Act 2, Scene 1 Summary

This scene is set in Brand's home village, outside its small stone church in the middle of a storm. A crowd of struggling peasants jostles the Mayor as he hands out provisions. Agnes and Einar are there as well, having given away all their possessions to help the needy. The Mayor catches sight of Brand watching from the hillside and calls for him to come and help. Brand refuses, talking at length about his disgust with the villagers asking for handouts instead of responding to God's will for them to create their own lives with courage and strength. Some members of the crowd find encouragement in his words, but others become angry at his apparent heartlessness and prepare to attack him.

A Peasant Woman rushes into the village, shouting hysterically for a priest. She tells how she and her husband and...