MIDTERM ASSIGNMENT

SAIFULLAH SOHAIL
1915123

The play “An enemy of people” is carrying many characters, their own conflict
inside them and many chunks of someone’s life and policy. In act III Doctor
Stockmann and Peter Stockmann (Mayor) are the ones who will be confronting
each other with the principles they stand for. Both strongly believe and stay
focused on what they want and in eyes of both characters their work is for the
better good of the people. Being persistent and strong on believing the ideology
they try to bring people in their side to make their case stronger so they could
accomplish what they believe is right by their book. During this time the other
characters like Hovstad and Aslaksen are changing sides after calculating who
could give them benefit. The play also highlight how power of knowledge can be
fatal or useful when used correctly and how someone can choose to ignore the
facts and only see the perspective which is benefiting them somehow. Then
highlighted relationship of Doctor Stockmann’s wife with her husband and sudden
change at the end. Peter Stockmann (Mayor) is powerful through out the play
which was quite evident giving his position but from the seat of an audience he
won’t get much appreciation or support some might say he is a hero by his action
in trying to save his town but lost in many eyes as he risked others life.
In the start of scene Aslaksen is telling Hovstad the mayor is there to see him as he
just finished his meeting with Petra which didn’t went well. As she saw through
Hovstad that he was not an honest man after writing down a wrong article just to
get the attention of people making Petra angry and Hovstad with disappointment.
Now as Peter Stockmann entered in office audience might think he will be filled
with tension and stress yet he enters in a cool and calm manner and start telling
him something. Here he used a clever way of trapping Hovstad after telling him
few things that how this article will change the whole town just like that making
his judgement clouded and confused meanwhile acting normal instead of giving a
strong reaction. Here Peter Stockmann reveals how the town will be destroyed
after the paper publishes, which was enough for both men Hovstad and Aslaksen
as they were already using Dr. Stockmann side to cook up against the present
working system but seeing that it would just ruin the town leaving nothing to be
part of, they changed their idea. Now here action taken by both men were a little
clear in past that they could do something to an extent to benefit themselves but
changing the side entirely was not much expected by the audience and it came as a
shock. They inquired and talked with Peter Stockmann who cleared the picture
how things won’t be same again as the time period and money to fix bath would
destroy the town after stopping its generating capital through those baths.

Just as they were talking about the whole thing Dr. Stockmann appears to check
the progress on printing his paper on which Peter Stockman hid. Now behaviour of
Dr. Stockmann can be seen when he is telling the importance of the news, he is
going to tell the people, throughout interrupting and cutting both men while they
tried to talk. He started thinking of himself as someone big in eyes of public how
will arrange many rallies in his honour which made audience curious and
somewhat perplexed that why would he act like that. As he tells everything to
Hovstad and Aslaksen his wife intercepts them. And just like any wife she try to
persuade him that his motivations will lead them without house and food for their
children. That everything can work out fine if they would look out their own home
on which he tells her that community is much important for him and he is for the
community which gives us reflection of his strong commitment and rights in his
own eye that he is willing to lose everything just to provide the truth which can
develop the respect of Dr. Stockmann in eye of watching audience on how every
person should stick to his polices and promises to himself.

And during that moment a hat and cane is noticed by Dr. Stockman which belongs
to mayor. He immediately searched for the Peter Stockmann he finds him behind a
door. The way he addresses Peter Stockmann after finding him is stranger or the
style implies that now Dr. Stockmann (according to his thinking) is in the power as
he had Aslaksen and Hovstad who will tell the story to everyone but that’s not the
case as both men is already on Mayor’s side. And this news is slowly cracked too
that they changed sides and left Dr. Stockman which can be an emotional point for
both viewers and Dr. too. As he is all alone now no one wants to print his writing
and notice no one really wants to listen to him, no one want to open public
gathering halls in order to stop him gathering in public and convey any message to
people. And this is where a proper character change can be seen in the scene.

At this point Katherine feels like her husband is outnumbered and needs something
help on which she directly says that she will do whatever it takes to help her
husband out which created two perception for her in mind of audience. First is that
even after denying few minutes ago about the plans of her husband, is it wise to
jump in some decision just because others wont support and that in life there might
be times that things will seem like hard to pass but someone will always rise up
and be the help a person could use.

The developed characters in the play were Dr. stockman and Peter Stockmann who
are the protagonist and antagonist, who had the same goal individually throughout
but without looking at the bad factor in both of their principles. Like Peter
Stockmann knew about the dieses yet decided to save his town and Dr. Stockmann
completely ignore on what would happen if baths were closed causing capital to
stop. The sudden development in wife on how she supported her husband. Many
things are well defining and shown on what caused the shift of power and why
throughout the play.