As an epigraph to the play "The Inspector General", the genre of which the author defined as a comedy in 5 acts, Gogol used the proverb "There is no point in blaming the mirror if the face is crooked." That is, the author emphasized the typicality of the characters depicted and authenticity. There is no dramatic conflict as such in the play; the writer is occupied with a moral-descriptive genre. "The Inspector General" is considered to be a socio-political comedy.
Comedy characters:
- Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, mayor.
- Anna Andreevna, his wife.
- Marya Antonovna, his daughter.
- Luka Lukich Khlopov, superintendent of schools.
- His wife.
- Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin, judge.
- Artemy Filippovich Strawberry, trustee of charitable institutions.
- Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin, postmaster.
- Pyotr Ivanovich Dobchinsky, Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky, city landowners.
- Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, an official from St. Petersburg. Osip, his servant.
- Christian Ivanovich Gibner, district doctor. Fyodor Andreevich Lyulyukov, Ivan Lazarevich Rastakovsky, Stepan Ivanovich Korobkin, retired officials, honorary persons in the city.
- Stepan Ilyich Ukhovertov, private bailiff. Svistunov, Pugovitsin, Derzhimorda, policemen. Abdulin, merchant.
- Fevronya Petrovna Poshlepkina, mechanic, wife of a non-commissioned officer.
- Mishka, the mayor's servant.
- Inn servant.
- Guests and guests, merchants, townspeople, petitioners.
The mayor reports “most unpleasant news” to the officials gathered in his house - an auditor is coming to the city incognito. The officials are horrified - there are riots everywhere in the city. It is suggested that there may soon be a war, and an auditor has been sent to find out if there is treason in the city. The mayor objects to this: “Where does treason come from in a district town? Yes, even if you jump from here for three years, you won’t reach any state.” The mayor insists that each of the officials restore order in their subordinate area. That is, in a hospital you need to write illnesses in Latin, give patients clean caps, in court you need to remove geese from the waiting room, etc. He reprimands his subordinates for being mired in bribery. For example, Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin takes bribes with greyhound puppies.
The postmaster is still afraid that the arrival of the auditor may signal the imminent start of war with the Turks. To this, the mayor asks him for a favor - to print out and read every letter that arrives in the mail. The postmaster happily agrees, especially since this activity - printing and reading other people's letters - is something he has long known and dearly loved.
Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky appear and report that, apparently, the auditor has settled in the hotel. This man - Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov - has been living in a hotel for a week and does not pay money for accommodation. The mayor decides that he should visit this man.
The mayor orders the policeman to sweep all the streets clean, then gives the following orders: place policemen around the city, remove the old fence, and if the inspector questions him, answer that the church under construction burned down (in fact, it was stolen).
The mayor's wife and daughter appear, burning with curiosity. Anna Andreevna sends a maid to fetch her husband's droshky. She wants to find out everything about the auditor on her own.
Khlestakov's servant Osip lies on the master's bed hungry and talks about how he and the master traveled from St. Petersburg two months ago, how the master lost all his money at cards, how he lives beyond his means, how he leads an unprofitable life, since he is not engaged in any business .
Khlestakov arrives and sends Osip to the hotel owner for lunch. The servant does not want to go, reminds the master that he has not paid for his accommodation for three weeks and that the owner threatened to complain about him.
Khlestakov is very hungry and instructs the tavern servant to ask the owner for lunch on credit. Khlestakov dreams that he, in a luxurious St. Petersburg suit, rolls up to the gates of his parents' house, that he pays visits to neighbors.
The tavern servant brings a very modest lunch, with which Khlestakov is very dissatisfied. Nevertheless, he eats everything brought.
Osip informs Khlestakov that the mayor has arrived and wants to see him. The mayor and Dobchinsky appear. Bobchinsky listens at the door throughout the entire phenomenon. Khlestakov and the mayor make excuses to each other. The first one promises that he will pay for the stay, the second one promises that proper order will be established in the city. Khlestakov asks for a loan of money from the mayor, and he gives it to him, and gives twice the amount requested. The mayor swears that he just came in to check on people passing by, since this is a normal activity for him.
The mayor advises Khlestakov to postpone settlements with the tavern servant for an indefinite period, which he does. The mayor invites Khlestakov to inspect the city institutions in order to assess the order maintained in them. He himself sends his wife a note with Dobchinsky, in which he writes that she should prepare the room. Sends a note to Strawberry.
In the mayor's house, Anna Andreevna and her daughter Marya Antonovna are sitting by the window, waiting for any news. Dobchinsky appears and retells to the ladies what he saw at the hotel and gives Anna Andreevna a note. She gives orders to the servants. The mayor's wife and daughter are discussing the outfits they are going to wear for the arrival of an important guest.
Osip brings Khlestakov’s things and graciously “agrees” to try simple dishes - porridge, cabbage soup, pies.
The mayor, Khlestakov and officials appear. Khlestakov had breakfast in the hospital, he liked everything very much, despite the fact that the patients all unexpectedly recovered, although they usually “recover like flies.”
Khlestakov is interested in card establishments. The mayor swears that he has never played in his life, there are no such institutions in their city, and he uses all his time to serve the state.
The mayor introduces Khlestakov to his wife and daughter. The guest shows off in front of the ladies, especially in front of Anna Andreevna, assuring her that he hates ceremonies and that he is on good terms with all the St. Petersburg officials. He easily communicates with Pushkin, and once even composed “Yuri Miloslavsky”. Khlestakov boasts of his best house in St. Petersburg, in which he gives dinners and balls. For lunches they deliver him “a watermelon worth seven hundred rubles” and soup “in a saucepan from Paris.” Khlestakov goes so far as to say that the minister himself comes to his home and once managed an entire department at the request of 35,000 couriers. That is, Khlestakov is completely lying. The mayor invites him to rest.
The officials gathered at the mayor's house discuss Khlestakov and come to the conclusion that if at least half of what he said is true, then their situation is very deplorable.
Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna are discussing Khlestakov, and each of them is sure that the guest paid attention to her.
