Once upon a time, one county-type city had the honor of “living through” a whole history. The territorial position of the city was described by the author as follows: “You’ll ride for three years and you won’t reach any state.” The mayor, Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhonovsky, gathered all the officials of the district in order to tell them about the upcoming event. The other day, Anton Antonovich received a letter from a stranger, in which it was reported that an “inspector from St. Petersburg, incognito,” would soon appear in the city.
And with a secret order." The mayor, torn by forebodings, complains about restless dreams: all night he saw rats of unprecedented size. The city begins to go through all sorts of reasons for the auditor's visit. Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin, a representative of the city court, who has read “five or six books” in his entire life (therefore appearing to the reader as a very free-thinker), expresses his assumption about a possible war initiated by Russia. Artemy Filippovich Strawberry, a trustee of charitable institutions, receives the mayor’s advice: to refresh the appearance of hospital caps; monitor the process of tobacco consumption by patients, if possible, reduce its level, and also manage its strength. and all of Mayor Zemlyanik’s proposals are answered with regret: “A simple man: if he dies, he will die anyway; If he gets well, he’ll get well.”
The judge receives a remark from the mayor regarding domestic geese with small goslings, confusedly getting underfoot in the hallway for petitioners; the assessor, in the opinion of the mayor, has had an addiction to vodka since childhood; hunting arapik hanging over a cabinet with papers. The mayor addresses his thoughts about bribes, especially with greyhound puppies, to the superintendent of schools, Luka Lukich Khlopov; and also expresses his dissatisfaction with the habits “inseparable from an academic title”: he notes a teacher who never ceases to make faces, while another explains the subject by the heat that drives him to unconsciousness: “Of course, Alexander the Great is a hero, but why are there chairs? break? This is a loss to the treasury!”
This is followed by the appearance of the postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin, who is presented by the author as “a simple-minded person to the point of naivety.” Fearing betrayal, Anton Antonovich asks the postmaster to read the letters arriving at the post office, completely unaware that Ivan Kuzmich, overcome by curiosity, has been sinning in this matter for a long time: “You will read another letter with pleasure.” As it turns out, Ivan Kuzmich did not come across any information about the St. Petersburg official in his letters. Unexpectedly, landowners Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky appear, who, out of breath, report on their visit to the hotel tavern and on a very attentive young man: “and he looked into our plates.” The landowners note the special expression on the man’s face: in a word, he is a true auditor (“And he doesn’t pay money and doesn’t go, who should be if not him?”).
The puzzled city managers leave. Anton Antonovich is going to “parade to the hotel.” Before leaving, he gives instructions to the policeman about the street that leads to the tavern; the construction of a church at a charitable institution that “began to be built, but burned down.” The mayor, being in great excitement, leaves, accompanied by Dobchinsky. Bobchinsky runs after the characters who are leaving. Anna Andreevna, who is the mayor's wife, appears, surrounded by Marya Antonovna, his daughter. The mother turns to her daughter with scolding for the second’s slowness, and immediately, looking out the window, asks her husband about the possible options for the visitor’s appearance: does he have a mustache and what kind of mustache. Enraged by the unsuccessful attempt, she sends Avdotya after her husband.
In a hotel room that is completely small size, Osip, his servant, is lying on the master’s bed. He is tormented by a feeling of hunger, he lies there, complaining about the master, who managed to lose a lot of money; at his senseless extravagance; and remembers happy life In Petersburg. This is followed by the appearance of Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a young man who is not particularly intelligent. After a short squabble, he timidly sends Osip to get food for dinner. Following the conversation in the tavern, the process of eating food occurs, which, as it turns out, is far from pleasant in taste and quality. After lunch, Khlestakov expresses his dissatisfaction with everything that is happening, while the mayor himself is interested in him. Their meeting takes place in Khlestakov’s room. Sincere confessions about the purpose of the visit, about the raging dad who called Ivan Alexandrovich from St. Petersburg, were taken for the ability to skillfully lie, and exclamations regarding the hero’s reluctance to be imprisoned, the mayor takes for the fact that the guest will not ignore his sins. Beside himself with fear, the mayor first tries to offer the guest money, then asks him to stay in his house, and also to visit, for fun, some city institutions. After the unexpected consent of the guest, the mayor, having written notes addressed to his wife and Strawberry on the tavern bill, sends Dobchinsky with them, while Bobchinsky, diligently trying to eavesdrop on the conversation behind the door, falls to the floor with her. The mayor leaves in the company of Khlestakov.
