The great Russian classic, playwright, publicist, poet and critic Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (nee Yanovsky) wrote many works in his life. Many of them are included in the compulsory school curriculum, and also became the basis of magnificent performances, films, and productions. One of the most striking works of Gogol is the comedy in 5 acts The Examiner. The story of the creation of the “Examiner” is interesting and unusual. We invite the reader to familiarize themselves with the birth of imperishable classics and plunge into the world of the ingenious writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol.
A little biography
The great classic of Russian literature was born on March 20, 1809 in Sorochintsy (Poltava district). Nikolai Vasilyevich’s father, Vasily Afanasevich, was a civil servant and combined his activities with dramaturgy and writing. His favorite pastime was writing scripts for home performances. It was the father who instilled in young Nikolai a love of literature, and partly the story of the creation of The Inspector General and other ingenious works of Gogol began exactly when Nikolai was a child.
The mother of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Maria Ivanovna, was twice younger than her husband. The couple got married when the bride was only 14 years old. She was a very attractive lady who believed in mysticism and the occult sciences.
In total, the family had 12 children, six of them died either at birth or in infancy. The first two sons were stillborn, Gogol was the third, suffered and desired child - the first to be born healthy ...
Steps of creativity
The young years of the classic were rebellious - he, like all creative people, had a fine mental organization and looked for himself and a place in the sun. Such novels as “Sorochinskaya Fair”, “May Night, or Drowned Woman”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” are being published. After a while, Arabesque and Mirgorod collections are published.
Significant meeting
The story of the comedy "The Inspector General" dates back to 1834. Gogol was sure that the comedy genre was the future of Russian literature. He decides to discuss this with Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, and he, in turn, tells him a joke story about a false auditor who arrived in the city of Ustyuzhna and famously robbed all its inhabitants. The story of the creation of the comedy "The Examiner" by Gogol would not exist if it were not for that momentous meeting.
Pushkin's story about a clever swindler unusually struck Nikolai Vasilyevich, and he decided to write a piece about this, which resulted in an action-packed comedy of 5 acts. By the way, the theme of the play at that time was unusually relevant - the news slipped from time to time that in different parts of Russia, the remote and enterprising gentlemen, pretending to be auditors, robbed the people to the point. By the way, the history of the creation of the “Inspector” of Gogol is reflected in our days. It is enough to draw parallels.
The agony of creativity and a successful ending
During the composition of the comedy, Gogol experienced all the anguish of his creative work: the story of the creation of The Inspector General, described by literary scholars, claims that the writer even wanted to leave his work unfinished. Nikolai Vasilievich often wrote to Pushkin about his torment, but he persistently urged him to finish the play. Gogol heeded the advice of Alexander Sergeyevich, and already in 1034, in the house of Vasily Zhukovsky, he read his creation before Pushkin, Vyazemsky, Turgenev and other writers. The play aroused extraordinary delight among the audience and was subsequently staged on stage. That is how the story of the comedy “The Examiner” came about, a brief plot of which we will describe in this article.
Participated in the play ...
There are many actors in the work. We will talk about each of them.
- Scruznik-Dmukhanovsky Anton Antonovich. The mayor of the main district city N, who confidently consolidated his position in society and feels almost the master of life. He knows all the sins of local officials and manipulates this knowledge to his advantage. In addition, he allows himself various liberties - for example, he takes any goods on the market for free, and also taxes merchants with high taxes and obliges him to bear treats on his birthday. In a word, he feels quite at ease. By the way, the history of the creation of the “Examiner” by Gogol claims that the image of a city man is a subtle hint at the image of the Russian government .
- Anna Andreevna - wife of Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky.
- Mary Antonovna is the daughter of a city man, a young, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued young lady.
- Bear is a servant of Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky.
- Khlopov Luka Lukic - the supervisor of educational institutions.
- Lyapkin-Tyapkin Ammos Fedorovich - local judge.
- Strawberry Artemy Filippovich - trustee of charitable institutions.
- Shpekin Ivan Kuzmich - postmaster.
- Bobchinsky Peter Ivanovich and Dobchinsky Peter Ivanovich are wealthy landowners.
- Khlestkov Ivan Aleksandrovich - Petersburg official.
- Osip is the servant of Khlestakov.
- Gibner Christian Ivanovich - a small-town doctor.
- Korobkin Stepan Ivanovich, Rastakovsky Ivan Lazarevich and Lyulyukov Fedor Ivanovich - retired officials, honorary persons of the city.
- Ukhovertov Stepan Ilyich - bailiff.
- Derzhimorda, Pugovitsyn and Svistunov - representatives of the police.
- Abdulin is a local merchant.
- Poslepkina Fevronya Petrovna - locksmith.
- Public servant, petitioners, petty bourgeois, merchants and guests of N.