The mayor is seriously scared. His wife, on the contrary, is confident that her irresistibility will have the desired effect on Khlestakov.
Those present ask Osip about what his master is like. The mayor gives Khlestakov’s servant not only “a tip,” but also “a bagel.” Osip says that his master loves order.
To prevent petitioners from approaching Khlestakov, the mayor places two policemen on the porch - Svistunov and Derzhimorda.
Strawberry, Lyapkin-TyaPkin, Luka Lukich, Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, the postmaster, tiptoe into the room in the mayor's house. Lyapkin-Tyapkin organizes everyone in a military manner, decides that Khlestakov should introduce himself one by one and give bribes. They argue among themselves about who should go first.
Lyapkin-Tyapkin comes to Khlestakov first, money is clutched in his fist, which he accidentally drops on the floor. He thinks that he has disappeared, but Khlestakov takes this money “on loan”. Lyapkin-Tyapkin is happy and leaves.
The next one to introduce himself is Postmaster Shpekin, who does nothing but assent to Khlestakov, who is talking about the pleasant city. The guest also “borrows” from the postmaster, and he leaves with a sense of accomplishment.
Luka Lukic, who came to introduce himself, is trembling like a leaf, his tongue is slurring, he is very frightened. Still, he manages to hand over the money to Khlestakov and leaves.
When presented to the “auditor,” the strawberries remind him of yesterday’s breakfast, for which Khlestakov thanks him. Strawberry is sure that the “auditor” favors him, denounces other officials, and gives a bribe. Khlestakov promises that he will figure everything out.
When Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky come to introduce themselves, Khlestakov directly demands money from them. Dobchinsky asks Khlestakov to recognize his son as legitimate, and Bobchinsky asks the “auditor” to inform the sovereign, at an opportunity, “that Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in such and such a city.”
Khlestakov finally realizes that he was mistakenly taken for an important official. This seems very funny to him, which he writes about in a letter to his friend Tryapichkin.
Osip advises his master to get out of the city as quickly as possible. There is a noise on the street - petitioners have come. Merchants complain about the mayor, who demands gifts for his name day twice a year and selects the best goods. They bring Khlestakov food, which he refuses. They give money, Khlestakov takes it.
A non-commissioned officer's widow appears and demands justice - she was flogged for no reason. Then a locksmith comes, complaining that her husband was taken into the army out of turn. Khlestakov promises to sort it out.
Taking advantage of the moment, he confesses his love to Marya Antonovna. At first she is afraid that the guest is mocking her, a provincial girl, but Khlestakov kneels, kisses her shoulder, and swears his love.
Anna Andreevna appears and drives her daughter away. Khlestakov kneels in front of her and says that he really loves her, but since she is married, he is forced to propose to her daughter.
The mayor enters, begs Khlestakov not to listen to what the merchants say about him, and the non-commissioned officer's widow flogged herself. Khlestakov asks for his daughter's hand in marriage. The parents call Marya Antonovna and bless the newlyweds.
Khlestakov takes more money from his future father-in-law and leaves the city under the pretext of the need to discuss the wedding with his father. He promises to return soon.
The mayor and his wife are making plans for the future. They dream about how their daughters will move to St. Petersburg after their wedding. The mayor tells the merchants about the upcoming wedding of his daughter with the “auditor” and threatens them with reprisals for the fact that they decided to complain. The merchants ask to forgive them. The mayor accepts congratulations from officials.
Dinner party at the mayor's house. He and his wife behave arrogantly, telling guests that they are soon going to move to St. Petersburg, where the mayor will certainly receive the title of general. The officials ask not to forget about them, to which the mayor condescendingly agrees.
The postmaster appears with an opened letter from Khlestakov to Tryapichkin. It turns out that Khlestakov is not an auditor at all. In the letter, he gives caustic characterizations to city officials: “The mayor is stupid, like a gray gelding... The postmaster... drinks bitter... Strawberry is a perfect pig in a yarmulke.” The mayor is amazed by the news. He understands that it is impossible to return Khlestakov, since the mayor himself ordered to give him the three best horses. “Why are you laughing? - Are you laughing at yourself!.. Eh, you!.. I still can’t come to my senses. Now, truly, if God wants to punish, he will first take away his reason. Well, what was there in this helipad that looked like an auditor? Nothing there wasn't! It's just that there wasn't anything like half a little finger - and suddenly everything: auditor! auditor! " They are looking for the culprit who spread the rumor that Khlestakov is the auditor. They decide that it is Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky.
A gendarme appears and announces the arrival of a real auditor. Silent scene: everyone freezes in shock.
N.V. Gogol reflected almost all aspects of contemporary Russian reality. Using the example of the mayor’s image, the author skillfully reveals the contradiction between external importance and internal insignificance. The main goal of the writer is to depict the imperfections of society - abuses, arbitrariness of officials, the idle life of city landowners, the hard life of the townspeople, etc. The author does not limit himself to a satirical depiction of one county town; he considers the problems as all-Russian.
Genre: comedy Year of writing: 1836
Main characters: small landowner Khlestakov, mayor, his wife and daughter, officials of the district town.
1835 Russia. Gogol writes his play "The Inspector General". The essence of the plot of “The Inspector General” is that in a certain locality N a certain gentleman appears while passing through. Local residents mistake him for an auditor, who is expected from the capital itself any day now.
the main idea the immortal “Inspector General” is that Nikolai Vasilyevich grotesquely exposed the vices of society, such as cunning, flattery, stupidity, sycophancy, bribery, etc. In other words, he parodically showed the contemporary order in the lives of people in general.
Read a summary of the play The Inspector General by Gogol based on actions and phenomena.
Inspector 1 action
D1 Phenomenon 1
Everything happens at the mayor's place. The main character of the named scene informs the officials that “an auditor is coming to their town.” He himself is in a state close to frustration from such news. Bureaucrats are racking their brains as to why a high-ranking guest is coming to them. In a medical institution, they are hastily trying to “restore order”, and even so that patients do not abuse smoking, and perhaps so that there are as few of them as possible. Mr. Judge was advised to kick the geese out of the front door, eat onions to get rid of the unpleasant smell and start attending church. At school, teachers teach not science, but pantomime or, to put it simply, making faces.
