The scene takes place in a bare room in Captain Horster’s house, which has been offered as a last resort after Dr. Stockmann is denied access to any public hall. The space is unprepared for a formal meeting, and the crowd gathers hesitantly outside before entering. Captain Horster explains his reason for hosting the event: His experience traveling has shown him societies where people can’t speak freely about “unpopular things,” and he refuses to support such suppression. He understands nothing about Dr. Stockmann’s proposition, but he believes that his view should not be suppressed.

As people begin to enter, the atmosphere is uneasy and volatile. Catherine and Petra arrive and immediately sense hostility among the crowd. Billing attempts to warn them that the gathering may become dangerous, but Catherine angrily confronts him for the newspaper’s betrayal of her husband. She accuses him of dishonesty for publishing only the mayor’s version of events, shaping public opinion against Dr. Stockmann before he has a chance to defend himself, meaning that the press has effectively already turned against him. When Billing defends himself, Catherine accuses him of being a “liar.”

The tension escalates with Peter’s arrival. He subtly intimidates Petra by mentioning her act of protest, asking whether she painted the protest poster that was stuck up at the town hall. She admits to doing so, and he warns that he could have her arrested. When Catherine defends her daughter, Peter insists that he was joking. The crowd grows louder and more disorderly, including the presence of a drunken man whose interruptions add to the chaotic mood. 

When Dr. Stockmann finally enters, he appears confident and eager to present his findings, believing that reason and truth will prevail. However, the meeting quickly slips out of his control. Aslaksen insists on formal procedures, including the election of a chairman, which delays and disrupts Dr. Stockmann’s attempt to speak. The crowd, already influenced by the mayor’s narrative, becomes suspicious and hostile. Peter skillfully manipulates the situation by refusing to chair the meeting himself and instead proposing Aslaksen as a “neutral” moderator.

Once Aslaksen takes charge, he calls for moderation and order, further limiting the Dr. Stockmann’s ability to speak freely. As Kiil enters, Peter is given the floor before his brother. He describes how the baths have elevated their town from a “dead, third-rate hamlet” into a health resort (57). He frames the issue not as a scientific dispute but as a threat to the town’s survival. He accuses Dr. Stockmann of seeking to destroy the prosperity brought by the baths and portrays him as a man driven by resentment toward authority. He turns the crowd decisively against his brother, and they respond to the mayor’s speech with approval. Peter suggests that Dr. Stockmann should be banned from reading his report in the name of the public good.

When Dr. Stockmann attempts to speak, he’s repeatedly interrupted and denied the chance to read his report. The crowd openly rejects the scientific evidence, shouting that they don’t want to hear about the water. Realizing that the meeting is stacked against him, the Dr. Stockmann abandons his prepared remarks and instead delivers an impassioned speech on a broader theme. He declares that the majority isn’t inherently right and challenges the “age-old lie” that public opinion determines truth (61). Using historical examples, he argues that progress often depends on individuals who stand against the majority. Though he has been told not to speak about his cause, he calls out the “poisoned” water of the springs. The crowd responds with threats of violence.

Dr. Stockmann openly identifies himself as a revolutionary, rejecting the authority of the majority and condemning the crowd’s willingness to ignore truth for comfort. His speech initially silences some listeners, but it ultimately provokes outrage. Hovstad publicly withdraws his support, accusing him of elitism, and others label him a dangerous agitator. The crowd becomes increasingly aggressive, interpreting his defense of truth as an attack on democracy and the community.

Peter capitalizes on this reaction, pushing to have his brother silenced entirely. When Dr. Stockmann tries to return to the issue of the contaminated water, the crowd threatens violence, and he’s forced to stop. The meeting descends into chaos, with shouting, insults, and physical intimidation. Despite this, Dr. Stockmann refuses to back down, declaring that he will take his message beyond the town if necessary.

Aslaksen then formalizes the crowd’s hostility by proposing a resolution declaring Dr. Stockmann “an enemy of the people” (63). The motion passes almost unanimously, with only Captain Horster and the drunken man voting against it. In the aftermath, Dr. Stockmann remains defiant. He considers leaving for the United States but ultimately refuses to retreat quietly. Surrounded by a hostile crowd chanting insults, he and his family exit with dignity, refusing to use the back door. The scene ends with the crowd’s repeated cry of “enemy.”