Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General" is certainly one of the best and most famous Russian literary comedies. The number of theatrical productions is so great that it can rightfully be considered the best. To help you remember the main points, we give you a brief summary of the comedy below.
All the officials of the district town gather in the mayor's room. They learn “very unpleasant news” - an auditor is coming to see them. Panic begins among the officials: judge Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin thinks that war is approaching, and the auditor will look for traitors. However, the mayor does not agree with him; he begins to give orders to eliminate the city's problems as much as possible. In particular, it is necessary to provide patients with clean clothes, remove geese from public places, and eliminate the smell of vodka that constantly accompanies the assessor. The mayor is not worried about bribes, justifying the officials by saying that “this is how God himself arranged it.” The judge who accepts bribes not with money, but with greyhound puppies, is also absolutely calm.
Then the postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin appears. Having learned about the arrival of the auditor, he also thought that war was approaching, but the mayor managed to convince him. After this, the mayor shares with Ivan Kuzmich his fears about possible denunciations against him; he asks the postmaster “for the general benefit” to carefully read the letters that come to him. Shpekin agrees and says that he reads all the letters out of interest.
After this, two landowner friends Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky come into the room and say that they saw the auditor at the hotel. He turned out to be a young man of “not bad appearance”; He has been living in the tavern for two weeks now, without paying any money and with no intention of moving out. The mayor is very worried and decides to immediately go to the hotel. He demands a horse-drawn carriage and a new hat, having previously given instructions to the policeman to sweep the street leading to the tavern.
A private bailiff comes to the mayor and receives orders for the improvement of the town. There should be a high quarter mark on the bridge, and the old fence should be broken down, because this will create the impression that construction activity is taking place in the city. Then the quarreling wife and daughter of the mayor, Anna Andreevna and Maria Antonovna, run into the room. Anna Andreevna forces her daughter to go to the hotel and find out some details about the auditor; She is especially interested in the color of his eyes.
Next, the action moves to the hotel. In the room, on the master’s bed, the old servant Osip lies and is angry with his master, who lost all the money, which is why they can’t return home from St. Petersburg. Osip is hungry, but the tavern is no longer going to feed them on credit. Then Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov returns - the same young man who is considered an auditor. He scolds the servant for lying on his bed, and then asks him to go downstairs for dinner. Osip refuses at first, but then he still goes downstairs to call the owner of the inn to Khlestakov.
Left alone, Ivan thinks about how hungry he is. He blames the bad financial situation on the infantry captain who won against him at cards. A tavern servant comes into his room, and Khlestakov begins to beg him to bring dinner, because he is a master, and he can’t go hungry. Then he begins to dream of returning home; at home he wants to present himself as a St. Petersburg official. Lunch is brought here; Khlestakov is unhappy that there are only two dishes, but he eats everything. The servant warns him that this was the last time his master will feed him on credit.
At this moment Osip enters the room, who says that the mayor wants to see Khlestakov. Ivan Aleksandrovich is afraid that he will be taken to prison due to non-payment of debts. However, the mayor who entered says that he wants to see how the guest lives, because he must take care that everyone who comes to the city is happy. Khlestakov first begins to make excuses and says that he will pay for everything, but then he says that the innkeeper feeds him very poorly and threatens to write a complaint. Now the mayor is frightened, he promises to settle everything and calls the “auditor” to live in a more comfortable apartment. He also gives Khlestakov money to pay off the owner of the tavern (and twice the required amount). After this, the young master agrees to live with the mayor, who thinks that you need to be careful with the auditor.
After some time, the mayor, together with Dobchinsky and Khlestakov, set off to inspect the city’s institutions. The “auditor” refuses to visit the prison, preferring to pay a visit to a charitable institution. The mayor tells Dobchinsky to give his wife a note in which he asks her to prepare to receive an important guest, and Osip to take the master’s things to his house. Dobchinsky leaves the room under the door of which Bobchinsky was eavesdropping; from the sudden opening of the door he falls to the floor and breaks his nose.
