Synthesis Paper

SYNTHESIS PAPER

Submitted to the

FILIPINO DEPARTMENT

As partial fulfilment

For the Course

GREATWK C35

April 22, 2014

Dr. Marvin Reyes

Submitted by:

Zarate, Justine Elysia L.

The theme of the GREATWK class I have taken for this term is power. This course discussed three great works: Henry Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince and William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV.

My definition of power would be the ability to control others and having great influence over them. The three great works have further expanded my idea on what power really is.

An Enemy of the People

An Enemy of the People is play about the sibling rivalry of Thomas and Peter Stockmann, brothers with different professions, a doctor and a mayor. The doctor discovers that the public baths were polluted and would make anyone who bathes in it sick. He tells the mayor and the mayor disagrees about disclosing the information to the public because of the heavy losses their community might incur. Dr. Stockmann fights to reveal the truth to everyone but the mayor finds ways in turning things around and making Thomas seem like he’s ruining everything. In the end, the majority wins and Dr. Stockmann’s daughter, Petra, continues the fight.

Power was shown through the different people who held position. Dr. Thomas Stockmann is the medical officer of the town baths; Peter Stockmann is the mayor of the town with polluted public baths; Hovstad is the editor-in-chief of the town’s newspaper; and the townfolks are the majority. Other characters also had power in their own scenes but these four were the most significant with regards to the theme of power.

Doctor Stockmann knew about the baths because of his medical degree which allowed him to acquire his position. He showed power but having the guts to tell everyone about the pollution in the baths knowing that the establishment of the said public baths have boosted the town’s tourism and more importantly,...