D1 Phenomenon 2
In addition to the above characters, the post office manager also appears. He suggests that the auditor is news of an imminent war with the Turkish army. The mayor, in a private atmosphere, asks the head of the post office to read other people's letters in order to identify negative information. The postmaster agrees to such a scam; by his nature, he likes to poke “his nose into other people’s affairs.”
D1 Phenomenon 3
More heroes appeared on the stage - Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. They vying with each other, confused in thoughts and words, declare that the auditor is Mr. Khlestakov Ivan Aleksandrovich, who is passing through their city, but has been living there for fourteen days and almost does not pay for his stay. The mayor was interested in this event, because it was during this period of time that a large number of “unpleasant events” occurred in the town. All officials go to their workplaces.
D1 Phenomenon 4
Satirical scene. Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky want to “prove themselves.” The street leading to the tavern is swept until the stones that pave it shine.
D1 Phenomenon 5.
The mayor continues to “restore order” in the town. He sees the worthlessness of the bailiff, whose subordinates are completely drunk. He decides to “reconstruct” the bridge and put a tall Pugovitsyn on it for show. There is also an urgent need to remove the dam near the shoemaker's house. He begins to wonder what to do with the huge piles of all kinds of rubbish on the streets. The thought also dawns on him that the soldiers do not have decent clothes and then it was decided to keep them locked up.
D1 Phenomenon 6
Next to the mayor appear his wife and daughter - a girl of marriageable age. They are not interested in the problems of their father and husband, but they are very curious to know what an auditor looks like. They order the maid to find out everything and report to them.
D2 Phenomenon 1
Events take place in a county hotel. Osip, the servant, lies on his master’s bed and complains that there is nothing to eat. He says that his owner has squandered all his savings and, most importantly, that they are not loaned anything under any pretext.
D2 Phenomenon 2
In addition to Osip, Khlestakov is also visible. He orders the servant to go to the buffet and demand lunch. Osip advises calling the owner-master to this place.
D2 Phenomenon 3
Khlestakov alone in a hotel room. He conducts a monologue about how he lost money and is brutally hungry...
D2 Phenomenon 4
Osip returns to the room, but not alone, but with sex. Polovoy says that the owner does not intend to feed the guests until they cover their previous debts.
D2 Phenomenon 5
Khlestakov indulges in dreams of how he will return to St. Petersburg on a rich carriage, but his dreams are crushed by reality - hunger...
D2 Phenomenon 6
A waiter enters the hotel room and brings in plates of food. He says that the owner took pity and fed his unfortunate guests for the last time. Everything has been eaten.
D2 Phenomenon 7
Osip returns to the room and conveys to Khlestakov the mayor’s request that he immediately come to the office. Khlestakov assumes that they are planning to arrest him and he is overcome by horror from everything that is happening.
D2 Phenomenon 8
The mayor came to the room, and Dobchinsky stood outside the door of the room to be aware of everything that was happening. Khlestakov begins to complain about his joyless life, and the Mayor is confused and agitated and therefore decides to move Khlestakov to a new place. Khlestakov assumes that he will be sent to prison, so he breaks out in a scream... Then the Mayor was scared to death and admitted to bribery, slander about someone else’s wife, and in the end he slips a certain amount of money to Khlestakov. The following is a friendly conversation. The mayor absorbs every word of Khlestakov. At the end of the conversation, Khlestakov was invited as a guest to the Mayor’s chambers.
D2 Phenomenon 9
Dispute with a sex worker about paying for a hotel stay.
D2 Phenomenon 10
The mayor takes Khlestakov on a tour of the town and its establishments. It is worth noting that Khlestakov does not want to inspect the prison. While the excursion is underway, Dobchinsky is instructed to secretly convey two certain messages to Strawberry and the mayor’s wife.
D3 Phenomenon 1
The events take place in the Governor's mansion. The mayor's household is exhausted from agonizing anticipation. Finally, they see Dobchinsky.
D3 Phenomenon 2
The message was sent to the wife. Confused and rearranging words, Dobchinsky tells Gorodnichy’s wife about the auditor. She orders the chambers to be prepared for the high-ranking guest.
D3 Phenomenon 3
The women of Gorodnichy almost came to blows, arguing over who would wear what when the auditor arrived.
D3 Phenomenon 4
Osip brings his owner’s things into the new house and learns the news that Khlestakov is a self-made general. On this occasion, he begs for something to eat.
D3 Phenomenon 5
Khlestakov and Gordnichy ate for free at a medical institution. Khlestakov begins to like this life. Strawberry crucifies before him that the sick, like flies, get better. Khlestakov wants to play cards, but the Mayor refuses in every possible way from such a pastime.
D3 Phenomenon 6
In the mayor’s house, a ceremony is taking place to introduce Khlestakov to the mayor’s wife and daughter. Khlestakov is trying to inflate his worth in every way, in other words, he lies and lies. He is a writer, a commander-in-chief, a department manager, and the owner of the best house in St. Petersburg. And what they serve at his table is generally the best, one watermelon costs only 700 rubles. He lies to such an extent that he falls asleep mid-sentence.
D3 Phenomenon 7
In Gorodnichy’s living room, there is a debate about Khlestakov’s current position: is he a general or a generalissimo? Everyone was gripped by an incomprehensible anxiety and fear.
D3 Phenomenon 8
Gorodnichy’s wife and daughter discuss Khlestakov’s masculine qualities until they are hoarse, and even quarrel a little about this.
D3 Phenomenon 9
The mayor is terrified, and his wife revels in her charm.
D3 Phenomenon 10
Osip leaves his master's chambers. The mayor's household questions him. Osip takes advantage of the situation and turns the situation in his favor.
D3 Phenomenon11
The mayor orders Derzhimorda and Svistunov, patrolmen, to keep watch on the porch of their own house in order to protect Khlestakov’s peace.
