The Government Inspector

by Nikolai Gogol · first published 1836

The Government Inspector, also known as The Inspector General (Russian: Ревизор, romanized: Revizor, literally: "Inspector" or "Auditor"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Based upon an anecdote allegedly recounted to Gogol by Pushkin, the play is a mistaken identity comedy of errors, satirizing human greed, stupidity, and the political corruption of contemporary Russia. The dream-like scenes of the play, often mirroring each other, whirl in the endless vertigo of self-deception around the main character, Khlestakov (rendered in some English translations as Hlestakov), who personifies irresponsibility, light-mindedness, and absence of measure.

Summary: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Genre:

Comedy

Original language:

Russian

Year page:

1836