The Government Inspector

Happily, the Mayor chats to Anna about the newfound status which will be bestowed upon them when their daughter marries “a fine young devil” (321) from St. Petersburg. Turning to a constable, he issues an order to fetch the shopkeepers, using an antisemitic insult. While he waits, the Mayor talks to Anna about how they will live once Maria marries Khlestakov, as they will surely move to St. Petersburg. Ideally, he says, he will be made a general. Anna warns her husband to watch his manners among the high society people as they are about to enter a “completely different” (322) world.

When the shopkeepers arrive, the Mayor criticizes the “arch diddlers, master fiddlers, prize-winning swindling rogues” (323). They are afraid of him, quickly apologizing. The Mayor haughtily insists that he will not hold a grudge against them. However, they must be careful in the future, especially as his daughter’s impending marriage will make him very important. They should prepare “some decent wedding presents” (324), he warns them.