Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

Brand is a complex, multi-textured dramatic poem that chronicles the inner struggle of Brand, a man passionate to the point of obsession about bringing the message of the true God to his people. The action of the piece is defined by its central irony, that Brand's idea of God is limited and negative and refuses to admit any other possibilities until the very end of his life and of the play. It's these limitations, rather than his faith, that define the play's core theme - the exploration of faith is the means, rather than the end.

Brand crosses a mountain range. A Peasant traveling with him calls for him to slow down, while the Peasant's Son worries that they're crossing an area of thin ice that might collapse and send them all falling into a deep crevasse. Brand insists they keep...