Anna Andreevna is still angry with her daughter, who, overcome with impatience and excitement, is waiting for news. Followed by the appearance of Dobchinsky, who came running with a note and news about an official who “is not a general, but will yield to a general,” about his bad mood at first and about his positivity subsequently. In the process of reading the note, Anna Andreevna learns about the things that are necessary to receive a guest: her husband writes about the need for pickles, caviar, a room for the guest and wine, which the merchant Abdulin can provide. The process of ladies choosing outfits to greet the guest follows. The situation is accompanied by squabbles. Anton Antonovich and Khlestakov appear, accompanied by Strawberry, who recently tasted labardan in the hospital; Khlopov and, of course, Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. The conversation takes place on the topic of the successful activities of Strawberry, whose patients “get better like flies.” What follows is Anton Antonovich’s speech about his selfless efforts. Having relaxed, Khlestakov shows interest in places in the city where you can play cards. Suspecting a trick, Anton Antonovich speaks out about his negative attitude to gambling, not at all embarrassed by the fact of his winnings from Khlopov. Having completely relaxed after the appearance of the ladies, Khlestakov talks about an incident in St. Petersburg when he was mistakenly mistaken for the commander-in-chief; about his friendship with Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin; about him managerial position in the department; about his unparalleled strict character; and, finally, he suppresses the word about his imminent initiation into field marshal, which leads officials into a state of indescribable fear. The heroes leave when Khlestakov goes to bed. Arguing about the subject of whom the guest paid more attention to, Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna, together with the head of the family, vying with each other to ask Osip about Khlestakov. After listening to all his ambiguous and non-specific answers, the heroes are again and again convinced of the importance of the visitor’s person. Anton Antonovich orders the police to position themselves on the porch to prevent the appearance of merchants, petitioners and the like who might complain about anything.
A meeting of city managers takes place in Anton Antonovich’s house, during which officials decide to bribe the guest with a bribe. The heroes are trying to persuade Lyapkin-Tyapkin, known for his gift of eloquence (“every word, Cicero rolled off his tongue”), to try first. The heroes are frightened by the unexpectedly awakened Khlestakov. The completely cowardly Lyapkin-Tyapkin enters the visitor’s room, intending to give the guest money, but in the end he cannot utter a word: he drops the bills on the floor, considering himself almost taken into custody. The guest, picking up the money, asks to borrow it: “I spent money on the road.” This is followed by a discussion with the postmaster about all the positive aspects of city life. Khlestakov is interested taste preferences superintendent of schools: “How are you? Which do you prefer - brunettes or blondes? Strawberry is put in an awkward position by the guest’s remark that it seemed like yesterday he was shorter. Khlestakov borrows from everyone who comes in under the same pretext. Strawberry brings some variety to what is happening, denouncing everyone and offering to put their thoughts in writing. The visitor immediately asks Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky for a loan of one thousand rubles; gradually the required amount is reduced to one hundred rubles, and, in the end, the guest is satisfied with sixty-five rubles. Dobchinsky was ecstatic about his first child, who was born out of wedlock. The hero is encouraged by dreams of the imminent legal adoption of his first child. Bobchinsky asks Khlestakov to put in a word about him in front of local nobles in St. Petersburg: they say, “Peter Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in such and such a city.”
Having said goodbye to the officials, Khlestakov decides to drop a message to Comrade Tryapichkin in St. Petersburg in order to tell him all the details of the curiosity, as a result of which Ivan Alexandrovich became known in the district city as a “statesman.” At the moment Khlestakov is composing a letter, Osip is trying to persuade the owner to leave the city as soon as possible, which he successfully succeeds in doing. Khlestakov, having given Osip the letter, sends him for the horses. He himself is already hosting a reception for merchants, whom the policeman Derzhimorda is trying with all his might to stop. The merchants, in turn, complain about the mayor’s bad attitude towards them, and also lend the five hundred rubles begged by Khlestakov. Osip, without hesitation, takes a loaf of sugar from the merchants, and something else besides it: “and the rope will come in handy on the road.” Following the hopeful merchants, the locksmith and the wife of the non-commissioned officer appear, also complaining about the disturbances on the part of the mayor. The rest of the visitors are escorted out by Osip. What follows is Khlestakov’s unexpected meeting with Marya Antonovna, who supposedly wasn’t going anywhere, but decided to check if her mother was here. The meeting ends with a declaration of love, a passionate kiss from Khlestakov and his own repentance. Anna Andreevna, who unexpectedly appears, throws her daughter out the door in indignation. Khlestakov, recognizing the newcomer as “still very appetizing,” falls to his knees in front of her, proposing. Neither Anna Andreevna’s uncertain answer nor the fact of her marriage makes him blush. The hero invites the lady to “retire under the shade of the streams,” since “for love there is no difference.” Marya Antonovna, who runs in with lightning speed, is hit by her mother’s wrath, followed by a marriage proposal from Khlestakov. Anton Antonovich appears, agitated by the accusations of the merchants who appeared at Khlestakov’s, and asks not to take everything said as reality. The meaning of the words about matchmaking does not reach him until Ivan Aleksandrovich warns about possible suicide by shooting himself. Almost unaware of what is happening around, Anton Antonovich gives his blessing to the young. At the same moment, Osip announces that the horses are in full readiness. Khlestakov confronts the completely desperate family with a fact: he is going to visit his rich uncle for one day and needs financial support. Having received the money, he is loaded into the chaise, accompanied by Anton Antonovich and members of his family. Osip receives a Persian carpet as bedding with tenderness and care.
