Question

Describe the characters of Hovstad and Billing (These characters are so alike that they can be discussed in one response). Also, give one strength and one weakness of them. Do they agree with that Dr. Stockmann is doing?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

In an enemy of the people, Hovstad's character had been portrayed as Hippocratic. He has built his reputation as a liberal person who called the people for revolution. At first, he looks genuine and conventional. However, then it had been revealed that he wants the report to help his party. He backed up from Dr. Stockmann when peter told him that his ideas are so unpopular. He changed his belief over time because of public influence. That eventually revealed his hypocrisy.

Billing character was also a Hippocratic, was a sub-editor of The People’s Messenger newspaper. Billing also seems to agree with Hovstad’s ideas having his few opinions. He applied for the job in the local government. This helped to reveal the hypocrisy of media because people depend upon them for justice.

Both were not agreed with Dr. Stockman doing. They both have an influence on media. That was their strength, but their weakness was they both were a hypocrite.

Answer 2

Hovstad and Billing are both hypocrites, that is the overall summary of their characters.

They both appear to support Dr. Stockmann and his work, but they are later revealed to each have their own agendas separate to what they pretend to believe in.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hosvtad is the editor of The People's Messenger, a newspaper in the play "an Enemy of the People". He has the reputation of being the liberal of the town and wants to starts a revolution. Initially his ideas appear to be genuine, especially as he offers to publish Dr. Stockmann's controversial findings. However, it turns out he only wants to further his own agenda (i.e increase his paper's circulation) using the findings, instead of using them to bring about real social change.

He is revealed to be hypocritical when he turns on Dr. Stockmann and changes his beliefs and what he portrays in his newspaper whenever public opinion changes.

Hovstad strengths and weaknesses both take root from his newspaper.

Billing is the sub-editor the newspaper, he mirrors the ideas of Hovstad with a few personal opinions of himself. He criticizes others for being conservative and claims to be a radical progressive, he is later revealed to be a hypocrite of his own ideals when he applied for a job within the government he supposedly hates.

They initially supported Dr. Stockmann but turned on him later when they found that his opinions will not be popular with the public.