D4 Phenomenon1
The action is still the same as in the previous scenes. All the officials of a given city arrive in full dress. Lyapkin-Tyapkin marshals everyone as if at a parade and the decision is made to introduce himself to everyone personally and give Vyatka personally. Everyone is a little confused by this decision. The postmaster suggests saying that this money is a postal order to the auditor. While they bicker, Khlestakov leaves his chambers.
D4 Phenomenon 2
Khlestakov is great. He even likes Gorodnichy’s daughter, and he doesn’t mind flirting with her mother.
D4 Phenomenon 3
The judge introduces himself to Khlestakov. By accident he dropped a sum of money, and Khlestakov asks him to borrow it. The problem is solved, and the judge goes into the living room.
D4 Phenomenon 4
Shpekin goes to the auditor and gives him a bribe.
D4 Phenomenon 5
They shoved a judge into Khlestakov’s room, they had a meaningless conversation for some time, and in the end Khlestakov again borrowed money in the amount of 300 rubles.
D4 Phenomenon 6
Strawberry “knocks” on his colleagues. This information is not important for Khlestakov, but he still borrows money.
D4 Phenomenon 7
Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky rush into Khlestakov’s room. He sees their stupidity and demands 1000 rubles from them. But, unfortunately, between them they only have 65. These twins also manage to express their requests to Khlestakov and then leave the auditor’s chambers.
D4 Phenomenon 8
Khlestakov realizes that he was mistaken for an important statesman. He decides to inform his old friend Tryapichkin about this event. The most important thing that impresses Khlestakov is that, in his opinion, he is rich.
D4 Phenomenon 9
Osip realizes the precariousness of his master’s position and advises him to leave the town. While they are bickering, visitors come to Khlestakov again - merchants.
D4 Phenomenon 10
Merchants talk about their difficult life. They offer the auditor goods, but he is not interested in them, but the merchants’ money is very appropriate. He promises to look into the current situation.
D4 Phenomenon 11
The widow of a non-commissioned officer came. She demands payment of moral damages. The locksmith complains that her husband was not drafted into the army according to the rules. Khlestakov agrees to do everything in his power.
D4 Phenomenon 12
Khlestakov shows signs of attention to the mayor's daughter. She fears that he, as they say, will become a sailor and abandon her, but Khlestakov speaks of the seriousness of his intentions and even kisses her on the shoulder. He falls on his face before her.
D4 Phenomenon 13
The scene of the love meeting is seen by the mayor's wife. To avoid a scandal, Khlestakov hit on her and even asks for her hand in marriage, despite the fact that she is a married lady.
D4 Phenomenon 14
Gorodnichy’s daughter appears, then Khlestakov takes the position of a young man infatuated with her. The mayor's wife is perplexed and even tries to discipline her daughter.
D4. Phenomenon 15
The Mayor appears. He wants Khlestakov not to punish him for his mistakes, because in this town there are no honest people, but only liars, slanderers and bribe-takers. They tell him that Khlestakov is wooing their daughter. The mayor benefits from this outcome. The young are blessed.
D4 Phenomenon 16
Khlestakov wants to visit his uncle. Goes to him.
D5 Phenomenon 1
Events in the mayor's house. He and his wife dream of life in St. Petersburg.
D5 Phenomenon 2.
The merchants come to apologize to the Mayor.
D5 Phenomena 3-6
The mayor is congratulated on his daughter’s wedding. The whole flower of society gathers.
D5 Phenomenon 7
The mayor and his wife outline the events connected with their daughter’s matchmaking.
D5 Phenomenon 8
The postmaster comes running with a letter. This is a letter from Khlestakov to his friend. It turns out that Khlestakov is not an auditor. There is turmoil in society.
D5 Phenomenon 9
A gendarme came and reported that a real inspector had arrived in the town. Silent scene.
Picture or drawing Inspector
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In a district town, from which “you’ll have to jump for three years and never get to any state,” the mayor, Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, gathers officials to deliver unpleasant news: a letter from an acquaintance informed him that an “auditor from St. Petersburg” was coming to their city , incognito. And with a secret order." The mayor - all night long he dreamed of two rats of unnatural size - had a presentiment of bad things. The reasons for the arrival of the auditor are sought, and the judge, Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin (who has read “five or six books, and therefore is somewhat free-thinking”), assumes that Russia is starting a war. Meanwhile, the mayor advises Artemy Filippovich Zemlyanika, the trustee of charitable institutions, to put clean caps on the sick, make arrangements for the strength of the tobacco they smoke and, in general, if possible, reduce their number; and meets with the complete sympathy of Strawberry, who respects that “a simple man: if he dies, he will die anyway; If he gets well, he’ll get well.” The mayor points out to the judge the “domestic geese with little goslings” that scurry underfoot in the hall for the petitioners; on the assessor, from whom “smells of vodka” since childhood; on the hunting rifle that hangs just above the cupboard with papers. With a discussion about bribes (and in particular, greyhound puppies), the mayor turns to Luka Lukich Khlopov, the superintendent of schools, and laments the strange habits “inseparable from an academic title”: one teacher constantly makes faces, another explains with such fervor that he does not remember himself (“Of course, Alexander the Great is a hero, but why break the chairs? This will result in a loss to the treasury.”)
Postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin appears, “a simple-minded man to the point of naivety.” The mayor, fearing a denunciation, asks him to look through the letters, but the postmaster, having been reading them for a long time out of pure curiosity (“you will read another letter with pleasure”), has not yet seen anything about the St. Petersburg official. Out of breath, the landowners Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky enter and, constantly interrupting each other, talk about a visit to the hotel tavern and an observant young man (“and looked into our plates”), with such an expression on his face - in a word, precisely the auditor: “and doesn’t pay money and doesn’t go, who else should it be if not him?”