When Dobchinsky comes to the mayor's house, Anna Andreevna scolds him for the delay and asks many questions about the auditor. Then she and her daughter begin to preen themselves, preparing for the young man’s visit. Then Osip comes, bringing the master’s things. When asked to give him something to eat, he is refused, explained by the fact that all the food in the house is too simple for such an important person as the auditor’s servant.
Khlestakov tells the mayor that he is pleased with the structure of the city, he was tasty fed and shown “good establishments.” He replies that this happens because here the city governor does not care about his own benefit, but about pleasing his superiors.
The mayor introduces his daughter and wife to the “auditor”, after which everyone has lunch together. During the meal, Ivan Aleksandrovich boasts that he is a very important person in St. Petersburg, plays cards with foreign ambassadors, is friends with Pushkin himself, and sometimes writes very good things, for example, “Yuri Miloslavsky.” When the governor's daughter remembers that this work was written by another person, she is sharply pulled back. Everyone respectfully listens to Khlestakov’s stories, and then invites him to rest. When he leaves, everyone says that he looks like a respectable man; Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky even think that Khlestakov is a general or generalissimo. The mayor's wife and daughter argue about which of them the “auditor” looked at more often. The mayor himself is worried, because even if only half of everything the young man tells can be trusted, he will be in trouble. He is surprised that the “auditor” was able to achieve such heights at such a young age.
When Osip enters the room, he is surrounded with questions: what does the master pay attention to, is he sleeping; women are interested in what eye color he likes best. The servant is given money for tea and bagels; after that everyone disperses.
After some time, all the officials gather again to give a bribe to the “auditor”. They think about how best to do this and decide to talk to Khlestakov one at a time. Meanwhile, Ivan Alexandrovich wakes up; he is pleased with the way he was received, and besides, he likes the mayor’s wife and daughter.
Judge Ammos Fedorovich is the first to enter the “auditor’s” room. He falls out of money, and Khlestakov asks for a loan, to which Lyapkin-Tyapkin readily agrees. After him, the postmaster, the superintendent of schools and the trustee of charitable institutions come to the young man, from each of whom the “auditor” asks for a loan. Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky come in last; Khlestakov demands money from them directly. Bobchinsky asks the “auditor” to tell everyone in St. Petersburg that “Peter Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in such and such a city.”
Khlestakov realizes that he was mistaken for an auditor, and writes about this in a letter to his journalist friend. Osip asks the owner to quickly leave the city. Merchants come here with requests and gifts; Khlestakov takes money from them, and Osip takes all the gifts, even the rope, believing that this too may be useful on the road. Then the young man talks to the mayor’s daughter and kisses her; She is afraid that the “auditor” is simply laughing at her, and he kneels to prove the truth of his love. At this moment, the governor's wife enters and drives her daughter away; Khlestakov kneels in front of her, swearing vows of eternal love and asking for her hand. Then Marya Antonovna returns; in order not to create a scandal, the “auditor” asks Anna Andreevna for consent to marry her daughter. The mayor's wife tells her husband the good news who entered the room, and he blesses the newlyweds.
Osip hurries the master to leave, saying that the horses are already ready. Khlestakov tells the mayor that he is going to visit his rich uncle for one day, and at parting he again asks for a loan of some money. The mayor, his wife and daughter dream of life in St. Petersburg. All officials bring congratulations to their boss and ask not to forget them.
Then the postmaster arrives, holding a printed letter. It turns out that Khlestakov was not actually an auditor. The postmaster reads out loud: “First of all, the mayor is stupid, like a gray gelding...”. The mayor does not believe that this is written there. The postmaster lets him read it himself; After this, each official reads the letter and learns the bitter truth about himself. Everyone is angry, and the mayor is afraid that Khlestakov’s friend will write a comedy about him. The officials are surprised how they could mistake “this helipad” for an auditor. The blame is placed on Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky. At this moment, a gendarme appears, who reports that an auditor has arrived from St. Petersburg, is staying at the hotel and immediately demands all officials to come to him.
"The Inspector General" was written by Gogol in 1835. The comedy contains five acts. The story described by the author takes place in one of the county towns. Local residents managed to mistake an ordinary person for an auditor, which led to unexpected consequences.
