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Title: Four Major Plays: Volume 1
ISBN: 0451512642
Author:
Henrik Ibsen
Publicate Date: 1965-01-01
Publish: 1965-01-01
List Price: $1.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.69
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Are the Pillars of Society, Really Pillars of Society?
Four Major Plays, Volume I (Signet Classics)
An Enemy of the People
Dr Stockman: "The whole Bath establishment is a whited, poisoned sepulcher. I tell you - the gravest possible danger to public health! All the nastiness up at Mollidol, all that stinking filth, is infecting the water in the conduit pipes leading to the Reservoir.
(Pointing to letter) Here it is! It proves the presence of decaying organic matter in the water; it is full of infusoria. The water is absolutely dangerous to use... either internally or externally." (An Enemy of the People, Act I)
Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" tells the story of a conscientious man of science, Dr. Stockman, who, as the public health official for his town, feels duty bound to report scientific evidence of disease; and the burgomasters and civic leaders who see his warnings about pollution of the new public baths as a negative factor in the city's progress. The play can be read as a corollary on global warning, dependence on oil, or conspicuous consumption and Wall Street Greed. Or, as Arthur Miller interpreted it in his 1950's adaptation of Ibsen's play, a commentary on the folly of popular opinion: expressly, the public hysteria over McCarthyism.
HOVSTAD: The man who would ruin a whole community must be an enemy of society!
DR. STOCKMANN: It doesn't matter if a lying community is ruined!... You'll poison the whole country in time; you will bring it to such a pass that the whole country will deserve to perish. And should it come to this, I say, from the bottom of my heart: Perish the country! Perish all its people!
Ibsen is a tragedian in the tradition of the Greeks, Marlowe and Shakespeare. His language may be a bit stilted for today's tastes, but his message is still relevant.
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2: Ibsen, by Rick Davis
This multi-volume set of Ibsen's work, edited and compiled by Chicago/Evanston author Rick Davis is a little masterpiece.The new adaptations are marvelous, and Mr. Davis' commentaries show us how Ibsen is a master crafsperson, and how his work may be best contrasted with Strindberg -- who is anything but a master editor and foundation layer. I think Mr. Davis shows us how important precision and planning can be to the writing process. Therefore I think this book is a must have for screenwriters, as well as fiction-writers -- not to mention playrights.
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