El inspector

by Nikolai Gogol, José Laín Entralgo (Translator)

La visión ácida y crítica que Nikolái Gógol (1809-1852) tenía de la Rusia del zar Nicolás I, puesta de relieve en sus Historias de San Petersburgo -entre las que se cuentan relatos tan célebres como «La nariz» y «El abrigo»- y más aún en su novela Almas muertas (ambas publicadas en esta colección), encuentra quizá su más acerada y universal expresión en El inspector, obra que en su primera representación en 1836 dejó conmocionada a buena parte del público asistente. En este peculiar "retablo de las maravillas" ruso, el rumor de la visita de un inspector a una pequeña ciudad del Imperio deja al descubierto todas las miserias y corruptelas de una sociedad en la que, a falta de cualquier instancia de control, el envilecimiento y el cohecho se convierten en normalidad. Como todos los grandes retratos de la naturaleza humana -y merced a la suma capacidad de adaptación a los cambios sociales, políticos y económicos a ella inherente-, la obra y su vigencia traspasan el tiempo y las fronteras. Completan el volumen unos valiosos apéndices, entre los que destacan el fragmento de una carta del autor, así como una pieza titulada «A la salida del teatro», que retratan (en el caso de esta última, verosímilmente) la repercusión inmediata de su estreno.

Genres: Classics, Plays, Russia, Russian Literature, Fiction, Drama, Theatre

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1835

About the author

People consider that Russian writer Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Николай Васильевич Гоголь) founded realism in Russian literature. His works include The Overcoat (1842) and Dead Souls (1842).

Ukrainian birth, heritage, and upbringing of Gogol influenced many of his written works among the most beloved in the tradition of Russian-language literature. Most critics see Gogol as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Gogol wittily said many later Russian maxims.

Gogol first used the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works The Nose , Viy , The Overcoat , and Nevsky Prospekt . Ukrainian upbringing, culture, and folklore influenced his early works, such as Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka .
His later writing satirized political corruption in the Russian empire in Dead Souls .

Reviews

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Qué más puedo agregar de Nikolái Gógol que ya no haya comentado antes! Padre de las letras rusas junto a su gran amigo Alexandr Pushkin, escritor multifacético y narrador auténticamente original, creador de la novela moderna rusa a partir de su libro Almas Muertas considerado el “Quijote ruso”, fue también pionero en su maestría a la hora de relatar cuentos.
Con sólo recordar El capote, La nariz, Viy, Diario de un loco, el lector sabrá del calibre de escritor que era. Escribió también una pequeña novela histórica acerca de la vida de los cosacos que se llamó Tarás Bulba.
Pero también escribió un obra de teatro maravillosa como es el caso de ésta, El Inspector, debido a la cual tuvo grandes inconvenientes luego de que fuera representada en el teatro por primera vez en 1836.
No era para menos: la forma en la que ridiculiza a los burócratas de la época le valió grandes enemistades, al punto tal de tener que emigrar a Italia, dado que ni sus grandes influencias por parte del Zar pudo apaciguar los ánimos de los políticos y funcionarios.
Es que la excelencia de esta obra es retratar tan mordaz e irónicamente a al burócrata en real sentido de la palabra, dejando entrever todo ese mundillo de corrupción y negociados turbios que caracterizan al político tanto de pequeños pueblos como de las más altas esferas, y para variar, poniendo al martirizado pueblo en contra, que ponen el grito en el cielo producto de la opresión del poder contra ellos es realmente sorprendente.
Los personajes que más destacan en esta obra son el supuesto inspector, Iván Aleksándrovich Jléstakov, un astuto bribón de veintitrés años, adicto a los naipes quien se hospeda en una pensión sin un rublo luego de haberlo perdido todo en una mala noche de naipes.
Junto a su criado Ósip se encontrará con esta situación impensada, la de que el Alcalde del pueblo, el inescrupuloso y temperamental Antón Antonóvich Skvóznik Dmujáknovsky, quien ante una mala información de dos ineficaces hacendados, cree que Jléstavok es un temible Inspector enviado por San Petersburgo para investigar el estado de todas las instituciones en el pueblo.
Obviamente, Jléstakov, acuciado por las deudas y varado en el medio de la nada se aprovecha de esta confusión para divertirse con los pobres funcionarios, enamorar tanto a la esposa y la hija del Alcalde y aprovechar para pedir dinero a diestra y siniestra.
Realmente es una comedia muy divertida, llena de escenas hilarantes y poblada de toda la ironía y la crítica despiadada a la corrupción como sólo Gógol podía hacerlo.
Muchos saben que es Fiódor Dostoievski a quien más admiro en la literatura rusa, pero el Maestro supo decir alguna vez "Todos descendemos del Capote de Gógol" y es verdad.
Sin Gógol ni Pushkin otra hubiera sido la historia de la literatura para Rusia y el mundo.