Main active composition
Mayor– Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky. An aged man. Briber. In his free time he likes to play cards.
Anna Andreevna- wife of the mayor. A curious, vain woman. Not averse to flirting with other men.
Marya Antonovna- daughter of the mayor. A naive provincial girl who believes in fairy tales about a prince on a white horse.
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov- false auditor. Young rake. Lover of gambling. Arrived from St. Petersburg. Lives off his father's handouts. I'm used to a beautiful life.
Osip- Khlestakov's servant. Heater. Smart. He loves to lecture the master, considering himself smarter than him.
Minor characters
Bobchinsky, Dobchinsky- landowners. Don't spill the water. They always go together. Talkative.
Lyapkin-Tyapkin- judge. He thinks a lot about himself. Actually not as smart as he seems.
Strawberries- trustee of charitable institutions.
Shpekin- postmaster. A simple-minded, naive person.
Khlopov- superintendent of schools. Bears full responsibility for the education of the population. Timid and cowardly.
Derzhimorda, Svistunov, Pugovitsyn- police officers.
Act one
Events take place in one of the rooms in the mayor's house.
Phenomenon 1
The officials, having heard the “most unpleasant” news that an auditor would soon come to their city, became seriously worried. They were not ready for the visit of such an important guest. Presumably the auditor will arrive incognito, without indicating his presence in any way. The most unexpected versions were put forward about the true reason for his arrival. Even to the point of ridiculous assumptions. Ammos Fedorovich put forward a version about the imminent outbreak of war and perhaps the auditor is interested in whether there are traitors in the city or not. The mayor immediately rejected this version. This city is not of the size to be of interest from a political point of view. The mayor urgently demands that order be restored, creating the appearance that everything is in perfect order. First, go through the hospitals. Dress patients in clean clothes. Hang a nameplate above each patient. Ventilate the room from tobacco smoke walking along hospital corridors. Prepare more or less healthy people for discharge. To get rid of the geese, which the watchmen were breeding, by choosing public places for this, which is unacceptable by law. Deal with the assessor, who reeks of the suffocating smell of fumes a mile away. Be sure to look into educational institutions where teachers look very strange. The idiotic facial expression is akin to their actions, in no way associated with their academic titles.
Phenomenon 2
The meeting was interrupted by the arrival of the postmaster. The news of the arrival of the auditor did not pass him by. His version of the arrival of the uninvited guest agreed with the version of Ammos Fedorovich. It boiled down to the imminent start of war. The mayor expressed the idea that the auditor could have been sent as a result of a denunciation. He casually asks the postmaster whether it is possible to carefully, without arousing suspicion, open all incoming correspondence to familiarize himself with its contents. The postmaster agrees with his proposal, clearly making it clear that he has been practicing this for a long time, out of curiosity. Sometimes you come across very interesting letters that definitely deserve attention. He has not yet encountered a denunciation among them.
Phenomenon 3
The first to see the expected auditor were Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky. Lathered like horses after a long gallop, they rushed to the mayor with the news that they had seen this gentleman in one of the hotels. The auditor appears to be about 25 years old. The guy has been living there for two weeks. His behavior is very strange. He tries to eat and drink for free. The guest does not pay any money and has no plans to move out. He's probably the auditor. Bold and unpredictable. The mayor was seriously excited by this news. There are enough problems without an auditor. We need to check everything personally. Having called the bailiff, he decides to go to the hotel and make sure on the spot whether it was really the auditor or the landowners who made a mistake. The officials go about their business.
Phenomenon 4
The mayor remains alone. He gives the order to be given a sword and a horse-drawn carriage. Putting a new hat on his head, he leaves the house. Bobchinsky minces next. The landowner is burning with desire to see the auditor again, even through a crack in the door, even with just one eye. The police officer receives the task of cleaning up the street leading to the tavern. It must be swept away so that not a single speck remains. Tens were assigned to help.