The officials disperse anxiously, the mayor decides to “parade to the hotel” and gives urgent instructions to the quarterly regarding the street leading to the tavern and the construction of a church at a charitable institution (don’t forget that it began “to be built, but burned down,” otherwise someone will blurt out what and was not built at all). The mayor leaves with Dobchinsky in great excitement, Bobchinsky runs after the droshky like a cockerel. Anna Andreevna, the mayor's wife, and Marya Antonovna, his daughter, appear. The first scolds her daughter for her slowness and asks her leaving husband through the window whether the newcomer has a mustache and what kind of mustache. Frustrated by the failure, she sends Avdotya for a droshky.
In a small hotel room, the servant Osip lies on the master's bed. He is hungry, complains about the owner who lost the money, about his thoughtless wastefulness and recalls the joys of life in St. Petersburg. Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a rather stupid young man, appears. After a squabble, with increasing timidity, he sends Osip for dinner - and if they don’t give it, he sends for the owner. Explanations with the tavern servant are followed by a crappy dinner. Having emptied the plates, Khlestakov scolds, and at this time the mayor inquires about him. In the dark room under the stairs where Khlestakov lives, their meeting takes place. Sincere words about the purpose of the trip, about the formidable father who called Ivan Alexandrovich from St. Petersburg, are taken as a skillful invention incognito, and the mayor understands his cries about his reluctance to go to prison in the sense that the visitor will not cover up his misdeeds. The mayor, lost with fear, offers the newcomer money and asks him to move into his house, and also to inspect - for the sake of curiosity - some establishments in the city, “somehow pleasing to God and others.” The visitor unexpectedly agrees, and, having written two notes on the tavern bill, to Strawberry and his wife, the mayor sends Dobchinsky with them (Bobchinsky, who was diligently eavesdropping at the door, falls to the floor with her), and he himself goes with Khlestakov.
Anna Andreevna, waiting impatiently and anxiously for news, is still annoyed with her daughter. Dobchinsky comes running with a note and a story about the official, that “he is not a general, but will not yield to the general,” about his menacing behavior at first and his softening later. Anna Andreevna reads the note, where a list of pickles and caviar is interspersed with a request to prepare a room for the guest and take wine from the merchant Abdulin. Both ladies, quarreling, decide which dress to wear. The mayor and Khlestakov return, accompanied by Zemlyanika (who had just eaten labardan in the hospital), Khlopov and the inevitable Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. The conversation concerns the successes of Artemy Filippovich: since he took office, all the patients are “getting better like flies.” The mayor gives a speech about his selfless zeal. The softened Khlestakov wonders if it is possible to play cards somewhere in the city, and the mayor, realizing there is a catch in the question, decisively speaks out against cards (not at all embarrassed by his recent winnings from Khlopov). Completely upset by the appearance of the ladies, Khlestakov tells how in St. Petersburg they took him for the commander-in-chief, that he was on friendly terms with Pushkin, how he once managed the department, which was preceded by persuasion and the sending of thirty-five thousand couriers to him alone; he depicts his unparalleled severity, predicts his imminent promotion to field marshal, which instills panic in the mayor and his entourage, in which fear everyone disperses when Khlestakov retires to sleep. Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna, having argued over who the visitor looked at more, together with the mayor, vying with each other, ask Osip about the owner. He answers so ambiguously and evasively that, assuming Khlestakov is an important person, they only confirm this. The mayor orders the police to stand on the porch so as not to let in merchants, petitioners and anyone who might complain.
The officials in the mayor's house are conferring on what to do, decide to give the visitor a bribe and persuade Lyapkin-Tyapkin, famous for his eloquence (“every word, Cicero rolled off his tongue”), to be the first. Khlestakov wakes up and scares them away. Lyapkin-Tyapkin, completely afraid, entered with the intention of giving money, cannot even answer coherently how long he has served and what he has served; he drops the money and considers himself almost under arrest. Khlestakov, who raised the money, asks to borrow it, because “he spent money on the road.” Talking with the postmaster about the pleasures of life in the county town, offering the superintendent of schools a cigar and the question of who, in his taste, is preferable - brunettes or blondes, confusing Strawberry with the remark that yesterday he was shorter, he takes from everyone in turn " “loan” under the same pretext. Strawberry diversifies the situation by informing on everyone and offering to express their thoughts in writing. Khlestakov immediately asks Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky for a thousand rubles or at least a hundred (however, he is content with sixty-five). Dobchinsky is taking care of his first-born, born before marriage, wanting to make him a legitimate son, and he is hopeful. Bobchinsky asks, on occasion, to tell all the nobles in St. Petersburg: senators, admirals (“and if the sovereign has to do this, tell the sovereign too”) that “Peter Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in such and such a city.”
Having sent the landowners away, Khlestakov sits down to write a letter to his friend Tryapichkin in St. Petersburg in order to outline an amusing incident of how he was mistaken for a “statesman.” While the owner is writing, Osip persuades him to leave quickly and succeeds in his arguments. Having sent Osip with a letter and for the horses, Khlestakov receives the merchants, who are loudly prevented by the quarterly Derzhimorda. They complain about the mayor’s “offenses” and give him the requested five hundred rubles on loan (Osip takes a loaf of sugar and much more: “and the rope will come in handy on the road”). The hopeful merchants are replaced by a mechanic and a non-commissioned officer's wife with complaints about the same mayor. Osip pushes out the rest of the petitioners. The meeting with Marya Antonovna, who, really, was not going anywhere, but was only wondering if mamma was here, ends with a declaration of love, a kiss from the lying Khlestakov and his repentance on his knees. Anna Andreevna, who suddenly appeared, exposes her daughter in anger, and Khlestakov, finding her still very “appetizing,” falls to his knees and asks for her hand in marriage. He is not embarrassed by Anna Andreevna’s confused admission that she is “in some way married,” he suggests “retiring under the shade of the streams,” because “for love there is no difference.” Marya Antonovna, who unexpectedly runs in, receives a beating from her mother and a marriage proposal from Khlestakov, who is still kneeling. The mayor enters, frightened by the complaints of the merchants who broke through to Khlestakov, and begs him not to believe the scammers. He does not understand his wife’s words about matchmaking until Khlestakov threatens to shoot himself. Not really understanding what is happening, the mayor blesses the young people. Osip reports that the horses are ready, and Khlestakov announces to the mayor’s completely lost family that he is going for just one day to visit his rich uncle, borrows money again, sits in a carriage, accompanied by the mayor and his household. Osip carefully accepts the Persian carpet onto the floor.
