The Government Inspector

The Government Inspector is a satirical stage play by Russian-Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol, originally published in 1836 and later revised in 1842. Also known as The Inspector General, the play is a comedy of errors based on a supposed anecdote relayed to Gogol by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. In a small unnamed Russian town, a young dissolute government clerk, Khlestakov, is mistaken for an awaited government inspector. Khlestakov uses the situation to his advantage, duping the townspeople out of money while enjoying the Mayor’s free hospitality. Gogol’s satirical depiction of government exposes the moral decay and incompetence of those in positions of power. The play has been translated several times across various mediums, including more than a dozen film and theater adaptations, including the most well-known film adaptations, The Inspector General (1949), starring Danny Kaye, and Waiting for Guffman (1997), directed by Christopher Guest.

This guide uses the 2009 Oxford University Press edition, translated by Christopher English.

Plot Summary

The Government Inspector takes place in a small Russian province during the 1830s. Act I is set inside the Mayor’s house, where several civic leaders from town have gathered for a meeting. The Mayor has invited the Judge, the Inspector of Schools, the Chief of Police, the Warden of Charities, and the District Physician to inform them that a government inspector is en route from St.