Phenomenon 5
While waiting for the carriage, the mayor did not idle. As soon as a private bailiff appeared on the doorstep, he was immediately bombarded with a heap of tasks that needed to be completed as quickly as possible. Among them, most of them were on the topic of beautification of the city: break down the fence, creating the appearance that the work is in full swing, install a high policeman, and when asked why there is no church in the city, answer that there was one, but it burned down. Prohibit soldiers from walking around the streets half naked.
Phenomenon 6
Anna Andreevna and Maria Antonovna rushed into the house in the hope of catching their father, but there was already no trace of him. The ladies are quarreling among themselves. The mayor's wife sends her daughter after the cart to collect more information about the auditor. In particular, she asked to pay attention to his eyes and mustache. Immediately after this, immediately return home.
Act two
Events take place in one of the hotel rooms
Phenomenon 1
The auditor turned out to be not an auditor at all, but Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky mistakenly took him for him. Bewitch the rake too. Lover of card games. In the next game, I lost all my money. There is nothing to return home to. Osip, Khlestakov’s servant, is angry with the master. Hungry and angry that because of him you have to beg, looking for leftover food on the plates after the gentlemen. He got the owner. He doesn’t know how to do a damn thing, just burn through his father’s money. Although he liked it in St. Petersburg. Life there was in full swing, not like in the Saratov province.
Phenomenon 2
Osip receives a scolding from Khlestakov, who sees that he is again lying on the master’s bed. It's not good for servants to behave like that. He chases Osip out for lunch. My stomach is cramping from hunger. Osip refused, saying that the owner of the inn was tired of feeding them on credit. There will be money, then there will be food. Khlestakov demands the innkeeper to come to him.
Phenomenon 3
Khlestakov was left alone and indulged in reflection. What a strange city. They don't even give you a loan. Now what, die of hunger? And the infantry captain is to blame for everything. He stripped it to the skin, leaving not a penny behind. This time fortune turned away from him, but if fate gives him a chance to play a game with the captain again, he will not refuse. Maybe next time you'll have better luck.
Phenomenon 4
Osip managed to persuade the tavern servant to go up to the owner’s room with him. Khlestakov became frightened in front of him. There is something hunting. You have to pretend to be a sycophant. The servant remained adamant. They have accumulated a whole bunch of debts. The owner categorically refuses to feed them on credit. If this continues, he promised to inform the mayor about everything and, with his help, evict the guests onto the street. Khlestakov again sends Osip to the owner, in the hope that he will change his anger to mercy.
Phenomenon 5
Everybody left. Khlestakov, left alone, began to think again. I started to feel sick from hunger. To distract himself from the cramping attacks in his stomach, Khlestakov suddenly imagined himself as a rich man riding around in a carriage. Osipa mentally dressed him in livery, and a picture flashed before his eyes of them driving around the best houses of St. Petersburg and being welcome everywhere.
Phenomenon 6
Dreams Come True. Osip managed to persuade the owner about dinner. There were two dishes on the tray. The type of food left much to be desired, but you don’t have to choose. Hunger is not a thing. Having eaten everything to the last crumb, Khlestakov was still dissatisfied. The servant said that this was the last time. No one will do charity anymore. The owner was already too lenient towards them.
Phenomenon 7
Osip rushed into the room looking dumbfounded. The mayor wants to see the master. Khlestakov is in a panic. Did the innkeeper really manage to snitch on him? What will happen now? Is it really impossible to avoid prison and he is destined to spend the next ten years behind bars?
Phenomenon 8
The mayor, in the company of Dobchinsky, enters Khlestakov’s room. Khlestakov, who decided that he would now be taken to prison, screamed at the top of his lungs that he would complain to the minister. The mayor understood his statement in his own way. He decided that the auditor was not happy with the way he was running the city. Khlestakov makes it clear that he would have left St. Petersburg long ago, but they have no money. The mayor took his phrase as a hint of a bribe and put several hundred in his pocket. Khlestakov was surprised, but he was even more struck by the mayor’s offer to pay a visit to his family. They say that the wife and daughter will be incredibly happy about the visit of such a dear guest. Khlestakov does not understand the meaning of what is happening. Instead of the supposed prison, such honors, why suddenly, but he accepts the offer to stay. It looks like his fantasies are starting to come true. Feeling superior to the mayor, Khlestakov’s attitude towards him changes before his eyes.