Having seen off Khlestakov, Anna Andreevna and the mayor indulge in dreams of St. Petersburg life. The summoned merchants appear, and the triumphant mayor, having filled them with great fear, joyfully dismisses everyone with God. One after another, “retired officials, honorable persons in the city” come, surrounded by their families, in order to congratulate the mayor’s family. In the midst of congratulations, when the mayor and Anna Andreevna, among the guests languishing with envy, consider themselves to be a general’s couple, the postmaster runs in with the message that “the official whom we took for an auditor was not an auditor.” Khlestakov's printed letter to Tryapichkin is read aloud and one by one, since every new reader, having reached the description of his own person, becomes blind, stalls and moves away. The crushed mayor delivers an accusatory speech not so much to the helix Khlestakov as to the “click-cutter, paper-thrower,” which will certainly be inserted into the comedy. The general anger turns to Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, who started a false rumor, when the sudden appearance of a gendarme, announcing that “an official who has arrived by personal order from St. Petersburg demands you to come to him this very hour,” plunges everyone into a kind of tetanus. The silent scene lasts more than a minute, during which time no one changes their position. "The curtain falls."
The action takes place in a county town.
At the beginning of the play, Gogol gives recommendations to the actors. It describes how the characters should look and dress.
The main character is a petty official from St. Petersburg, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. He is twenty three years old. Khlestakov is stupid and boastful, absent-minded and frivolous, loves to walk, play cards, and is a dandy.
His elderly servant Osip is much more serious and smarter than his master. Alone with himself, he constantly criticizes the master.
Mayor Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky is an elderly man, quite smart and respectable, but an incorrigible bribe-taker. His wife Anna Andreevna is vain, flirtatious and very curious.
Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin, who “read six or five books,” is known in the district town as a freethinker. He constantly expresses the most ridiculous guesses with a significant expression on his face.
The trustee of charitable institutions, Strawberry, is a trickster and a sneak. Postmaster Shpekin is naive and simple. Landowners Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky are the first gossips in the city. They are very similar to each other, talkative and curious.
The play also includes: Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky’s daughter Maria, the superintendent of schools Khlopov, the doctor Christian Gibner, who does not understand Russian, as well as the district police officers of Derzhimorda, Svistunov and Pugovitsyn, led by the bailiff Ukhovertov, townspeople and servants.
Act one
Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky gathered a judge, a bailiff with police officers, a trustee of charitable institutions, Zemlyanika, and a superintendent of schools, Khlopov. The mayor reports “very unpleasant news”: one acquaintance from the capital wrote to him that an auditor had been sent to their city. Who it is and what it looks like is unknown. City officials, in a panic, begin to recall their sins.
The judge takes bribes like greyhound puppies, there is garbage and dirt on the streets, food is not provided in prison. Patients in the hospital are fed sauerkraut and receive virtually no treatment. “A simple man: if he dies, he will die anyway; if he recovers, then he will recover,” argues the trustee of charitable institutions, Zemlyanika. In the court reception area, the watchman raised geese, and the clerk smelled like a distillery. They planned to build a temple at the hospital. Anton Antonovich reported that it was almost built, but there was a fire. In fact, no one intended to build it.
The mayor asks the postmaster to secretly study the correspondence to find out if they are informing on him? But Shpekin, it turns out, constantly reads all the letters out of curiosity.
Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky are in a hurry to tell you that they have found the inspector. While dining at the hotel tavern, they noticed a traveler who had been living there for two weeks and had not paid any money.
Panic intensifies. The mayor gives orders: sweep the streets, teachers at the school should not make faces or break furniture, patients in the hospital should be given clean caps, Derzhimorda should not loose his hands, and the soldiers should be locked in the barracks.
In the company of Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, the mayor goes to meet the “auditor”. As soon as they leave, Anton Antonovich's wife and his daughter Maria appear. Anna Andreevna scolds her daughter for her slowness and coquetry. While Masha was pinning on the scarf, everyone had left and now it’s unclear who arrived. In desperation, she tells the maid to find out everything quickly.
Act two
Khlestakov's hungry servant Osip complains to himself about his master. He likes life in St. Petersburg, but the master squanders his money too quickly, and he has to go hungry. Khlestakov returns from a walk. He is also hungry and sends Osip to ask the innkeeper for lunch.
The tavern servant explains that the owner does not order food to be served until Khlestakov pays off his debts. He threatens to complain to the mayor, and then Ivan Alexandrovich will be sent to prison. After much persuasion, the servant finally brings dinner, although it is not tasty. Khlestakov is indignant, but eats everything.
Here Anton Antonovich and Dobchinsky enter the room, and Bobchinsky remains listening outside the door. Khlestakov, in fright, decided that they had come to arrest him. But the mayor assures the young man that he came with good intentions. He checks how the people passing by live. Khlestakov, somewhat encouraged by this situation, scolds the owner of the inn for a bad dinner. The frightened mayor immediately repents of all his sins and offers Khlestakov to change his apartment.
The imaginary auditor thinks that the “other apartment” is a prison. Out of fear, he threatens to complain to the minister. Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky is even more frightened and offers money. Khlestakov agrees to borrow 200 rubles from him. Anton Antonovich, sighing with relief, slips in 400 rubles. He believes that such an important person should not live in a bad hotel. The “auditor” agrees to move in with the mayor.
Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky invites the guest to inspect the school, prison and hospital. Khlestakov is surprised that he is offered such a program, but agrees. Anton Antonovich sends Dobchinsky with notes to his wife and Strawberry, and he himself takes the “auditor” away.
Act three
The mayor's wife and daughter are waiting for news. Dobchinsky brings a note. From it the ladies learn that the “auditor” will live in their house. The fuss begins. They are urgently preparing a room for the guest. Anna Andreevna quarrels with her daughter over her outfits. They both leave to change clothes.