[محمد مكرم · Rating 2 out of 5]

مجموعة من المسرحيات والقصص القصيرة ربما يكون أفضلها قصة "المعطف" وبعد عرض مسرحية جديدة
لا أنكر أني شعرت بالملل في بعض اقسام الكتاب، للكاتب قدرة هائلة على الوصف لكنه بالغ في استخدامها وبشكل مفرط يثير ملل القارئ في النهاية

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inspector General by Gogol is one of the best satirical plays that I've read. Gogol is well known for his satire, either subtle or presumptuous. Satire is his forte. And in The Inspector General, it is expressed in its best.

Gogol voiced strongly against the greed, corruption, and inefficiency of the government officials. His various works are proof of this. But in my view, it is in The Inspector General, that Gogol discloses his views strongly.

The story is set in a provincial town, and it exposes the greed, corruption, inefficiency, and the despotism of the local officials on an official scale, and also vanity, self-importance, and opportunism on a personal scale. These officials squander government money which is granted to improve the facilities in the town. They make the life of the people miserable by demanding exorbitant bribes for work to be done or for trade to be carried on and harass them unnecessarily just to show their power. And when the news of an official visit from Petersburg reaches their ears, these officials concoct a joint venture on how to deceive him. Could they deceive him or would they be deceived in turn?

The play conveys a powerful message and the satire is presumptuous. The comical tone that is so perfectly maintained is most entertaining. Despite the gravity of the story, it was altogether hilarious. I can't remember the last time I've laughed over a play this much. It was so entertaining. Had I watched a performance, I'm sure to have died of laughter!

Gogol has expressed his views so boldly through the play that while it won him critical acclaim it also incurred severe disapproval of the "subjects" of his play that he was compelled to leave Russia. That in itself is proof of its success.

The Inspector General is undoubtedly one of the best works by Gogol, seconding only to Dead Souls, and as I've already said one of the best satirical plays that have come across me.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[سـارا · Rating 4 out of 5]

عالی عالی. واقعا انتظارشو نداشتم اینقدر خوب باشه. یه کمدی جذاب تو ۵ پرده که زبان بی‌نظیری داره و ریتمش به شدت خوبه. دقیقا حسی رو داشتم که بعد از خوندن نمایشنامه عروسک خانه ایبسن بهم دست داد. چطور میشه اینقدر از زمانه جلو بود و به مباحثی که حتی الان هم همچنان باهاشون درگیریم، اینقدر خوب پرداخت؟! پس‌گفتار آبتین گلکار در انتهای کتاب هم واقعا نکات جالب و خوبی رو بیان کرده بود.

[shizuku · Rating 5 out of 5]

معجزه ای به نام گوگول ،یه نمایشنامه خیلی عالی،سبک کمدی نمایشنامه باعث میشه بلند بخندید و حسابی حال خوشی رو با کتاب داشته باشید،در عین اینکه شما رو به فکر وادار میکنه،نمایشنامه از جایی شروع میشه که شهردار اطلاع پیدا میکنه یک بازرس قراره به شهرشون بیاد و ادارات مهم دست به دست هم میدن که تصویر زیبایی از شهر ارائه بدن و به خوبی بیانگر فساد اداری و سیستماتیک شهرها هست،هیچکس نقش مثبتی رو برعهده نداره و هرکسی به نوعی در این فساد و دغل بازی شریک هست،شخصیت پردازی های کتاب هم خیلی عالی بود و نامه ای که در آخر از خیستالوف باقی میمونه♥️

[Fatemeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب های روسی هیچوقت آدم رو ناامید نمیکنن و نشان میدن لیاقت اینهمه تعریفی که ازشون میشه رو دارند
این کتاب تمام چیزی که آدم از نمایشنامه میخواد رو داره ،میخوندونتت ،سرگرمت میکنه و در آخر به فکر میندازتت .
معمولا تو داستان ها ما تقابل بد و خوب رو داریم اما اینجا دو طرف داستان آدم های درستی نیستن و هر دو طرف سعی دارن سر هم‌ کلاه بذارن و همین نبود خوبی باعث کمدی شدن نمایشنامه میشه و اگر در غیر اینصورت بود بیشتر حالت تراژدی پیدا میکرد .
تو این نمایشنامه خبری از صحنه های بزرگ و پر زرق و برق نیست و بیشتر تمرکز روی گفتار آدم هاست که همین کار بلد بودن نویسنده رو نشان میده که بدون صحنه های عجیب غریب مخاطب رو جذب و سرگرم میکنه.
ترجمه خیلی خوبی داشت و نقد آخر کتاب که آبتین گلکار نوشته بسیار جالبه و توصیه میکنم حتما بخونیدش .

[Nataša Bjelogrlić · Rating 4 out of 5]

U strahu su velike oči. A svaki šapat zdravog razuma likovi drame utišavaju zbog svojih sebičnih uobrazilja. Odlična bezvremena komedija.

[Раде Станишић · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great work by Gogol. Well known fact is that this play is considered one of the best comedies ever, and that alone says much.

Portrayal of some of the worst flaws in human nature such as corruption, greed and envy is at that level that even after almost 200 years after its first publication is still valid.

Also, what was almost unimaginable to me, the jokes and funny moments are capable to make me cry out of laughter even thought they were written so long time ago.

This is a book that everyone should read but also, if at chance, to see in theatre.

5+

[Nazin · Rating 4 out of 5]

هموطنان عزیز که خیلی از این نمایشنامه لذت نمیبرید یک کار اداری فقط لنگ یک مهر و امضا در ادارات دولتی برای خود بتراشید تا با جون و دل عاشقش بشید ! 😂

[Niyousha · Rating 3 out of 5]

واقعا اگر خدا بخواهد کسی را مجازات کند اول عقلش را از او میگیرد.
تو روزی خوندمش که حال جسمی و روحیم خراب بود ولی باهاش خندیدم.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kakva je ovo samo komedija bila - najburnija reakcija koju sam imala bilo je zevanje. Mislim, ovo je ipak više tužno nego smešno jer verujem da je slika tog malog ruskog gradića i više nego istinita slika i prilika naše drage nam Srbije danas.
Ali ipak, osavremenite nam lektire, preklinjem vas.

[Anna Petruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play is satire at its best. Corruption, greed, vanity, opportunism, and snobbism are comically displayed. And before the spectator has a chance to get on a high horse, Gogol reminds us that these characters are taken from real life and each of us has some of the same vices. The writing is brilliant, astute, and a pleasure to read. I haven't seen this play performed.

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corrupting the Official
3 March 2014

To start off I feel that suggesting that Gogol is a Russian would be a bit of an insult to the Ukrainians, especially at this point in time, since his biography on Goodreads indicates that his mother was Polish and the father was a Ukranian Cossack (and he also wrote in both Russian and Ukrainian, though no doubt the languages are little more than a dialect of each other – though I would not be running around Maiden Square screaming that at this point in time).

I did not realise that I would actually enjoy this play as much as I did before I started reading it, but within the first couple of pages I suddenly discovered that the theme that Gogol works with is a very common theme in a lot of modern comedies: the idea of the mistaken identity. This is similar to the idea that comes out of Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors (which is included in the book in which I read this particular play) however the mistaken identity does not come about because of identical twins, but rather because a visitor to a small town is mistaken for a high official who is believed to be on his way to audit the town's books.

The play itself has been turned into a movie staring Danny Kaye (the video that I watched on Youtube has since been taken down):



though there are a number of differences (both minor and major) between this film and the original play (such as the main character, who is mistaken for the inspector general, becoming the new mayor to the town).

One sort of wonders whether Gogol is actually being critical of the corrupt bureaucracy of the Russian Empire at the time (though it is interesting to note that even some of the most advanced states in the world are open to corruption, though sometimes the corruption is much more subtle). What we have is a bunch of corrupt officials who have effectively bought their way into office and by the strength of their wealth are able to remain entrenched in that position. However, they are then warned that an inspector general from St Petersburg is coming to perform an audit on the town's finances.