Phenomenon 9
The tavern servant, at Osip’s request, went up to Khlestakov’s room again. Khlestakov intends to pay off the bills with the owner, but the mayor did not allow him to do this. He orders him to leave the premises along with the bill presented. He promised to send the money later.
Phenomenon 10
Khlestakov accepted the mayor’s offer to tour city institutions with joy. It was necessary to delay time and give the wife and daughter the opportunity to prepare the house for the arrival of the guest. They were sent a note informing them of an imminent visit from the auditor. Prisons did not attract Khlestakov’s attention. But the charitable establishments turned out to be a joy. Strawberry was warned in advance. It was he who was responsible for them in the city. Osip receives an order to deliver the owner’s things to the mayor’s house.
Act three
Room in the mayor's house
Phenomenon 1
The mayor's wife and daughter are eagerly awaiting news about the auditor. Standing at the window, the ladies indulge in thoughts about his arrival in the city. Finally Dobchinsky appears. He's probably aware of everything that's happening. Women rush towards him with questions.
Phenomenon 2
Dobchinsky gives the women a note from the mayor, informing them of a visit to their house by an imaginary auditor. Dobchinsky emphasizes the importance of the moment. It was he and Bobchinsky who became the first who managed to identify the real auditor.
Phenomenon 3
As soon as the ladies heard about the auditor’s visit, each rushed to her wardrobe in search of the best dress. I didn’t want to lose face in front of an important guest. You need to present yourself in the best possible way. Mother and daughter, as if two rivals, had arranged a competition among themselves to see which of them had better taste in choosing clothes.
Phenomenon 4
Osip, loaded with suitcases with the owner's junk, crosses the threshold of the mayor's house. Hungry as hell, he immediately declares that he wants to have a snack. Anna Andreevna tells him that they didn’t prepare the food specially, they didn’t have time yet. The auditor's servant should not eat simple food. If he intends to wait, the table will soon be set. Osip does not intend to wait and agrees to any food.
Phenomenon 5
The mayor, Khlestakov and other officials enter the house after a tiring tour of various establishments. Khlestakov is pleased with how he was received. First of all, he is interested in where they can play cards. The mayor sees a catch in the question. He tells Khlestakov that he has never held a deck in his hands, and yet a week earlier he beat an official, emptying his pocket for a hundred rubles.
Phenomenon 6
Khlestakov meets the mayor's wife and daughter. Spreading out in front of them like a peacock’s tail, he tells women jokes and stories from St. Petersburg life. It got to the point that Khlestakov attributed to himself the authorship of many famous works. The mayor's daughter corrected him, pointing out the mistake, but instead of praise for his erudition and attentiveness, she received a push in the side from her mother. Everyone present listened to him with their mouths open. The day turned out to be busy. Khlestakov, tired of his own chatter, decided to rest a little. The guests remained at the table.
Phenomenon 7
Khlestakov went to bed. The guests began to discuss Khlestakov. During the discussion, everyone unanimously came to the conclusion that he was a very important person. Strawberry had a bad feeling after he left. It seemed to him that the auditor would definitely report everything that was happening to St. Petersburg.
Phenomenon 8
The mayor's wife and daughter were worried about the purely womanish question of which of them the auditor liked more and which of them he looked at more often that evening.
Phenomenon 9
The mayor was clearly excited. It was in vain that he confided in his guest. After all, if he really is an important bird, then now he, the mayor, will be in trouble. On the other hand, it is unclear when he managed to become so important, because he is still too young. Something is fishy here.
Phenomenon 10
While Khlestakov was sleeping, the mayor and his wife decided to find out more about him from his servant. They bombarded Osip with questions. Osip is not a fool. He immediately realized that the master had been mistaken for another person, but he didn’t show it. On the contrary, he began to praise the master from all sides, making it clear that he was truly an important person. In gratitude for his assistance, he was given some money. In order not to disturb the peace of the auditor, the mayor ordered not to let anyone into the house unless necessary.
