The Government Inspector

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.

The Warden of Charities, the Judge, and Rastakovsky enter, offering their congratulations to Maria and her family as they have heard the news about the wedding.

Next, the family is visited by Korobkin and his wife. They also want to celebrate the good news.

Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky enter. They congratulate Maria and hope that she will give birth to a healthy baby in the future.

After the Inspector of Schools and his wife have also congratulated the family, the Mayor calls out for Mishka. He wants chairs to be brought for everyone to sit down.

The Chief of Police enters with his constables in tow. They all congratulate Maria, the Mayor, and Anna. The Mayor and Maria boast about the manner in which Khlestakov proposed to Maria, who is annoyed by the way her mother speaks as though it was actually her who was being asked to marry the supposed government inspector. The civic leaders raise a toast to the Mayor. Among them, however, are several voices who grumble about the way in which the Mayor seems to get all the luck. They criticize his bloated ego.

The scene of celebration is interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Postmaster. He brandishes an opened letter in his hand, announcing that Khlestakov is “not a government inspector at all” (329). The room breaks out into a state of chaotic shock. The Postmaster explains that he has been unsure whether to open this letter, but eventually decided to do so. The letter was written by Khlestakov and sent to someone named Tryapichkin, who seems to be one of Khlestakov’s friends. The letter provides a mocking account of the “buffoons” (331) in the town, with Khlestakov describing how he has pretended to be a government official. He writes about how everyone has flattered and praised him, as well as about his flirtations with Maria and Anna. Khlestakov mocks the townspeople and he assumes that Tryapichkin will join in with the mockery.

The Mayor is furious. He is particularly angry that Khlestakov described him as being as “stupid as a cart horse” (331). Korobkin snatches the letter and loudly reads out each individual insult about each individual person in the town who met Khlestakov. The Mayor is distraught. He believes that this incident will ruin him. Suddenly, he feels like an “old mule” (334). He is an old man who has been tricked. He is horrified by the idea that people will turn him into a laughingstock and that they will make plays and jokes about him.

When the Warden of Charities derides the incident as the Devil’s work, the Judge turns to Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky and accuses them of doing the work of the Devil. The gathered crowd become uproarious, surrounding Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky. The two men insist that they did nothing, then begin to level accusations at one another.

A policeman arrives to announce that a new person has arrived in the town, “by decree of the tsar from St. Petersburg” (335). The government inspector is staying at the inn. He has asked to meet everyone right away. The announcement shocks the people in the room. They freeze, as though they have all been suddenly turned to stone.

The characters remain on stage, frozen in their poses. Each of them is acting differently. The only movement is from Korobkin, who winks at the audience with a contemptuous look at the Mayor, and Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, who reach out to one another. The frozen characters remain in place for 90 seconds, then the curtain falls.