Anna Andreevna and her husband, having said goodbye to their guest, begin to dream about life in St. Petersburg. The appearance of the invited merchants follows, who are intimidated and immediately released with God by the joyful Anton Antonovich. A whole line of “retired officials, honored persons in the city”, accompanied by members of their families, came to congratulate the Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky family. At that moment, when the number of congratulations solemnly reached its peak, when Anton Antonovich and Anna Andreevna, surrounded by guests groaning with envy, considered themselves almost a general couple, the postmaster appears at the door, announcing that “the official whom we received for the auditor, he was not an auditor.” Khlestakov's opened letter is passed from hand to hand and is played out loud one by one. Each reader, having found a description of his own nature in it, immediately withdraws from reading. The discouraged mayor makes a speech regarding Khlestakov as an obvious “clicker, paper scavenger.” The general indignation turns to Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky: those gathered accuse them of the falsity of the information coming from them. All conversations are stopped by the unexpected appearance of a gendarme, who reports: “an official who arrived by personal order from St. Petersburg demands you to come to him immediately.” The announcement shocks everyone present. The wordless scene continues for over a minute. Nobody moves. The curtain falls.
All the officials gather in a secluded small town. The head of the district town announces that an auditor is coming to them for a secret inspection. Everyone begins to discuss this news with concern, wondering what was the reason for the check. Lyapkin-Tyapkin even put forward the idea of a coming war. Anton Antonovich begins to give instructions so as not to disgrace himself in front of the inspector. Soon they are joined by the postmaster Shpekin, who, out of curiosity, was looking through other people's letters passing through him. According to him, he had not heard anything about the arrival of the auditor.
All the officials gather in a secluded small town. The head of the district town announces that an auditor is coming to them for a secret inspection. Everyone begins to discuss this news with concern, wondering what was the reason for the check. Lyapkin-Tyapkin even put forward the idea of a coming war. Anton Antonovich begins to give instructions so as not to disgrace himself in front of the inspector. Soon they are joined by the postmaster Shpekin, who, out of curiosity, was looking through other people's letters passing through him. According to him, he had not heard anything about the arrival of the auditor.
The remaining men begin to discuss how to appease the auditor. Everyone agrees on the idea of a bribe. An important matter has been entrusted to Lyapkin-Tyapkin. Suddenly, the awakened Khlestakov enters, and Lyapkin-Tyapkin loses all his determination, drops the money and cannot say a word. Khlestakov asks everyone for a loan. Later, Khlestakov, in a letter to a comrade, will describe this funny case when he was mistaken for some important person.
Source: Summary of Gogol The Inspector General very briefly retelling the plot in 2 minutes
The assembled officials hear rumors that a stranger has checked into a local hotel. The mayor immediately orders the streets near the hotel to be improved.
At this time, Khlestakov is sitting in the hotel with his servant Osip. Khlestakov is stupid, wasteful and has just lost big. The mayor arrives at the hotel, mistaking Khlestakov for an auditor. A conversation takes place between them, completely confusing everyone. Khlestakov's stories about his misadventures are taken as cunning lies. Anton Antonovich, in fear, gives Khlestakov money, invites him to stay in his house and explore the city along the way. Khlestakov gives his consent, and they leave.
At this time, Anna, the mayor’s wife, is preparing to meet an important guest. They are loudly discussing with their daughter what outfit to wear to meet the auditor.
During lunch, to which other officials were also convened, conversations begin about the successes of those present in serving the city. Khlestakov likes this reception, and soon he happily goes to sleep in a room specially prepared for him. Anna Andreevna and daughter Marya begin to argue about which of them the guest paid attention to.
The remaining men begin to discuss how to appease the auditor. Everyone agrees on the idea of a bribe. An important matter has been entrusted to Lyapkin-Tyapkin. Suddenly, the awakened Khlestakov enters, and Lyapkin-Tyapkin loses all his determination, drops the money and cannot say a word. Khlestakov asks everyone for a loan. Later, Khlestakov, in a letter to a friend, will describe this curious incident when he was mistaken for some important person.
In a district town, from which “you’ll jump for three years and won’t get to any state,” the mayor, Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, gathers officials to inform very pleasant news: a letter from an acquaintance informed him that “an auditor from St. Petersburg, incognito,” was coming to their city. And also with a secret pre-pi-sa-nie.” The city of no one - all night long I dreamed of two rats of unnatural size - felt something bad. The reasons for the arrival of the auditor are being discovered, and the judge, Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin (who read “five or six books, and therefore is somewhat free-thinking”), suggests the war started by Russia. Meanwhile, the town of no one advises Artemy Philippovich Zemlyanka, the trustee of charitable institutions, to put clean caps on the sick, make arrangements about the strength of the tobacco they smoke and in general , if possible, reduce their number; and meets the complete sympathy of Strawberry, who believes that “a simple man: if he dies, he will die anyway; if he gets well, then he gets well.” To the judge, the town-nobody points out “domestic geese with little goslings” that scurry underfoot in the hall for petitioners; on a meeting, from whom, since childhood, “he gives off a little vodka”; at the hunting arap that hangs just above the cupboard with papers. With a discussion about bribes (and in particular, greyhound puppies), the city-nobody turns to Luka Lukich Khlopov, the superintendent of schools, and laments the strange habits, “indecipherable archer with 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 chairs? That’s why loss to the treasury").
Postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin appears, “a simple, soulful man to the point of naivety.” The town of no one, 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’ll read another letter with pleasure”), oh Peter The Burburg official hasn't seen anything yet. Sighing, the landowners Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky enter and, constantly interrupting each other, talk about visiting the hotel tavern and the young man , observant (“and looked into our plates”), with such an expression on his face - in a word, exactly an auditor: “he doesn’t pay money, and doesn’t go, who should be , if not him?”
The officials disperse anxiously, the town of no one decides to “parade to the hotel” and gives urgent instructions to the quarter regarding the street leading to the tavern and the construction - the structure of the church at a God-pleasing institution (don’t forget that it began to “be built, but burned down,” otherwise someone will blurt out that it wasn’t built at all). The city-nobody leaves with Dobchinsky in great excitement, Bobchinsky runs after the droshky like a cockerel. Anna Andreevna, the wife of the city-nothing, and Marya Antonovna, his daughter, appear. The first one scolds her daughter for her intransigence and asks her leaving husband through the window whether the newcomer has a mustache and what kind of mustache he has. Frustrated by the failure, she sends Avdotya for the droshky.
In a small hotel room, the servant Osip lies on the master’s bed. He is hungry, complains about the owner, who lost money, about his thoughtless wastefulness, and remembers the joys of life in St. Petersburg. Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a young, stupid man, appears. After a squabble, with increasing timidity, he sends Osip for dinner - and if they don’t give it, he goes for the owner. Explanations with the tavern servant are followed by a crappy dinner. Having emptied the plates, Khlestakov scolds; at this time, the town of no one inquires about him. In the dark room under the stairs where Khlestakov lives, their meeting takes place. Purely heartfelt words about the purpose of the journey, about the formidable father who called Ivan Aleksandrovich from St. Petersburg, are taken for a skillful invention incognito, and his cries about tenderness The city understands no one’s plans to go to prison in the sense that the newcomer will not cover up his misdeeds. The city of no one, lost in fear, offers the newcomer money and asks him to move into his house, and also to examine, for the sake of curiosity, some establishments in the city, “how “some that are 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 diligently overheard under the door, falls to the floor with her), and he himself rides 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 the 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. Gorod-nichiy and Khlestakov are returning, accompanied by Earth-nobody (from whom they just ate labar-dan in the hospital), Khlopov and the indispensable Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. The conversation concerns the successes of Artemy Filipovich: since he took office, all the patients are “getting better like flies.” The city of no one gives a speech about its selfless zeal. Khlestakov, who has lived a different life, wonders whether it is possible to play cards somewhere in the city, and the town-nobody, realizing there is a catch in the question, resolutely speaks out against cards (without embarrassment not least because of his recent win over Khlopov). Completely unsettled by the appearance of the ladies, Khlestakov tells how in St. Petersburg they took him for the chief co-manager, that he and Pushkin were on friendly terms leg, how he once managed the department, which was preceded by persuasion and sending to him thirty-five thousand couriers alone; he vividly thrusts his unparalleled sternness on his guest, predicts his imminent promotion to field marshal, thereby pointing at the city of nothing with the encirclement of the lady -sky fear, 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 townsman, 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 city of no one orders police officers to stand on the porch so as not to let in merchants, petitioners and anyone who might complain.
The officials in the city's house confer on what to do, decide to give the visitor a bribe and persuade Lyapkin-Tyapkin, famous for his eloquent speech (“every word, Cicero rolled off his tongue”), to be the first. Khlestakov wakes up and wakes them up. The completely over-cowardly Lyapkin-Tyapkin, having 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 opinion, is preferable - brunettes or blond -dinki, having embarrassed Earth-nika by remarking that yesterday he was shorter in stature, he takes a “loan” from everyone in turn under the same pretext. Strawberry will present the situation in different ways, denouncing everyone and offering to express their views in writing. Khlestakov immediately asks Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky for a thousand rubles or at least a hundred (however, he is content with six to ten 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 “he lives in such and such a city Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky."
Having sent away the landowners, Khlestakov sat down to write a letter to his friend Tryapichkin in St. Petersburg in order to recount a funny 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 to fetch the horses, Khlestakov receives the merchants, who are loudly obstructed by the quarterly Keep-your-face. They complain about the “offenses” of the city-nothing, lend the requested five hundred rubles (Osip takes a loaf of sugar, and much more: “and the rope will come in handy on the road”). The naked merchants are replaced by a mechanic and a non-commissioned officer's wife with complaints about the same city. Osip pushes out the rest of the petitioners. The meeting with Marya Antonovna, who, really, wasn’t going anywhere, but was only wondering if mummy was here, ends with a declaration of love, a kiss from the lying Khlestakov and goodbye -kneeling it on your knees. Anna Andreevna, who suddenly appears, 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 “married in some way,” he suggests “retiring under the shadow of the streams,” because “for love there is no difference.” Marya Antonovna, who suddenly runs in, receives a beating from her mother and a marriage proposal from Khlestakov, who is still kneeling. The city of no one enters, frightened by the complaints of the merchants who broke through to Khlestakov, and begs them 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 city of no one blesses the young. Osip reports that the horses are ready, and Khlestakov announces to the completely lost family that he is going for just one day to his godly uncle, who has lent him life again. gives money, sits down in the carriage, accompanied by the city-nobody and his household. Osip carefully accepts the Persian carpet onto the bedding.