This sends the council into a tailspin because, well, they know if the books are audited then they are going to get found out and are probably going to face the chopping block. However, when a low level government employee arrives in the town the council, who have no idea what this inspector general looks like, immediately mistake this guy for the general and begin to court (and bribe) him in an attempt to get him to turn a blind eye. Obviously, having all this food and money thrown at him (especially since he has none of his own) encourages him to keep up the charade (though when he is caught out he promptly disappears from the town).

I'm not all that sure if Gogol really meant to be very deep in this play because on the face of it it looks like your standard comedy, and one that works well. Further, this is one of those plays that could easily be lifted out of this current setting and placed in any other number of settings and it will still hold true (the movie places it in the Austro-hungarian empire, though it does get confusing with the suggestion that Napoleon is the emperor, when that was not the case). What it is also suggesting is that the central beauracracy is actually not all that corrupt because the people on the fringes fear their interference, and it is also suggested that corruption becomes more evident the further out you go, though in this modern world there are many that believe that corruption exists within our central halls of power and as you go out to the fringes, the corruption begins to diminish.

[İlkim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gogol'un yozlaşan toplumu eleştirdiği her eseri gibi şahane, bir de Moliere'i andıran bir dille yazılınca daha da güzel olmuş diyebilirim.

[Praveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Funny!
Stories of Gogol were unique and full of humor.
His novel was a great piece of art.
and Now
His 'play' is also amazingly funny!
I loved it!
A carefree and jolly read for me!

[M.Mahdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

باسمه
🤦‍♂️ پایان‌نامه؛ نگارش، اصلاح، هماهنگی دفاع، خود دفاع... تا همینجاش هم هفت پشتم اومد جلوی چشمم!
🔰 در شرایطی که یکی از عجیب‌ترین فشارهای روحی تا حال حاضر عمرم رو تجربه می‌کردم، تصمیم گرفتم تا جای ممکن انتخاب‌های متفاوتی داشته باشم: رفتم به سمت ادبیات روس (که همواره به خاطر ویژگی‌هاش ازش می‌ترسم). رفتم به سمت نمایشنامه (که می‌دونستم انتخاب اولم نیست). رفتم به سمت کتاب صوتی (که حتی توی گرونی‌های کتاب چاپی هم هیچ‌وقت اولویتم نبوده). رفتم به سمت موازی خوانی (که هرگز از من برنمیاد).
🔰 خلاصه همه اینا با هم رسید به کتاب صوتی از نمایشنامه بازرس جناب گوگول. صد البته طنز هم بیشتر به درد اینجور ایام می‌خورد. راهروهای دانشکده، پشت دفتر اساتید، مسیر دانشگاه و خونه و قبل خواب؛ با اینکه طولانی نبود، کم کم گوش می‌دادم و می‌گذروندم...
🔰 دیوان‌سالاری عریض و طویل و ناکارآمدی روسی، همواره در آثار ادبی این سرزمین به نقد کشیده شده که این کتاب هم یکی از مشهورترین مواردش هست. داستان ساده و سرراست، بدون پیچیدگی و تا حدی بامزه (خوشمزگی‌های صداپیشگان هم بی‌تأثیر نیست البته). راه بنداز بود خلاصه.
🔰 یه چیزی برام بیش از پیش ثابت شد که هرچقدر هم یه اثر در یه قالب فوق‌العاده باشه، تا با خود اون قالب ارتباط خوب برقرار نکنی نمی‌تونی از خود اثر هم لذت ببری! درک می‌کنم که اثر جالبی بوده؛ اما چون قالب نمایشنامه برام جذابیت نداره، اینقدر هم نمی‌تونم لذت ببرم. متأسفانه فقط همین هم نیست و قالب شعر هم برام همچین مسئله‌ای داره! شعر می‌خونم و ممکنه دوست هم داشته باشم؛ ولی می‌بینم یه رفیق شعر دوستم ارتباطی باهاش می‌گیره که به هیچ وجه از من برنمیاد...
☑️ به هر حال انتخاب نرم و مهربونی هست اگه شما هم در نقطه آغاز هر کدوم از اون مواردی هستین که اول یادداشت گفتم. امیدوارم شما لذت بیشتری ببرین. ❤️

[Sankara Jayanth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play is a satire on the rampant corruption in governments and the public adminstration offices. I found it pretty funny.

