 Henrik Malberg (right) as Jeppe and Valdemar Møller as Jacob Shoemaker in a 1918 production at the Royal Danish Theatre. | |
| Author | Ludvig Holberg |
|---|---|
| Original title | Jeppe på Bjerget |
| Language | Danish |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Set in | 17th century Denmark |
| Published | 1722 |
| Publication place | Denmark-Norway |
Jeppe on the Hill; Or, The Transformed Peasant (Danish: Jeppe på bjerget) is a Danish comedy by the Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg, written during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. The play premiered at the Lille Grønnegade Theatre in 1722, and was first published in print in 1723. The play has a special status in Danish theater, and playing the lead role, Jeppe, is seen as a great distinction. Because this, it was entered into the Danish Culture Canon in 2006.[1] Despite its fame in Denmark, it is not well known in the English-speaking world.[2]
In the play, Jeppe is a drunkard peasant who is abused by his wife, Nille. The Baron and his court find him in a drunken stupor and decide to play a joke on Jeppe.[3] A well-known quotation from the work is from Jeppe's soliloquy early in the play, where he says, "Everybody says that Jeppe drinks, but nobody asks why Jeppe drinks", rationalizing his alcohol abuse as a sensible reaction to his miserable life.
- ^ Nyhuus, Lone (2006). "Jeppe on the Hill". Danish Culture Canon. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
- ^ "Theatre / Best of Danish: Robert Hanks on Jeppe of the Hill at the Gate". The Independent. 1994-04-27. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
- ^ Holberg, Ludvig; Johnson, Morris (2013-02-05). Jeppe on the Hill; Or, The Transformed Peasant: A Comedy in Five Acts. Translated by Ruud, Martin B. (Martin Bronn); Westergaard, Waldemar.