Osip appears with things. He is met by a servant in the house of the mayor Mishka. He wonders if his master is a general? “Higher,” Osip answers knowingly.
Khlestakov and Anton Antonovich enter, accompanied by officials, landowners and policemen. The young man is in a great mood, slightly tipsy. He liked the lunch at the hospital, but was surprised why there were so few patients. “Everyone gets better like flies,” explains Strawberry.
The mayor introduces his wife and daughter to the important guest. Showing off in front of the ladies, Khlestakov boasts about his life in St. Petersburg: he has a rich house, high officials are waiting for an audience in the hallway. He gives luxurious balls, is friends with Pushkin and ministers, plays cards with ambassadors. He is also a famous writer, whose pen includes “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Norma” and “Yuri Miloslavsky”. The young man claims that he goes to the palace every day. Anton Antonovich and the officials are terribly scared. The exhausted “auditor” is taken to a room to rest.
Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky run away to tell everyone the latest news. What a great man honored their city with his visit! Maria Antonovna and Anna Andreevna quarrel again over who Khlestakov looked at more often.
In the house they speak quietly and walk on tiptoe so as not to disturb the important guest. They attack Osip with questions. The cunning servant puts on airs and confirms that the master in St. Petersburg is a very influential person. He is strict, loves to be well received and treated. In writing all this, Osip is thinking about his own benefit. He expects that he will also be fed tasty food. The mayor orders the police to constantly stand on the porch in order to drive away all complainants and petitioners.
Act four
The officials gather again in the mayor's house. They are discussing how to bribe the “auditor”. Nobody wants to go first. A cough is heard from Khlestakov’s room. Pushing and stepping on each other's feet, everyone runs away. A sleepy Khlestakov comes out. He is extremely pleased with the reception and is talking about how to hit his daughter and mother at the same time?
A very excited Lyapkin-Tyapkin enters. He tries to give money, but drops it out of excitement. Khlestakov picks up the bill and offers to borrow it. The happy judge hurries to leave.
The postmaster comes in behind him. The emboldened Khlestakov will forgive him for borrowing 300 rubles. The delighted official gives the money. Next, the excited school superintendent squeezes through the door. The insolent “auditor” takes 300 rubles from him.
In addition to the desire to give a bribe, officials try to denounce each other to Khlestakov. Strawberry was especially successful in this. He informs on everyone. Shpekin, in his opinion, is a slacker, so mail is constantly delayed. The judge visits Dobchinsky's wife, and the superintendent of the schools confuses young minds with “unintentional rules.”
Strawberry suggests submitting denunciations in writing. Khlestakov graciously agrees and asks him to borrow 400 rubles. The “auditor” asks Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky for another 65 rubles.
When everyone leaves, Khlestakov writes to a newspaperman he knows in St. Petersburg about his adventures. Osip asks the owner to quickly leave the city before the master is exposed. Khlestakov agrees, but still wants to send a letter.
Suddenly, merchants look in through the window with an offering. They complain about the mayor, who robs them and pulls their beards. Khlestakov also begs them for a loan of 500 rubles. Then came the widow of a non-commissioned officer, who was flogged by mistake. Khlestakov promises to figure everything out. Petitioners persistently climb into the doors and windows, but Osip kicks everyone out.
When Khlestakov is left alone, Maria Antonovna enters the room. The young man showers the girl with compliments and even kneels in front of her. But then Anna Andreevna appears. She doesn't like that the guest chose his daughter. The mayor's wife sends the girl away under a far-fetched pretext. Khlestakov immediately tries to seduce the lady. He kneels down again, begging for love, but then Maria runs into the room again. She is horrified by what she saw. Khlestakov is not at a loss, grabs the girl by the hand and turns to her mother with a request not to oppose their happiness.
Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky enters, very concerned about the complaints. The mayor accuses the merchants of lying and fraud, and also claims that the non-commissioned officer's widow flogged herself. For a long time he does not believe that such an important person proposed to his daughter, and then jumps with happiness.
Osip appears with the news that the horses are ready. Khlestakov explains: he is leaving for one or two days to visit his rich uncle. Anton Antonovich gives him another 400 rubles for the journey, and the three servants cover him with the best carpet. Having said goodbye to everyone cordially, Khlestakov leaves.
Act five
Happy Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky demands to call the merchants who dared to complain about him. While waiting for them, the family dreams of a new luxurious life in the capital and the rank of general. The mayor scolds the complainers and announces the upcoming wedding of his daughter with the important official to whom they reported. The merchants beg to forgive them.
Guests come to Anton Antonovich's house. Everyone, having heard about the mayor’s unprecedented success, rushes to congratulate him. Officials, landowners and merchants are trying in every possible way to flatter the future father-in-law of “His Excellency” and are very jealous of the mayor.
Suddenly Shpekin appears with a printed letter that Khlestakov sent. It is read aloud. It follows from the letter that the imaginary auditor lost money at cards on the way and was left without a penny. But then an amazing thing happened to him: he was mistaken for the governor-general, they lent him a lot of money, and he also hit on the mayor’s wife and daughter.
The people depicted by Gogol in the comedy “The Inspector General” with amazingly unprincipled views and ignorance of any reader amaze and seem completely fictitious. But in fact, these are not random images. These are faces typical of the Russian province of the thirties of the 19th century, which can be found even in historical documents.
In his comedy, Gogol touches on several very important public issues. This is the attitude of officials to their duties and the implementation of the law. Oddly enough, the meaning of comedy is also relevant in modern realities.
The history of writing "The Inspector General"
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol describes in his works rather exaggerated images of Russian reality of that time. At the moment the idea of a new comedy appeared, the writer was actively working on the poem “Dead Souls”.