Having seen off Khlestakov, Anna Andreevna and the mayor indulge in dreams of St. Petersburg life. The summoned merchants appear, and the triumphant city of no one, having filled them with great fear, releases everyone with God in joy. One after another, “retired officials, honored persons in the city” come, surrounded by their families, in order to congratulate the family of the city-of-nothing. In the midst of congratulations, when the town nobody and Anna Andreevna, among the guests languishing with envy, consider themselves to be a couple of generals, the postmaster runs in with the message that “The official whom we mistook 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 characteristics of his own person, becomes blind, stalls and withdraws. The crushed city-nobody delivers an accusatory speech to Khlestakov not so much as the “click-feather, boom-go-ma-rake”, 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 arrived by personal order from St. Petersburg demands you to come to him this very hour,” - plunges everyone into a kind of stupor. The silent scene lasts more than a minute, during which time no one changes their position. "The curtain is falling."
“The Inspector General” is an immortal comedy by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. From the moment it was written, people did not stop reading it and performing it on stage, because the problems that the author revealed in the work will never lose their relevance and will resonate in the hearts of viewers and readers at all times.
Work on the work began in 1835. According to legend, wanting to write a comedy, but not finding a story worthy of this genre, Gogol turned to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin for help in the hope that he would suggest a suitable plot. And so it happened, Pushkin shared an “anecdote” that happened either to himself or to an official he knew: a man who came to a certain city on his own business, local authorities mistook him for an inspector who had arrived on a secret mission to follow, find out, and report. Pushkin, who admired the writer’s talent, was confident that Gogol would cope with the task even better than him, he really looked forward to the release of the comedy and supported Nikolai Vasilyevich in every possible way, especially when he was thinking of abandoning the work he had begun.
For the first time, the comedy was read by the author himself at an evening hosted by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky in the presence of several acquaintances and friends (including Pushkin). In the same year, The Inspector General was staged at the Alexandrinsky Theater. The play outraged and alarmed with its “unreliability”; it could have been banned. It was only thanks to Zhukovsky’s petition and patronage that it was decided to leave the work alone.
At the same time, Gogol himself was dissatisfied with the first production. He decided that neither the actors nor the public perceived The Inspector General correctly. This was followed by several explanatory articles by the writer, giving important instructions to those who really want to delve into the essence of comedy, correctly understand the characters, and play them on stage.
Work on “The Inspector General” continued until 1842: after numerous edits were made, it acquired the form in which it has come down to us.
Genre and direction
“The Inspector General” is a comedy where the subject of the story is the life of Russian officials. This is a satire on the morals and practices established among people belonging to this circle. The author skillfully uses comic elements in his work, providing them with both plot twists and turns and a system of characters. He cruelly ridicules current state society, either openly ironizing about events that illustrate reality, or covertly laughing at them.
Gogol worked in the direction of realism, the main principle of which was to show “a typical hero in typical circumstances.” This, on the one hand, made it easier for the writer to choose the topic of the work: it was enough to think about what issues are pressing for society at the moment. On the other hand, this presented him with the difficult task of describing reality in such a way that the reader recognized it and himself in it, believed the word of the author, and, immersed in the atmosphere of disharmony of reality, realized the need for change.
About what?
The action takes place in a county town, which naturally has no name, thereby symbolizing any city, and therefore Russia as a whole. Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky - the mayor - receives a letter that talks about an auditor who can come to the city incognito at any moment with an inspection. The news literally puts all residents who have anything to do with the bureaucratic service on their ears. Without thinking twice, the frightened townspeople themselves find a candidate for the role of an important official from St. Petersburg and try in every possible way to flatter him, to please the high-ranking official so that he will be lenient towards their sins. The comedy of the situation is added by the fact that Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, who made such an impression on those around him, does not realize until the last minute why everyone is behaving so courteously towards him, and only at the very end begins to suspect that he was mistaken for someone else, throughout apparently an important person.
Woven into the fabric of the overall narrative is love conflict, also played out in a farcical manner and built on the fact that the young ladies participating in it, each pursuing their own benefit, try to prevent each other from achieving it, and at the same time the instigator cannot choose one of the two ladies.
