An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Henrik Ibsen. An Enemy of the People tells the story of a man who dares to speak an unpalatable truth, and is punished for it. In this powerful work, Henrik Ibsen places his main characters, Dr. Thomas Stockman, in the role of an enlightened and persecuted minority of one confronting an ignorant, powerful majority. When the physician learns that the famous and financially successful baths in his hometown are contaminated, he insists they be shut down for expensive repairs. For his honesty, he is persecuted, ridiculed, and declared an "enemy of the people" by the townspeople, included some who have been his closest allies. An Enemy of the People remains one of the most frequently performed plays.