These short plays by the great Danish-Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg reveal, in brilliant and sparking miniature, his genius for comedy. The plays are here translated into English for the first time, with an introduction by Svend Kragh-Jacobsen, well-known Danish theater critic. In these social comedies Holberg pricks the vanity of snobbery and the worship of riches, deals with the world of the philosophers, and has fun with the theme of common sense. A talkative barber, a scientific charlatan, and an ignorant farmer boy come in for sharp characterization. Originally published in 1950. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This book presents English translations of eight of the comedies Holberg wrote for the Lille Grønnegade Theatre in Copenhagen in the 1720s. The most extensive collection of Holberg plays available in English, the translation and other materials are based on research materials not available to earlier translators and are thus more accurate.

Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754) is to the Danish stage what Shakespeare, Molière and Strindberg are to their national stages – and the world. In his day, Holberg was part of the European literary canon; in the Nordic region, his work forms the backdrop to writers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Andersen, Henrik Ibsen and Karen Blixen. The quality of Holberg's writing, the universality of his themes, his understanding of stage and auditorium, more than qualify him to resume his place on the international stage. This first volume in a trilogy of new translations starts by presenting Holberg's 'poetics of dramaturgy' in the short treatise Just Justesen's Ref lections on Theatre, followed by two of his robust comedies dealing with power, illusion and dreams of greatness. Jeppe of The Hill depicts the lowly peasant who is momentarily elevated to a position of splendour. Clad in the trappings of his new and powerful status, he is soon well on the way to upending the established social order. But, alas, it was all a stage-managed trick, exposing the fundamental dilemma of (his) existence: "Am I dreaming, or am I awake?" Ulysses von Ithacia is essentially a surreal harlequinade about self-delusion, craving for empire and the heroic roles played in corridors of power. A metatheatrical play exposing the absurdity of war and stripping this pompous ruler of his 'new clothes'. "I never tire of reading Holberg's plays." Henrik Ibsen, 1869

Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) is to Danish theatre what playwrights such as Shakespeare, Molière, Ibsen, Strindberg are to their national stages – and the world stage. During his lifetime, Holberg was a major figure in European literature and thought. In Denmark, his work forms the backdrop to writers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Andersen, Karen Blixen. The quality of Holberg's writing, the universality of his themes, his understanding of stage and auditorium, more than qualify him to resume his place on the international stage. This third volume in a series of new translations presents Holberg's philosophical essay on the popular (but not with the authorities) masked entertainment of his day, the masquerade. Two plays then wittily expose and explore subtle negotiations around identity, gender, class, generation, each with particular focus on the mask as means of unmasking codes and conventions. Epistle 347 is a philosophical take on the carnivalesque masquerade as being 'truer' than the social roleplays, under the paradoxical maxim that "strictly speaking we are not truly masked except when bare faced". In the play Masquerade, a patriarchal master of his house sees his hierarchical world order under threat from the young generation – and even his own wife! – enjoying 'useless' masked amusements. At the other end of the scale, the servant pays no heed to rules and hierarchies. Ultimately, however, they are all but pawns in a game of chance. In the ironic harlequinade The Invisibles, a young gentleman falls in love with an 'invisible' (masked) lady. This noble case of amour causes the servant – Harlequin – to reassess his own wholesome, sensual relationship to his sweetheart – Columbine – and he finds their amour sadly lacking any sophistication. His ensuing high-flown attempts at imitating aristocratic courtesy cast an ambiguous light on the cultured protocols. It is up to female intelligence to remove the mask from the illusion. "I never tire of reading Holberg's plays." (Henrik Ibsen, 1869)

KynochLudvig Holberg (1684–1754) is to Danish theatre what Shakespeare, Molière and Strindberg are to their national stages – and the world stage. During his lifetime, Holberg was a major figure in European literature and thought. In the Nordic region, his work forms the backdrop to writers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Andersen, Henrik Ibsen and Karen Blixen. The quality of Holberg's writings, the universality of his themes, his understanding of stage and auditorium all more than qualify him to resume his role on the international stage. This second volume in a series of new translations presents Holberg's radical defence of women's equal right to education and employment, and two of his witty plays about playing roles, the professional and the self-delusional alike, in life and in the theatre. "Zille Hans-daughter's Gynaicologia, or Defence of Womankind" is a sparkling, witty and bitingly satirical poem 'penned by' a young woman named Zille, the teenage daughter of Hans, in which she dissects the absurdity of male dominance and the patriarchal society. "Erasmus Montanus" follows the self-titled, self-delusional, city-slicker university student (real name: Rasmus Berg) on a visit to the small rural community where he grew up. His arrogant and know-all behaviour throws everyone and everything into outrageous turmoil. The play is a caustic satire about what happens when abstract, unworldly scholarship collides with real life and material needs. In "Witchcraft, or False Alarm", actors in the theatre troupe working in a dormant provincial town are rumoured to be dangerous Satanists. The entire community erupts in a frenzy of terrified conspiracy theory paranoia, reaching the brink of violence before the misunderstanding is cleared up: the overheard 'pact with the Devil' was simply an actor rehearsing his role in a play he hoped would make some money for the empty theatre coffers. "I never tire of reading Holberg's plays." (Henrik Ibsen, 1869)

Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) is the founding father of the art of theatre in the Nordic countries. He was a satirist - and university professor - who took his main inspirations from the comedies of Moliere and from the commedia dell'arte to create a number of plays that mirrored contemporary costums and conducts in a both realistic and grotesque way. Due to the psychological and philosophical strength behind the comic mask the plays have been staged and revisited ever since. In the 18th century the were part of the European canon. They should be so now again. This book presents Holberg in a European context as a reformer in the spirit of the Enlightenment even before Goldoni, Diderot and Lessing, and at the same time as an exponent of a carnivalesque tradition.

Laugh out loud with these hilarious comedic plays by the renowned Danish writer Ludvig Holberg. Featuring expert translation and insightful commentary, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for a good chuckle. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.