Main characters and their characteristics
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov
This is a petty official from St. Petersburg, returning home to his parents and mired in debt. “The most difficult role is the one who is mistaken by the frightened city for an auditor,” - this is what Gogol writes about Khlestakov in one of the articles in the appendix to the play. An empty and insignificant person by nature, Khlestakov wraps a whole city of rogues and swindlers around his finger. His main assistant in this is the general fear that gripped the officials who are mired in official “sins”. They themselves create an incredible image of the all-powerful auditor from St. Petersburg - a formidable man who decides other people's destinies, the first of the first in the whole country, as well as a metropolitan thing, a star in any circle. But you need to be able to support such a legend. Khlestakov copes with this task brilliantly, turning every passage thrown in his direction into a fascinating story, so brazenly ridiculous that it is difficult to believe that the cunning people of the city of N could not see through his deception. The secret of the “auditor” is that his lies are pure and naive to the extreme. The hero is incredibly sincere in his lies; he practically believes what he is telling. This is probably the first time he has received such overwhelming attention. They really listen to him, listen to his every word, which makes Ivan completely delighted. He feels that this is his moment of triumph: whatever he says now will be received with admiration. His imagination takes flight. He doesn't realize what's really going on here. Stupidity and bragging do not allow him to objectively assess the real state of affairs and realize that these mutual delights cannot continue for long. He is ready to linger in the city, taking advantage of the imaginary goodwill and generosity of the townspeople, not realizing that the deception will soon be revealed, and then the rage of the officials who have been fooled will know no bounds.
Being a loving young man, Khlestakov drags himself after two attractive young ladies at once, not knowing who to choose, the mayor’s daughter or his wife, and throws himself first on his knees in front of one, then in front of the other, which wins the hearts of both.
In the end, gradually beginning to guess that everyone present was mistaking him for someone else, Khlestakov, surprised by this incident, but without losing his good spirits, writes to his friend, the writer Tryapichkin, about what happened to him, and offers to make fun of his new acquaintances in the appropriate article. He joyfully describes the vices of those who graciously accepted him, those whom he managed to rob fairly (accepting exclusively on loans), those whose heads he gloriously turned with his stories.
Khlestakov is “a lying, personified deception” and at the same time this empty, insignificant character “contains a collection of many of those qualities that are not found in insignificant people,” which is why this role is all the more difficult. You can find another description of the character and image of Khlestakov in essay format.
Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky, mayor
“Rogue of the first category” (Belinsky)
Anton Antonovich is a smart person and knows how to manage things. He could have been a good mayor if he had not cared primarily about his pocket. Having deftly settled in his place, he carefully looks at every opportunity to grab something somewhere and never misses his chance. In the city he is considered a swindler and a bad manager, but it becomes clear to the reader that he earned such fame not because he is angry or ruthless by nature (he is not at all like that), but because he put his own interests much higher than those of others. Moreover, if you find the right approach to him, you can enlist his support.
The mayor is not mistaken about himself and does not hide in a private conversation that he himself knows everything about his sins. He considers himself a devout person, for he goes to church every Sunday. It can be assumed that he is not alien to some repentance, but he still puts his weaknesses above it. At the same time, he treats his wife and daughter with reverence; he cannot be reproached with indifference.
When the inspector arrives, the mayor is more frightened by the surprise than by the inspection itself. He suspects that if the city is properly prepared and the right people to meet an important guest, and also take into account the official from St. Petersburg himself, then you can successfully arrange the business and even win something for yourself here. Feeling that Khlestakov is being influenced and is in a good mood, Anton Antonovich calms down, and, of course, there is no limit to his joy, pride and the flight of his imagination when the opportunity arises to become related to such a person. The mayor dreams of a prominent position in St. Petersburg, of a successful match for his daughter, the situation is under his control and turns out as well as possible, when suddenly it turns out that Khlestakov is just a dummy, and a real auditor has already shown up on the doorstep. It is for him that this blow becomes the most difficult: he loses more than others, and he will receive it much more severely. You can find an essay describing the character and image of the mayor in The Inspector General.
Anna Andreevna and Maria Antonovna
The main female characters of the comedy. These ladies are the wife and daughter of the mayor. They are extremely curious, like all bored young ladies, hunters of all city gossip, as well as big flirts, they love it when others are carried away by them.
Khlestakov, who appears so unexpectedly, becomes wonderful entertainment for them. He brings news from the capital's high society, tells many amazing and entertaining stories, and most importantly, shows interest in each of them. Mother and daughter are trying in every possible way to woo the delightful dandy from St. Petersburg, and, in the end, he wooes Maria Antonovna, which her parents are very happy about. Everyone begins to make rosy plans for the future. The women do not realize that the wedding is not included in his plans, and in the end both, like all residents of the city, find themselves broke.
Osip
Khlestakov's servant is not stupid and cunning. He understands the situation much faster than his owner and, realizing that things are not going well, advises the owner to leave the city as soon as possible.
Osip understands well what his owner needs, to always take care of his well-being. Khlestakov himself clearly does not know how to do this, which means that without his servant he will be lost. Osip also understands this, so sometimes he allows himself to behave familiarly with his owner, is rude to him, and behaves independently.
Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky
They are city landowners. Both are short, round, “extremely similar to each other.” These two friends are talkers and liars, the two main town gossips. It is they who mistake Khlestakov for an auditor, thereby misleading all other officials.
Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky give the impression of being funny and good-natured gentlemen, but in reality they are stupid and, in essence, just empty talkers.