A town full of neck-deep corrupt officials come to know that the government was sending an Inspector general to their town for inspection. They are scared shitless and everyone scrambles to fix and cover-up their corruption before the inspector arrives.

One of these gang of officials notices a man in an inn refusing to pay his bills and he ASSUMES that only a high standing official from the capital can be so adamant and get away with not paying bills, while infact, the man was not paying the bills because he had no money. The official runs and passes the information that the inspector has arrived. What follows is every corrupt official trying to soften up the pretend-inspector who plunders them for his own ends.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this play, but although the translator's introduction praised it to the skies, I ended up not being able to get too interested. It may have shown the standard operating procedure of the corrupt Russian officials of the day, and it certainly was funny at times, but it was also predictable.

When I read something and think 'oh, this or that is going to happen', I write down the idea and then see how long it takes to come true, if at all. This time I was right on every count. Mistaken identity, swindling, faked romance, expected ending, the works.

Gogol may have been The Author of his day, but I skimmed through the last three acts in this five act play: I was bored. However, I do want to read a couple of his short story collections that are available at Project Gutenberg, so I won't give up on the man completely just yet.

[Çağdaş T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kemal Sunal'ın "Deli Deli Küpeli" filmini andıran, Rus Bürokrasisinin çürümüşlüğüyle alay eden, çıkar ilişkilerini ve yozlaşmayı irdeleyen trajikomik bir yapıt. Bazı yerlerinde çok güldüm. 19. yy 'da yazılmasına karşın günümüze bu kadar benzemesi düşündürücü. Çarpıcı ya da üzerinde düşündürecek diyaloglar yoktu. Altını çizdiğim yer olmadı ancak okumak keyifliydi!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

«تماشاگر هنگامی که میشنود تنها مشکل مدرسۀ شهر آن است که معلمان از خود شکلک در می آورند یا با چنان شور و حرارتی درس میدهند که از خود بیخود میشوند بی اراده به فکر می افتد که آیا واقعاً همهٔ مشکلات جامعه همینها هستند و آنگاه مشکلات و کاستیهای واقعی که خود از آنها آگاهی دارد در ذهنش زنده میشوند. هنگام برشماری نابسامی‌ها حتی به رفع یک مشکل یا عیب جدی اشاره نمی‌شود و همهٔ تذکرات و تدابیر جنبهٔ کاملاً سطحی و ظاهری دارند.»

[Poncho González · Rating 4 out of 5]

poco a poco Gogol se quiere convertir en uno de mis escritores favoritos, con todo y que los finales considero que le fallan un poco, pero el resto de la historia se disfruta mucho, te hace reír, sentir angustia, sentirte en su atmósfera rusa, y para considerar que estas historias tienen cerca de 200 años de ser escritas, Gogol demuestra un estilo muy claro, sencillo y eficaz a la hora de transmitir sensaciones y emociones.

[Mahshad · Rating 4 out of 5]

هر چیز که هنگام صحبت از آن، انسان نتواند بدون دچار شدن به کفر و ترس از احساس گناه، به آن لبخند بزند بت است و انسان پایمال آن است؛ او می ترسد آن را با زندگی خود یکی کند.
19 پیسارف نویسنده و منتقد روس قرن

[Cemre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok eğlenceli bir oyun, zaman zaman kahkaha attığım yerler oldu. Ayrıca sadece Rus bürokrasisini ve Rus toplumunu değil tüm toplumları eleştirdiğini söyleyebiliriz bence.

[Faisal s · Rating 3 out of 5]

استمعته على الرابط
https://youtu.be/7hOg8Yc0kTk
كان لطيف الحقيقة.