The story of the creation of the play “The Inspector General” lasted several years and resulted in five acts. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Act one
Khlestakov Ivan Ivanovich with his faithful servant Osip goes from St. Petersburg to Saratov and, passing by the county town N, decides to take a break from the road and spread to the cards. As a result, the unfortunate loses and remains without a penny in his pocket.
Meanwhile, the city leadership, wallowed to the ears in theft of the treasury and bribes, in horror awaits the arrival of a strict auditor. The mayor Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky learned about the arrival of an important person from the letter received. Anton Antonovich organizes a meeting of officials in his house, reads out a letter and gives them instructions. The rich urban Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky, by chance learning about the new hotel guest Khlestakov, come to the conclusion that he is the very same auditor. In a panic, the landowners report it to Anton Antonovich. The commotion begins. All those who have a “snout in the cannon” begin to feverishly cover up their affairs, while the mayor himself, after much deliberation, decides to meet with the auditor in person.
By the way, the horror of officials is easy to understand - the story of the creation of the comedy "The Examiner" by Gogol suggests that at the time of writing this work everyone was very afraid of the auditors. This fear was ineradicable, and yet those in power and officials continued to sin and steal, thereby literally being on the razor's edge. It is not surprising that the characters of Gogol panicked - no one wanted to be punished.
Act Two
At the same time, Khlestakov, who was starved and completely lost, who settled in the economy room of the cheapest hotel, was thinking about how and where to get hold of food. He managed to beg the innkeeper to give him soup and roast, and, having eaten everything without a trace, he spoke rather unflatteringly about the quantity and quality of the dishes served. Suddenly for Khlestakov an impressive figure of a city man appears in his room. Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky is sure that Ivan Alexandrovich is the same terrible auditor. And Khlestakov in a panic thinks that Anton Antonovich appeared after his soul for non-payment on a tip from the owner of the hotel.
The mayor, meanwhile, behaves very strangely: he is timid in front of Khlestakov and is ingratiatingly giving a bribe to him. Ivan Aleksandrovich does not realize that he was mistaken for a reviewer, and concludes that the city man is a good man with a good heart who lends him money on credit. And Anton Antonovich is glad to heaven because he managed to foist a bribe to the intruder. The mayor decides to play the role of a naive fool to find out about the plans of the auditor. However, Khlestakov, not knowing the essence of things, behaves simply and directly, completely confusing the city man.
Anton Antonovich concludes that Khlestakov is a cunning and clever type with whom you need to keep your ears on the top of your head. To talk with Ivan Alexandrovich, he invites him to visit charitable institutions in the hope that alcohol will untie the auditor's tongue.
The story of the comedy "The Inspector General" takes us to the ordinary town of those times. In this work, Gogol reveals to us all the subtleties of the life of the city. In addition, the writer outlines the architecture and customs of the inhabitants. Agree, after so many years nothing has changed - except that the mayor is now called the mayor, the inn is the hotel, and the charitable institution is the restaurant ... The story of the creation of the Inspector General began a long time ago, but the theme of the play is still relevant.
Act Three
After a drinking party, a pretty drunken false auditor enters the house of the mayor. Having met the wife and daughter of Anton Antonovich, Khlestakov tries to impress them by talking about the important rank he holds in St. Petersburg. Having entered the rage, Ivan Alexandrovich told that he writes operas under a pseudonym, gives receptions and balls with expensive treats, and also composes music. Clever Marya Antonovna frankly laughs at the guest’s inventions and aptly convicts him of a lie. However, Khlestakov does not even blush and goes to the side.
Act Four
The next morning slept Khlestakov remembers nothing. In the meantime, a line of guilty officials who are eager to give him a bribe is lined up for him. Ivan Alexandrovich accepts the money, being firmly convinced that he takes it on credit and will return everything to a pretty penny upon arrival home. Naive Khlestakov understands what was happening, only when ordinary citizens reached him with complaints about the city official. He categorically refuses to take offerings in the form of bribes, but his servant, Osip, shows remarkable persistence and ingenuity and takes everything.
Having escorted the guests, Khlestakov asked Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky to give his consent to the marriage with his daughter, Marya Antonovna. Naturally, the mayor gladly agrees. On the same day, Khlestakov, along with Osip and all the good, leaves the town.
Fifth act
Anton Antonovich and other city officials breathed a sigh of relief. The mayor, anticipating a close relationship with the auditor, represents himself living in St. Petersburg with the rank of general. He gathers guests in his house to publicly announce the engagement of his daughter with Khlestakov. However, suddenly the postmaster presents the hostess with an unpleasant surprise - a letter in which it is discovered that Khlestakov is actually just a petty official. The discouraged Anton Antonovich is trying to come to his senses, but he is overtaken by a new blow - a real auditor has stopped at the hotel, who calls the mayor “on the carpet”. The ending of the play is a silent scene ...
Here is a brief history of the creation of the “Examiner”, coupled with the content.