Henrik Ibsen

Name: An Enemy of the People — Act V
Author: Henrik Ibsen

Summary

“An Enemy of the People — Act V”, published in 1882, is a work by Henrik Ibsen. It explores elements such as Katherine, Horster and Ejlif.

Quotes from An Enemy of the People — Act V (Henrik Ibsen)

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ You are really ridiculous, Katherine. Do you want me to let myself be beaten off the field by public opinion and the compact majority and all that devilry? No, thank you! And what I want to do is so simple and clear and straightforward. I only want to drum into the heads of these curs the fact that the liberals are the most insidious enemies of freedom—that party programmes strangle every young and vigorous truth—that considerations of expediency turn morality and justice upside down—and that they will end by making life here unbearable. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ There is no doubt they have behaved very ill toward you, Thomas; but is that sufficient reason for our leaving our native country for good and all?
Dr. Stockmann. If we went to another town, do you suppose we should not find the common people just as insolent as they are here? Depend upon it, there is not much to choose between them. Oh, well, let the curs snap—that is not the worst part of it. The worst is that, from one end of this country to the other, every man is the slave of his Party. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ I would not do it if I had the devil and his dam on my back—! Never—never, I tell you!
Peter Stockmann. A man with a family has no right to behave as you do. You have no right to do it, Thomas.
Dr. Stockmann. I have no right! There is only one single thing in the world a free man has no right to do. Do you know what that is?
Peter Stockmann. No.
Dr. Stockmann. Of course you don't, but I will tell you. A free man has no right to soil himself with filth; he has no right to behave in a way that would justify his spitting in his own face. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Yes, the whole of the money is invested in the Baths now. And now I just want to see whether you are quite stark, staring mad, Thomas! If you still make out that these animals and other nasty things of that sort come from my tannery, it will be exactly as if you were to flay broad strips of skin from Katherine's body, and Petra's, and the boys'; and no decent man would do that—unless he were mad. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Money is not very easy to get out of us rich folk, please to remember!
Hovstad. And you please to remember that this affair of the shares can be represented in two ways!
Dr. Stockmann. Yes, and you are just the man to do it. If I don't come to the rescue of the "People's Messenger," you will certainly take an evil view of the affair; you will hunt me down, I can well imagine—pursue me—try to throttle me as a dog does a hare.
Hovstad. It is a natural law; every animal must fight for its own livelihood. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth. It is not that I care so much about the trousers, you know; you can always sew them up again for me. But that the common herd should dare to make this attack on me, as if they were my equals—that is what I cannot, for the life of me, swallow! ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ What a strange woman you are, Katherine! Would you prefer to have the boys grow up in a society like this? You saw for yourself last night that half the population are out of their minds; and if the other half have not lost their senses, it is because they are mere brutes, with no sense to lose. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Just look at Hovstad and Aslaksen! How many smaller victims have they not put an end to—or at any rate maimed and mangled until they are fit for nothing except to be householders or subscribers to the "People's Messenger"! ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Mrs. Busk's own views are tolerably emancipated, when we are alone together; but now that this report about me is being spread, she dare not keep me on any longer.
Mrs. Stockmann. And someone who had been a guest of ours! That shows you the return you get for your hospitality, Thomas!
Dr. Stockmann. We won't live in such a disgusting hole any longer. Pack up as quickly as you can, Katherine; the sooner we can get away, the better.
Mrs. Stockmann. Be quiet—I think I hear someone in the hall. See who it is, Petra.
Petra (opening the door) . Oh, it's you, Captain Horster! Do come in. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ I must talk it over with Katherine; she is great on those things,
Morten Kiil. That is right; be guided by a reasonable woman's advice.
Dr. Stockmann (advancing towards him) . To think you could do such a preposterous thing! Risking Katherine's money in this way, and putting me in such a horribly painful dilemma! When I look at you, I think I see the devil himself—.
Morten Kiil. Then I had better go. But I must have an answer from you before two o'clock—yes or no. If it is no, the shares go to a charity, and that this very day.
Dr. Stockmann. And what does Katherine get? ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Dr. Stockmann (looking first at one of them and then at the other) . What the devil do you both mean?
Aslaksen. May I ask if your father-in-law is not going round the town buying up all the shares in the Baths?
Dr. Stockmann. Yes, he has been buying Baths shares today; but—
Aslaksen. It would have been more prudent to get someone else to do it—someone less nearly related to you.
Hovstad. And you should not have let your name appear in the affair. There was no need for anyone to know that the attack on the Baths came from you. You ought to have consulted me, Dr. Stockmann. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People — Act V (1882)

“ Devil take the practice! But why are you so sure of that?
Peter Stockmann. The Householders' Association is circulating a list from house to house. All right-minded citizens are being called upon to give up employing you; and I can assure you that not a single head of a family will risk refusing his signature. They simply dare not. ”

Henrik Ibsen

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Quotes from An Enemy of the People — Act V (Henrik Ibsen)

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