Other officials
Each official of city N is remarkable in some way, but nevertheless, they primarily constitute the overall picture of the bureaucratic world and are of interest in the aggregate. They, as we will see later, have all the vices of people occupying important positions. Moreover, they do not hide it, and sometimes they are even proud of their actions. Having an ally in the person of the mayor, the judge, the trustee of charitable institutions, the superintendent of schools and others freely do any arbitrariness that comes to their mind, without fear of reprisal.
The announcement of the arrival of the auditor horrifies everyone, but such “sharks” of the bureaucratic world quickly recover from the first shock and easily come to the simple solution their problem is bribing a terrible, but probably just as dishonest auditor as they are. Delighted by the success of their plan, the officials lose their vigilance and composure and find themselves completely defeated at the moment when it turns out that the Khlestakov they had favored is a nobody, but a real high-ranking official from St. Petersburg is already in the city. The image of the city N is described.
Themes
- Political topics: arbitrariness, nepotism and embezzlement in government structures. The author's field of view comes to the provincial town of N. The absence of a name and any territorial indications immediately suggests that this is a collective image. The reader immediately becomes acquainted with a number of officials living there, since they are the ones of interest in this work. These are all people who completely abuse power and use official duties only for their own interests. The life of the officials of the city of N has been established for a long time, everything goes on as usual, nothing disturbs the order they created, the foundation of which was laid by the mayor himself, until real threat trial and reprisal for their arbitrariness, which is about to fall on them in the person of the auditor. We talked about this topic in more detail.
- Social topics. Along the way, the comedy touches on theme of universal human stupidity, manifesting itself differently in different representatives of the human race. So, the reader sees how this vice leads some of the play's heroes into various curious situations: Khlestakov, inspired by the opportunity once in his life to become what he would like to be, does not notice that his legend is written with a pitchfork on the water and he is about to be exposed ; The mayor, at first frightened to the core, and then faced with the temptation to go out into public in St. Petersburg itself, is lost in a world of fantasies about a new life and turns out to be unprepared for the denouement of this extraordinary story.
Problems
The comedy is aimed at ridiculing specific vices of people with high positions in the service. Residents of the city do not disdain either bribery or embezzlement; they deceive ordinary people and rob them. Selfishness and arbitrariness - eternal problems officials, therefore “The Inspector General” remains a relevant and topical play at all times.
Gogol touches not only on the problems of a particular class. He finds vices in every resident of the city. For example, in noble women we clearly see greed, hypocrisy, deceit, vulgarity and a tendency to betray. In ordinary townspeople, the author finds slavish dependence on masters, plebeian narrow-mindedness, a willingness to grovel and fawn for immediate gain. The reader can see all sides of the coin: where tyranny reigns, there is no less shameful slavery. People resign themselves to this attitude towards themselves; they are satisfied with such a life. This is where unjust power derives its strength.
Meaning
The meaning of comedy is laid down by Gogol in the epigraph he chose folk proverb: “There’s no point in blaming the mirror if your face is crooked.” In his work, the writer talks about the pressing problems of his country of the contemporary period, although more and more new readers (each in his own era) find them topical and relevant. Not everyone greets comedy with understanding, not everyone is ready to admit the existence of a problem, but they are inclined to blame the people around them, circumstances, life as such for the imperfection of the world - just not themselves. The author sees this pattern in his compatriots and, wanting to fight it using methods available to him, writes “The Inspector General” in the hope that those who read it will try to change something in themselves (and, perhaps, in the world around them) in order to prevent troubles and outrages of their own accord, but by all by possible means stop the triumphant path of dishonor in the professional environment.
There are no positive characters in the play, which can be interpreted as a literal expression of the author’s main idea: everyone is to blame for everyone else. There are no people who would not take a humiliating part in riots and riots. Everyone contributes to injustice. Not only officials are to blame, but also merchants who give bribes and rob the people, and simple people, always drunk and living in bestial conditions on their own initiative. Not only greedy, ignorant and hypocritical men are vicious, but also deceitful, vulgar and stupid ladies. Before criticizing someone, you need to start with yourself, reducing the vicious circle by at least one link. This is the main idea of The Inspector General.
Criticism
The writing of “The Inspector General” resulted in a wide public outcry. The audience received the comedy ambiguously: reviews were both enthusiastic and indignant. Criticism took opposing positions in assessing the work.
Many of Gogol's contemporaries sought to analyze the comedy and draw some conclusion regarding its value for Russian and world literature. Some found it rude and harmful to read. So, F.V. Bulgarin, a representative of the official press and Pushkin’s personal enemy, wrote that “The Inspector General” is a slander against Russian reality, that if such morals exist, it is not in our country, that Gogol portrayed Little Russian or Belarusian city Yes, so disgusting that it is not clear how he can stay on the globe.
O.I. Senkovsky noted the writer’s talent and believed that Gogol had finally found his genre and should improve in it, but the comedy itself was not so well received by the critic. Senkovsky considered it to be the author’s mistake to mix in his work something good and pleasant with the amount of dirt and baseness that the reader ultimately encounters. The critic also noted that the premise on which the entire conflict rests is unconvincing: such seasoned scoundrels as the officials of the city of N could not be so gullible and allow themselves to be led into this fateful delusion.
