the platform and speaks about his regard for “moderation,” which is “the most valuable virtue a citizen can possess,” and encourages Dr. Stockmann to take this into account.

Peter asks for permission to make a remark, which Mr. Aslaksen grants. He says that, although he didn’t want to participate in the meeting, his concern for the welfare of the town requires him to bring forward a motion to forbid Dr. Stockmann from reading his report, in the interest of the town’s reputation. After all, his article in the People’s Messenger has explained the matter sufficiently to everyone.

Mr. Aslaksen voices his support for the motion, saying that Dr. Stockmann doesn’t care about the baths but is only interested in “a revolution.” The crowd applauds him. Hovstad pipes up to explain that he only supported Dr. Stockmann’s position when it seemed to be gaining public sympathy, but that Mr. Aslaksen’s advice has convinced him to act with moderation. He continues that an editor’s foremost responsibility is to “work in harmony with his readers” and reflect public opinion. Even though he has long been friends with Dr. Stockmann and believes in his good intentions, he must distance himself from a man who voices such dangerous ideas, especially at such peril to his family.

Mr. Aslaksen decides to put Peter’s motion to a vote, but Dr. Stockmann interrupts, saying that he now wants to speak on a different matter. He’s interrupted by a drunken man in the back, who shouts about his rights as a “ratepayer” before someone throws him out. Dr. Stockmann says that he’s been developing many new ideas over the past few days, and now has a revelation to share with the crowd, of much more importance than the quality of the water. In fact, he says, the “whole fabric of our civic community is founded on the pestiferous soil of falsehood.” Mr. Aslaksen calls for moderation.

Dr. Stockmann continues that he has always loved his hometown. In fact, when he went to practice medicine in the north he often longed for it. This other town, “a horrible hole,” was filled with people so isolated and primitive they seemed like animals, better served by a vet than a doctor. The crowd, which had warmed to Dr. Stockmann’s elegy for his native town, now murmurs in disapproval.

While he was living far away, Dr. Stockmann conceived a plan for the baths as a way to “be of service to my native town and the good of the community.” When he was able to return home and put these plans in motion, he was full of happiness. But now he is thoroughly disappointed by the “colossal stupidity” and “piggishness” of the authorities, who do nothing but stifle the rights of free men and who should be “exterminated like any other vermin.” Peter and Mr. Aslaksen call for the doctor to be quiet, but he shouts over them.

Dr. Stockmann personally attacks his brother for being unintelligent and bound by tradition, inciting laughter and chaos in the audience and outbursts by a few drunken men. But he continues that despite their incompetence, the authorities aren’t event the greatest danger to the communities. Rather, “the most dangerous enemy of truth and freedom” is actually “the compact majority,” which includes all the people standing in front of him. The crowd erupts in anger.

Hovstad and Billing shout that the majority is always right, but Dr. Stockmann says that this is never true. Logically speaking, he explains, unintelligent people always outnumber clever ones in a society; it’s a “social lie” to say that this unintelligent majority is always right and deserves to control those smarter than them. Rather, he says, the “minority is always in the right.”

Hovstad accuses Dr. Stockmann of becoming an aristocrat, but the doctor says he has no interest in the established upper class. Rather, he’s concerned with “the scattered few” intelligent and independent men. He wants to start a revolution against the “tyranny of the majority,” which forces society to cling to old and useless ideas rather than adopting fresh and innovative ones.

Sarcastically, Hovstad asks Dr. Stockmann to name one of these outdated ideas. The doctor responds that the entire People’s Messenger is based on the false premise that “the ignorant and incomplete” have the same right to govern as the “intellectually superior personalities” of the community. The crowd now turns against him entirely, blowing whistles and calling for him to be thrown out.

Dr. Stockmann calls for them to “be reasonable,” saying that, although he never hoped that everyone would support him, he did think that “freethinkers” like Hovstad would see the truth of his ideas. Hovstad denies that he has ever been a freethinker.

Dr. Stockmann says that he will prove that that the People’s Messenger is lying, and that “the common people are nothing more than the raw material” of their society. He reminds the crowd of the difference between “well-bred” and “ill-bred” animals: for example, a common hen lays small and poor eggs, compared to one bred for this function over decades. He then calls the audience’s attention to the difference between mutts who spend their lives running in the streets and poodles bred in the houses of gentlemen, who are smarter than common dogs ever could be.

If these examples hold true among the animal world, Dr. Stockmann says, they ought to be true of people as well, but Hovstad won’t acknowledge the truth because he “retains the traces of his common origin” rather than achieving “true intellectual distinction.” Hovstad says that he is proud to come from “humble countryfolk,” and the crowd applauds him.

Dr. Stockmann clarifies that he doesn’t refer to “common people” in the traditional, aristocratic sense of the world. He asserts that people of common intellect can be found on every step of the social ladder – like his brother Peter, who is descended from an old family but can’t think for himself.

Dr. Stockmann says it’s unconscionable for the People’s Messenger to preach that the compact majority is always broadminded and morally correct, when their actions are always based in “falsehood and deceit.” Mr. Aslaksen and Hovstad accuse him of trying to ruin the town, and he responds that he would rather see it ruined than “flourishing upon a lie.” He says that everyone who lives based on lies should be “exterminated” before they infect the entire country.

Hovstad shouts that Dr. Stockmann is a public enemy, and the crowd takes up this cry. Mr. Aslaksen calls a vote to declare the doctor “an enemy of the people,” and orders Billing to distribute paper. Citizens hiss at Dr. Stockmann, and Morten and Ejlif fight with other boys. Billing and Hovstad walk around collecting people’s ballots, hinting to the populace that Dr. Stockmann drinks, has madness in his family, and is acting from a desire for an increase in his salary.

Morten Kiil, who has been watching silently the entire time, approaches Dr. Stockmann and asks if he’s seriously accusing the tanneries—including the one Morten owns—of contaminating the water supply. Dr. Stockmann says that Morten’s tannery is the worst involved. Morten says that any attempt to publicize this fact will cost him, but Dr. Stockmann ignores this bizarre comment.

Aslaksen announces that everyone except for one drunkard has voted to declare Dr. Stockmann an enemy of the people. The crowd cheers for the community and the “able and energetic” Peter. Dr. Stockmann urges his family to put their coats on, refusing to leave through the back door; he promises that the people will hear more from him, as he is not as forgiving as Jesus. Mr. Aslaksen chides him for blasphemy. The entire family pushes through a crowd of hissing and angry people to leave.