''Erasmus Montanus'' is a satirical play about

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

snobbery ''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...

set in rural Denmark. Written by

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

in 1722, the script was first published in 1731 and performed in 1747. Today, it is among Holberg's most frequently performed works. The play centers on its eponymous protagonist who returns to his rural village after studying in Copenhagen to find his new worldview causes conflicts in his everyday life.

History

The script was written in 1722 and 1723, but was not published until 1731 in the 5th volume of ''Den Danske Skue-Plads'', a collection of plays by Holberg. The play itself then did not premier until 1747. It is likely that Holberg delayed its release to avoid backlash because of the play's critical nature. The play criticises the academic profession that Holberg himself was a part of and the educational pedagogy he experienced at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

as a Professor of Metaphysics. Other scholars speculate that the play's performance was delayed simply because no company cared to put the production on. When it finally premiered in 1747 it was initially unsuccessful, as its particular satirical style was no longer popular. It has since been recognised as one of Holberg's best comedies and for its important historical perspective.

Synopsis

The play begins with Jeppe Berg in his hometown in

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

. Jeppe receives a letter from his son, Rasmus Berg, who has been away studying in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. Jeppe is unable to understand the letter, which had been written in Latin, and seeks out Deacon Per to translate it for him. The letter states that Rasmus will be returning home soon. When Rasmus returns after much anticipation he eagerly demonstrates his new knowledge. When speaking with his parents, he uses latin phrases and academic terminology. He insists that the townspeople refer to him by his

Latinised name Latinisation (or Latinization) of names, also known as onomastic Latinisation, is the practice of rendering a ''non''-Latin name in a Latin style. It is commonly found with historical proper names, including personal names and toponyms, and in t ...

, Erasmus Montanus. He quickly gets in to arguments with everyone he encounters, eager to "dispute". He goes on to "prove" a number of absurdities, such as relying on an

argument from ignorance Argument from ignorance (from la, argumentum ad ignorantiam), also known as appeal to ignorance (in which ''ignorance'' represents "a lack of contrary evidence"), is a fallacy in informal logic. It asserts that a proposition is true because it ...

to prove that his mother is a rock. He is contrasted by his brother Jacob who is only interested in knowledge which is of practical application. His persistent arguing gets him into trouble with the parents of his fiancée Lisbet, who refuse to allow their daughter to marry someone who believes the Earth is round. His fiancée begs him to retract his statements that the Earth revolves around the sun, but he refuses. The townspeople, exhausted by Erasmus' antics, plot to get him to leave the city by tricking him into enlisting for military service. With the help of a lieutenant, he is tricked into accepting a coin, representing an enlistment bonus. Desperate to free himself from military obligations, he reconsiders his earlier arguments. Ultimately, he retracts his statement that the earth is round, declaring that "the Earth is as flat as a pancake." Thus, he is allowed to marry Lisbet.

Excerpt

Characters

* Erasmus Montanus/Rasmus Berg: protagonist; the scholar * Jeppe Berg: his father * Nille: his mother * Jacob: his brother * Lisbet: Erasmus's fiancee * Jeronimus: her father * Magdelone: her Mother * Deacon Per: parish clerk * Jesper: The Baliff * A Lieutenant * Corporal Niels

Film productions and adaptations

* ''Erasmus Montanus'' (1951) * ''Erasmus Montanus'' (1956), directed by Ole Walbom * ''Erasmus Montanus'' (1971), directed by

Magne Bleness Magne Bleness (30 April 1933 – 1 December 1992) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He was born in Fana, and was married twice, first to Berit Gøril Havrevold in 1957, second to Mette Janson in 1961. He had the son Carsten Bleness ...

* ''Erasmus Montanus'' (1973), directed by

Kaspar Rostrup Kaspar Rostrup (born 27 April 1940) is a Danish film director. Two of his films won the Best Film prize at the Bodil Awards : ''Jeppe på bjerget'' (1981) and ''Waltzing Regitze'' (1989). The latter was also nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

* ''Jorden er Flad'' or ''A terra é plana'' (1977), directed by Henrik Stangerup

English translations

* * * * *

Gallery

File:Lorenz Frølich - Ludvig Holberg Attending a Rehearsal of his Play Erasmus Montanus, Act IV, Scene 2 - KMS1453 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, alt=, Holberg attends a rehearsal of ''Erasmus Montanus'',

Lorenz Frølich Lorenz Frølich (25 October 182025 October 1908) was a Danish painter, illustrator, graphic artist and etcher. Early life and education Frølich was born into a wealthy bourgeouis family in Copenhagen. The son of Johan Jacob Frølich (1777-1858) ...

, 1888. File:Vilhelm Rosenstand - Holberg overværer en prøve på Erasmus Montanus - KMS1488 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, alt=, Holberg attends a rehearsal of ''Erasmus Montanus'',

Vilhelm Rosenstand Vilhelm Jacob Rosenstand (31 July 1838 – 11 March 1915) was a Danish painter and illustrator. His best known work is a mural decorating the banqueting hall in the University of Copenhagen. Biography Born in Copenhagen, Rosenstand attended the ...

, 1892. File:Wilhelm Marstrand - Per Degn synger for en snaps - 1865.png, alt=, Depiction of Deacon Per singing for a glass of

schnapps Schnapps ( or ) or schnaps is a type of alcoholic beverage that may take several forms, including distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions, and "flavored liqueurs" made by adding fruit syrups, spices, or artificial flavorings to neu ...

in Act I, scene 4,

Wilhelm Marstrand Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith. Marstrand is one of the most renowned ar ...

, 1865. File:Wilhelm Marstrand - Fra Ludvig Holbergs "Erasmus Montanus", III akt, 3. scene - KMS507 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, alt=, Depiction of Act III, scene 3 by

. File:C.A. Lorentzen - Erasmus Montanus, III akt, 3. scene - KMS479 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, alt=, Depiction of Act III, scene 3 by

Christian August Lorentzen Christian August Lorentzen (10 August 1749 – 8 May 1828) was a Danish painter. Early life and education Christian August Lorentzen was born in Sønderborg, Denmark. He was the son of Hans Peter Lorentzen and Maria Christina Hansdatter. His ...

. File:Erasmus' standhaftighed.jpg, alt=, "Erasmus' standhaftighed." Depiction of Act III, scene VI,

References

External links

Full original script
(in Danish) {{authority control 1722 plays Comedy plays Enlightenment philosophy Plays by Ludvig Holberg Plays set in Denmark Danish culture Works about classism Works about the history of astronomy Works about academia Satirical plays Danish satire