[Zari.Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

با اینکه نزدیک به دو قرن از نوشته شدن این نمایشنامه میگذره،اما متاسفانه همچنان هم این معضلات موجوده و ما میبینیم. فساد در نظام اداری و رشوه‌خواری و....
آخر نمایشنامه هم دوباره برمیگرده از اول که این هم در نوع خودش جالب و کمدی بود
پس گفتار جناب گلکار هم حتما در آخر کتاب بخونید

[كريم الخالق · Rating 5 out of 5]

كانت التجربة الأولى لي مع جوجول مع قصته الرائعة العظيمة (المعطف ) و كانت قصة كئيبة للغاية ، و ظننت أن هذه المسرحية و كل كتابات جوجول ستكون مثل معطف جوجول ، و لكن المفاجأة أن تلك المسرحية كانت كوميدية ، و كوميدية جداً

تصل رسالة إلى المدينة تخبر العمدة أن هناك مفتش عام قادم ، و لأن العمدة و أعوانه أهملوا المدينة فهم خائفون من ذلك المفتش ، يحدث سوء تفاهم و يظنوا أن شاب مستهتر هو المفتش العام و يقوموا بخدمته طوال المسرحية

المسرحية تبين لك الخوف بين الطبقات ، فالموظفون خائفون من العمدة و العمدة خائف من المفتش العام و المفتش العام المزيف خائف أن يكشفوا أمره

مسرحية ممتازة للغاية

[Yani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apenas voy a comentar la obra porque es muy corta y revelaría argumento innecesariamente. Me pareció muy divertida, alocada y con personajes desopilantes (empezando por el alcalde que trata de tapar su propia incompetencia). Eso sí: rozan lo desagradable. Gogol juega con los equívocos y las personalidades corruptas de los personajes para lograr una obra muy amena, que se deja leer en un día (me gustaría verla representada, por supuesto) y que te hace soltar más de una risa. La última escena es genial y hasta insospechada.
Me gustan mucho los cuentos de Gogol, pero ahora sé que le puedo dar tranquilamente una oportunidad al teatro sin que me decepcione.

[giso0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

از سال ها قبل که دیدن نمایش بازرس کل بهمون توصیه شد قصد داشتم این نمایشنامه کمدی رو بخونم، هر چند که تا همین اواخر با ارزش و اهمیت این اثر در ادبیات روسی آشنا نشده بودم.
..
از بداقبالی ماست که داستان این نمایشنامه هنوز هم کهنه نشده.

[Saaye Tafreshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

زيبا و خواندني

[Drew Canole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gogol was the first great Russian novelist with Dead Souls (and Taras Bulba). But also well known for his short stories and this plays. This perhaps being his most popular.

It's an outrageous comedy. At times it nearly reminded me of movies like Airplane. It's not quite that absurd, but the way the characters get so scared of Khlestakov and wrapped up in their theory that he's the government inspector is hilarious.

There's also two characters that are clear inspiration for the Tintin characters Thomson and Thompson. Here we have Pyotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky and Pyotr Ivanovich Dobchinsky - two guys that are always together and talk over each other. They argue about who discovered what, and are the two responsible for the town thinking that Khlestakov, just a random broke nobleman travelling through town, is in fact the incognito Government Inspector the town is worried about.

Khlestakov is more than happy to have the whole town doting on him, in fact he's so shameless he almost expects it without even realizing they have him mistaken for someone else.

The Plot:
The officials of a little town headed by the mayor are panicked when news hits that an incognito government inspector is arriving in their town. They need to cover up all their misdeeds! Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky tell the Mayor about Khlestakov, a guy that's been staying at the inn for two weeks. Khlestakov is just a lowly broke civil servant waiting to go back home and beg money off his upper class father.

Khlestakov's been living at the hotel on IOUs but the hotel is now fed up and refuses to feed him. The Mayor arrives and invites Khlestakov to his house. Only Khlestakov and Khlestakov's servant Osip know the truth.

Khlestakov obliges and while there talks to the Mayor and all the high ranking townspeople individually - asking for loans from each of them, which they oblige thinking it'll prevent Khlestakov from saying anything bad about them. The Mayor ends up thinking Khlestakov is close to the emperor! His and the other towns people's imagination runs wild. The Mayor's wife and daughter both think Khlestakov is into them.

Later the town's merchants tell Khlestakov all the bad thing the Mayor has been doing. Khlestakov just asks for more "loans" and promises to report the Mayor.

Khlestakov proposes to the Mayor's daughter. Later Khlestakov leaves the village with his servant Osip taking all the loans with him. The postman opens a letter Khlestakov sent to a friend and read it - it absolutely ridicules the whole town. Later its announced that (the real) government inspector has arrived.