In 1835, he turned to Pushkin regarding an idea for a comedy, expressing a request for help in a letter. The poet responds to requests and tells a story when the publisher of one of the magazines in one of the southern cities was mistaken for a visiting official. A similar situation, oddly enough, happened with Pushkin himself at the time when he was collecting materials to describe the Pugachev riot in Nizhny Novgorod. He was also mistaken for the capital's auditor. The idea seemed interesting to Gogol, and the very desire to write a comedy captured him so much that work on the play lasted only 2 months.
During October and November 1835, Gogol wrote the comedy in its entirety and a few months later read it out to other writers. Colleagues were delighted.
Gogol himself wrote that he wanted to collect everything bad that is in Russia into a single pile and laugh at it. He saw his play as a cleansing satire and a weapon in the fight against the injustice that existed in society at that time. By the way, the play based on Gogol’s works was allowed to be staged only after Zhukovsky personally made a request to the emperor.
Analysis of the work
Description of the work
The events described in the comedy “The Inspector General” take place in the first half of the 19th century, in one of the provincial towns, which Gogol simply refers to as “N”.
The mayor informs all city officials that he has received news of the arrival of the capital's auditor. Officials are afraid of inspections because they all take bribes, do poor work, and there is chaos in the institutions under their subordination.
Almost immediately after the news, a second one appears. They realize that a well-dressed man who looks like an auditor is staying at a local hotel. In fact, the unknown person is a minor official, Khlestakov. Young, flighty and stupid. The mayor personally showed up at his hotel to meet him and offer to move to his home, in much better conditions than the hotel. Khlestakov happily agrees. He likes this kind of hospitality. At this stage, he does not suspect that he has been mistaken for who he is.
Khlestakov is also introduced to other officials, each of whom hands him a large sum of money, supposedly as a loan. They do everything so that the check is not so thorough. At this moment, Khlestakov understands who he was mistaken for and, having received a round sum, keeps silent that this is a mistake.
Afterwards, he decides to leave the city of N, having previously proposed to the daughter of the Mayor himself. Joyfully blessing the future marriage, the official rejoices at such a relationship and calmly says goodbye to Khlestakov, who is leaving the city and, naturally, is not going to return to it.
Before this, the main character writes a letter to his friend in St. Petersburg, in which he talks about the embarrassment that occurred. The postmaster, who opens all letters at the post office, also reads Khlestakov’s message. The deception is revealed and everyone who gave bribes learns with horror that the money will not be returned to them, and there has been no verification yet. At the same moment, a real auditor arrives in town. Officials are horrified by the news.
Comedy heroes
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov
Khlestakov's age is 23 - 24 years. A hereditary nobleman and landowner, he is thin, thin and stupid. Acts without thinking about the consequences, has abrupt speech.
Khlestakov works as a registrar. In those days, this was the lowest-ranking official. He is rarely present at work, increasingly plays cards for money and takes walks, so his career is not moving forward. Khlestakov lives in St. Petersburg, in a modest apartment, and his parents, who live in one of the villages in the Saratov province, regularly send him money. Khlestakov does not know how to save money; he spends it on all kinds of pleasures, without denying himself anything.
He is very cowardly, loves to brag and lie. Khlestakov is not averse to hitting on women, especially pretty ones, but only stupid provincial ladies succumb to his charm.
Mayor
Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky. An official who has grown old in the service, in his own way, is intelligent, and makes a completely respectable impression.
He speaks carefully and in moderation. His mood changes quickly, his facial features are hard and rough. He performs his duties poorly and is a swindler with extensive experience. The mayor makes money wherever possible, and is in good standing among the same bribe-takers.
He is greedy and insatiable. He steals money, including from the treasury, and unprincipledly violates all laws. He doesn’t even shun blackmail. A master of promises and an even greater master of keeping them.
The mayor dreams of being a general. Despite the mass of his sins, he attends church weekly. A passionate card player, he loves his wife and treats her very tenderly. He also has a daughter, who at the end of the comedy, with his blessing, becomes the bride of the nosy Khlestakov.
Postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin
It is this character, responsible for sending letters, who opens Khlestakov’s letter and discovers the deception. However, he opens letters and parcels on a regular basis. He does this not out of precaution, but solely for the sake of curiosity and his own collection of interesting stories.
Sometimes he doesn’t just read letters that he particularly likes, Shpekin keeps them for himself. In addition to forwarding letters, his duties include managing postal stations, caretakers, horses, etc. But this is not what he does. He does almost nothing at all and therefore the local post office works extremely poorly.
Anna Andreevna Skvoznik-Dmukhanovskaya
Mayor's wife. A provincial coquette whose soul is inspired by novels. She is curious, vain, loves to get the better of her husband, but in reality this only happens in small things.
An appetizing and attractive lady, impatient, stupid and capable of talking only about trifles and the weather. At the same time, he loves to chat incessantly. She is arrogant and dreams of a luxurious life in St. Petersburg. The mother is not important because she competes with her daughter and boasts that Khlestakov paid more attention to her than to Marya. One of the entertainments for the Governor's wife is fortune-telling on cards.
The mayor's daughter is 18 years old. Attractive in appearance, cutesy and flirtatious. She is very flighty. It is she who, at the end of the comedy, becomes Khlestakov’s abandoned bride.
Composition and plot analysis
The basis of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol’s play “The Inspector General” is an everyday joke, which was quite common in those days. All the comedy images are exaggerated and, at the same time, believable. The play is interesting because all its characters are interconnected and each of them, in fact, acts as a hero.
The plot of the comedy is the arrival of the inspector expected by the officials and their haste in drawing conclusions, because of which Khlestakov is recognized as the inspector.
What is interesting about the composition of the comedy is the absence of love intrigue and love line, as such. Here vices are simply ridiculed, which, according to the classical literary genre, receive punishment. Partly they are already orders for the frivolous Khlestakov, but the reader understands at the end of the play that even greater punishment awaits them ahead, with the arrival of a real inspector from St. Petersburg.
Through simple comedy with exaggerated images, Gogol teaches his reader honesty, kindness and responsibility. The fact that you need to respect your own service and comply with the laws. Through the images of heroes, each reader can see his own shortcomings, if among them are stupidity, greed, hypocrisy and selfishness.