There was a different opinion regarding Gogol's comedy. K.S. Aksakov stated that those who criticize “The Inspector General” did not understand its poetics and should read the text more carefully. Like a true artist, Gogol hid his real feelings behind ridicule and satire, but in reality his soul ached for Russia, in which all the characters in the comedy actually have a place.
It is interesting that in his article “The Inspector General” Comedy, Op. N. Gogol" P.A. Vyazemsky, in turn, noted the complete success of the stage production. Recalling accusations of implausibility against comedy, he wrote about psychological reasons phenomena described by the author as more significant, but was also ready to recognize what happened as possible from all other points of view. An important note in the article is the episode about attacks on the characters: “They say that in Gogol’s comedy not a single smart person; not true: the author is smart.”
V.G. himself Belinsky praised The Inspector General. Oddly enough, he wrote a lot about Gogol’s comedy in the article “Woe from Wit.” The critic carefully examined both the plot and some of the characters of the comedy, as well as its essence. Speaking about the genius of the author and praising his work, he admitted that everything in The Inspector General was excellent.
It is impossible not to mention critical articles about the comedy of the author himself. Gogol wrote five explanatory articles for his work, as he believed that it was misunderstood by actors, spectators, and readers. He really wanted the public to see in The Inspector General exactly what he showed, so that they would perceive him in a certain way. In his articles, the writer gave instructions to the actors on how to play their roles, revealed the essence of some episodes and scenes, as well as the general essence of the entire work. Special attention he devoted time to the silent scene, because he considered it incredibly important, the most important. I would especially like to mention the “Theatrical tour after the presentation of a new comedy.” This article is unusual in its form: it is written in the form of a play. Spectators who have just watched the performance, as well as the author of the comedy, are talking among themselves. It contains some clarifications regarding the meaning of the work, but the main thing is Gogol’s responses to criticism of his work.
Ultimately, the play became an important and integral part of Russian literature and culture.
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The author of the play “The Inspector General” is Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Date of creation - 1835. The famous work is written in a satirical vein, one of its artistic features there is a lack of positive heroes among the characters; all of them, to one degree or another, display their worst traits human character, and all relationships are resolved through bribes.
Briefly about the work
There is a widespread opinion that the plot of “The Inspector General” was briefly suggested to the author by A.S. Pushkin. Even if it's not entirely true , it was with the great poet that Gogol consulted in the process of writing a work. When it was published, few saw beyond the hilarious comedy deep meaning and an allusion to the life of all of Russia.
The summary says that a rake comes to a certain small town, who, by coincidence, is mistaken for an auditor. The young man is trying to make the most of the situation. And he likes it to the fullest succeeds.
Thanks to the talented style, fascinating plot and instructive meaning, the work is taught in the 8th grade of the school.
The play is not very voluminous, but to read it completely, you will have to spend the amount of time that you don’t always have modern students. In this case, you can check online retelling of the work “The Inspector General”, briefly by action. The detailed description of events presented below will not only help in filling out reader's diary or writing an essay, but also, perhaps, motivates to read full version plays.
“The Inspector” is divided into several chapters or parts in terms of phenomena and actions. Because the each passage is important for a complete understanding of the plot, the events occurring in each unit of the composition will be described below.
Act one
The story begins in the mayor's house:
Act two
Act three
And again the plot unfolds in the mayor’s house:
Act four
Events in the mayor’s house continue to develop:
Act five
Events take place in a room in the mayor’s house:
Analysis of the play's ending
A silent scene is how the play “The Inspector General” ends. All the horror that unscrupulous officials experienced during Khlestakov’s stay intensifies after the discovery of the deception. But these are minor things compared to the fact that now we will have to go through all this again.
The mayor, who had just been so happy about his daughter’s supposed wedding, threw back his head from the new trouble that had struck. Strawberry, bowing his head, thought about further actions. The judge was speechless, and Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky rushed to each other and froze on the way.
It was this technique that left behind a feeling of a strong ending. It is unknown how future affairs in the city will develop. But in this scene the whole comedy of the situation reaches its limit.
Influence of the work
Performances began to be staged based on the play, and the government, which was represented by Emperor Nicholas I at that time, proposed changing the ending of the story. IN new version everyone is stupid and greedy officials should have been punished, and the story was limited to an incident in an unknown provincial town, without spreading its topicality to the whole of Russia. However, at the same time, the satirical nature of the plot was lost, and the idea almost did not catch on, although several performances were still staged.
Productions based on the original play were successful not only in N.V. Gogol’s homeland, but throughout the world. To this day, many people gather for performances based on this story.
Surprisingly, even after two centuries, the story remains relevant. Its plot is both interesting to analyze and easy to read. Of course, the characters depicted in it are grotesque, but they perfectly reflect the sad reality. The immortal work will be relevant at any time, while there are still scoundrels who know how to take advantage of the current situation, and the authorities problem solver bribes. This idea can be understood when reading the work in abbreviation, but the entire atmosphere of events in the city will be conveyed by the full text of the play.