Act four
Phenomenon 1
After consulting among themselves, the officials came to the conclusion that the only correct decision would be to bribe the auditor. However, there were no people willing to do this. Everyone was afraid of falling under the law. To be honest with each other, the officials decided to enter the room one at a time and conduct the conversation each on their own behalf.
Phenomenon 2
Khlestakov, in excellent spirits after a good sleep and a hearty dinner, leaves the room. He likes this kind of life. He is welcome everywhere, everyone walks on tiptoe in front of him. The mayor’s daughter is not bad-looking and clearly made it clear that she liked him. If you hit on her, then you can stay a little longer in the city, combining business with pleasure.
Phenomenon 3
Not everyone can pay a bribe. It was clear that the officials did not like this idea. There was a long line of them. The first was Judge Tyapkin-Lyapkin. The judge frantically clenched the money in his fist. He was noticeably nervous. His fist unclenched from excitement. Money falls out on the floor. Khlestakov is a good guy. I immediately saw through the situation. Seeing the fallen bills, he asks the judge to lend him money. Lyapkin-Tyapkin was glad to get rid of the money. Having allegedly lent money to Khlestakov, he hurries to quickly retreat from the room.
Phenomenon 4
The postmaster was second in line. Khlestakov immediately told him that he needed money. The amount of debt was 300 rubles.
Phenomenon 5
The superintendent of the schools, Khlopov, did not skimp. The amount of 300 rubles again replenished Khlestakov’s pocket.
Phenomenon 6
Strawberry surprised him with his generosity, lending the auditor 400 rubles.
Phenomenon 7
Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky turned out to be the most greedy for money. The sum of 65 rubles was handed over to Khlestakov in half, gritting his teeth.
Phenomenon 8
Phenomenon 9
Osip invites Khlestakov to run away before the truth comes out. Khlestakov agrees. Before leaving, he asks Osip to take a letter to the post office addressed to Tryapichkin. The merchants made noise outside the window and decided to pay a visit to the auditor. The police officer tried to detain them, but Khlestakov gave the order to let everyone into the house.
Phenomenon 10
The merchants turned out to be generous with gifts. All of them were brought by a complaint against the mayor. They asked Khlestakov to put in a good word for them in the capital on occasion. Khlestakov promises to take action. He does not refuse the money offered by the merchants.
Phenomenon 11
We were surprised by a visit from a mechanic and a non-commissioned officer. They also came with a complaint against the mayor. One of them had her husband illegally taken away to serve, and the second was flogged in front of the people. The crowd at the gate did not get smaller. Osip urged the master to quickly leave here. Khlestakov orders not to let anyone else in to see him.
Phenomenon 12
At the sight of the mayor’s daughter, Khlestakov fell to his knees, openly declaring that he was madly in love with her. Marya Antonovna did not expect such a turn, but in her heart she is incredibly happy.
Phenomenon 13
Anna Andreevna, seeing Khlestakov on his knees in front of her daughter, is beside herself with rage and drives Marya Antonovna away. The girl runs away in tears. Khlestakov turns his attention to the mayor's wife, assuring her of his feelings towards her.
Phenomenon 14
Marya Antonovna returns and sees Khlestakov kneeling in front of her mother. Realizing that he was in an awkward position, Khlestakov figured out on the fly how to get out of it. He grabs Marya’s hand and asks the girl’s mother to bless their union.
Phenomenon 15
The mayor, having learned about the purpose of the merchants’ visit to his house, convinces Khlestakov that they are slandering him. Anna Andreevna, interrupting her husband, stuns him with the news of the imminent wedding of the auditor and Maria.
Phenomenon 16
Osip reports that the horses are ready. It's time to hit the road. To the mayor, Khlestakov explained the purpose of his departure as a desire to visit his uncle, promising to return in a day. Having kissed Marya’s hand goodbye and grabbed some borrowed money from the mayor for the trip, Khlestakov and Osip leave in a hurry.
Act five
Phenomenon 1
The Mayor's family is in seventh heaven. Their daughter was lucky to snatch such a groom. Now their dreams will come true. Anna Petrovna will build a huge house in the capital, and the mayor will receive general's shoulder straps.
Phenomenon 2
The mayor scolds the merchants for complaining about him to Khlestakov. They don’t yet know the main thing, that the auditor will soon become his son-in-law. Then he will remember everything to them. The merchants felt awkward, like naughty kittens. One way to earn forgiveness is to give expensive wedding gifts. The merchants, hanging their heads, go home.
Phenomenon 3
Marya Antonovna and Anna Andreevna are bathed in congratulations. Their hands are kissed by Ammos Fedorovich, Artemy Filippovich, Rastakovsky. The wishes are one more beautiful than the other.
Phenomenon 4
Lyulyukov and Korobkin and their wife came next with their congratulations. The text of the congratulations was not particularly different from the previous ones.
Phenomenon 5
Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky rushed to hug and kiss Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna. Interrupting each other, they began to shower the ladies with compliments and wishes for a long and happy life, filled with luxury and wealth.
Phenomenon 6
Luka Lukich and his wife seemed sincerely happy for such a successful match for Marya Antonovna. Luka Lukic's wife shed tears from the emotions that washed over her. The mayor calls Mishka to bring more chairs for the guests. Everyone is asked to sit down.
Phenomenon 7
The guests began to ask questions about where the auditor had gone and why he was not present now at such an important moment. The mayor reports that the auditor went to his uncle, but promised to return in a day. Anna Andreevna informs everyone about her imminent move to St. Petersburg. The officials ask the mayor to put in a good word about their children. The mayor makes a promise that he will definitely help in any way he can. Anna Andreevna advises her husband to hold his tongue ahead of time.
Phenomenon 8
During congratulations from the guests on the upcoming wedding, the postmaster appeared in front of the mayor. He shows the mayor an envelope with a letter informing him that the auditor was not who he was mistaken for. Having opened a letter addressed to a journalist at the post office, the postmaster learned a lot of interesting things about himself and everyone else. At first the mayor does not believe what is happening. Then he gets furious. As the mayor read the letter, he blushed more and more. Especially when it came to his family, where Khlestakov confesses to the journalist how he began to woo Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna, not knowing which of them to choose. How did they allow themselves to be tricked like that? It would be nice to catch this impudent guy and give him a good beating, but it was useless to catch up with Khlestakov. They themselves gave him the fastest horses. The only thing left to blame is yourself. Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky suffered the most. After all, it was they who confused everyone by mistaking an ordinary visitor for an auditor.
The last phenomenon
The gendarme informs the mayor that a real inspector has arrived and demands to immediately invite him to his room. Everyone was speechless from what they heard, frozen in various positions.
This concludes a brief retelling of Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General,” which includes only the most important events from the full version of the work!
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 checked into 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.
Brief retelling
“The Inspector General” Gogol N.V. (Very briefly)
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 your 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 conveys “the most unpleasant news” to the officials gathered in his house - an auditor is coming to the city incognito. The officials are horrified - there is unrest 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? 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 the hospital it is necessary to write illnesses in Latin, give clean caps to the patients, in court - remove the geese from the waiting room, etc. He reprimands his subordinates for being mired in bribery. For example, Judge Lyap-kin-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 comes to the post office. 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 checked into the hotel. This man, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, has been living in a hotel for a week and has not paid any money for his stay. 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: to place policemen around the City, remove the old fence, and in case of questions from the auditor, 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 promises that he will pay for the stay, the second - 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, Lyap-kin-Tyapkin, Luka Lukich, Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, the postmaster, tiptoe into the room in the mayor's house. Lyap-kin-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 make his son legal, and Bobchinsky asks the “auditor” to inform the sovereign, at the right 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 arrived. 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 whipped 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 making fun of her; provincial, but Khlestakov kneels, kisses the shoulder, 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, Rags-well. It turns out that Khlestakov is not an auditor at all. In the letter, he gives caustic characterizations to city officials: “The mayor is as stupid as 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? - You’re laughing at yourself!.. Oh, you!.. I still can’t come to my senses. Now, truly, if God wants to punish, he will first take away the mind. Well, what was there in this helipad that looked like an auditor? There was nothing! It just didn’t look 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.
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.
