Laughter comedy auditor. Laughter is the protagonist of comedy N

Like in the comedy N.V. Gogol's "The Inspector General" sounds like the author's "laughter through tears"?

Positive ideal N.V. Gogol in the comedy “The Inspector General” sounds in all the pathos of the narrative, in the structure and style of the comedy, in author's respect to what is being described. And the author himself wrote: “It’s strange: I’m sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest, noble person who acted in her throughout her entire life. This honest, noble face was full of laughter.”

Gogol conceived a “social” comedy in the spirit of Aristophanes, where we see a combination of crude comedy and political satire. At the same time, the writer sought to create a comedy that was national in spirit, conveying all the absurdity of real Russian life. “I wanted to collect everything bad in Russia in one pile and at one time... laugh at everyone,” wrote Gogol.

Researchers and critics noted the originality of this work - there was no love element in it, there were no positive characters. But this play was seen as a sharp social and moral satire. And she only benefited from this. What techniques does the writer use?

One of them is the use of alogisms based “on seemingly absurd conclusions.” And we see this already in the very beginning. Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky came to Gorodnichy with their message that a young man had been living in the hotel for two weeks, was not paying money, was looking into the plates of visitors, and his travel card was registered for him in Saratov. From all these facts, the officials and the Mayor conclude that this is an auditor. Here we see the use of such illogic.

Gogol's satire is also manifested in his depiction of the images of city officials. And here, indeed, the author’s laughter “through tears” is embodied. There is unrest in the city, theft and arbitrariness are all around. The mayor takes bribes from merchants and the parents of recruits, embezzles money intended for the construction of a church, subjects the non-commissioned officer's widow to the rod, and does not provide food to the prisoners. On the streets of the city - “tavern, uncleanliness.” The judge, who has held this position for 15 years, takes bribes like greyhound puppies. In his papers, “Solomon himself will not decide what ... is true and what is not true.” The trustee of charitable institutions, Zemlyanika, believes that a simple person “if he dies, he will die anyway; If he gets well, he’ll get well.” Instead of oatmeal soup, he gives the sick only cabbage. Postmaster Shnekin opens other people's letters and leaves them with him. In a word, each of the officials has sins behind them, which give rise to a feeling of fear in their souls. Nepotism, nepotism, bribery, careerism, veneration for rank, a formal attitude to business and failure to fulfill one's direct duties, ignorance, low intellectual and cultural level, a disdainful attitude towards the people - these traits are characteristic of the world of city officials in Gogol’s comedy.

To create these images, the writer uses various artistic media: author's remarks, letters (in Chmykhov's letter some personal qualities Mayor, in Khlestakov’s letter to Tryapichkin a derogatory description of all officials is given), comic situations (Anton Antonovich puts on a paper case instead of a hat). The speech of the characters is individualized. Thus, the Mayor often uses clericalism, vernacular, swear words, and idiomatic expressions. Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky’s language is bright and figurative in its own way; sometimes ironic intonations are heard in his speech (“until now... we’ve been approaching other cities”, “I’ve reached Alexander the Great”, “I’ll give pepper”, “what bullets are cast!”).

Researchers have noted that the internal spring that holds together and develops the relationships of the heroes is the desire of the heroes (Khlestakov and Gorodnichy) to become taller. Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky directly tells the audience about his dream; Khlestakov also wants, according to Gogol, “to play a role higher than his own.” And this unity of Khlestakov and Gorodnichy creates the tragicomic grotesque of the play and makes possible the exceptional situation of the presence of a false inspector in the city. The scene of Khlestakov’s lies is indicative in this regard. Many critics consider it the culmination, since the hero actually confirmed that he is important official. However, the author exposes his character with one small remark. Noticing that he “will be promoted to field marshal tomorrow,” Khlestakov slipped and “almost fell on the floor.” This is how the author’s position is revealed to us: N.V. Gogol laughs at the fact that a dummy was mistaken for a significant person.

Literature lesson in 8th grade

“Laughter is the honest and noble face of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”

Prepared

Teacher Storonenko N.V.

Rostov-on-Don

Lesson objectives for the teacher:

Develop skills and abilities in analyzing literary texts.

Develop Creative skills students.

Help students learn a moral lesson.

Lesson objectives for students:

Planned results:

Personal:

Improving the spiritual and moral qualities of the individual;

Ability to determine moral values comedies;

- ability to reasonably choose one's own life fundamentals in terms of their value to people.

Metasubject:

-Cognitive: expanding students’ understanding of complexity and painstakingness writing work; education of a thinking person and reader; developing the ability to think critically, analyze, and evaluate what you read.

- Regulatory: performing tasks in accordance with the assigned task; the ability to independently organize one’s own activities in solving problems posed in the lesson; ability to work with different sources information, find it, analyze it and use it in your activities.

- Communicative: developing the ability to express one’s thoughts in a value judgment; build a monologue evidential statement; respect other people's opinions; manifestation of mutual assistance; ability to work in groups.

Subject: ability to analyze a work; mastery of literary terminology, various forms creative work.

Introducing to the spiritual and moral values of Russian classical literature; formation of one’s own attitude to the work; understanding author's position and your attitude towards her; develop the ability to express your thoughts and evaluate the actions of heroes.

Meaningful reading and adequate perception read; the ability to answer questions based on the text read; create oral monologue statements, the ability to conduct dialogue.

Forms of work in the lesson: frontal, group, individual.

Lesson type by form: dialogical.

Lesson type by content: search and research.

Lesson format:

Poster drawn by students.

Computer installation (showing a presentation for N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”).

During the classes.

Lesson topic: “Laughter is the honest and noble face of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General.”

Guys, highlight the topic in the title keyword.

- (Laughter). Absolutely right.

Try to formulate the goals and objectives of our lesson.

Lesson Objectives :

Learn to analyze literary text.

2. See what moral lessons we can extract from this work

Lesson objectives:

Summarize the material on the play by N.V. Gogol "The Inspector General".

Identify positive and negative heroes plays.

Understand the uniqueness of Gogol's laughter.

Teacher: (slide “Portrait of Gogol”)

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol entered Russian literature as a satirical writer. He had the talent to notice the funny, the absurd, the stupid and transform himself into the heroes of his mischievous jokes. He was predicted to become a great comedian.

Fate brought him together with the most interesting writers and artists, and A. S. Pushkin became his very first friend and inspiration (slide “Portrait of Pushkin”).

What do we know about the history of comedy?

(The idea for the comedy was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. He told him “purely

Russian joke." In 1833 in Nizhny Novgorod he was mistaken for

auditor. He also told how one of his acquaintances gave himself away

Bessarabia for an important St. Petersburg official. This story is so

attracted Gogol that he was immediately inspired by the idea of writing “The Inspector General.” And in 1835 the comedy was written.)

Teacher's word (slide “Words of Gogol”) When Gogol was working on a comedy, he set a goal for himself: “In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one pile everything bad in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices that are done in those cases where justice is most required from a person, and laugh at everyone at once.”

And now, leafing through the pages of the comedy, let’s see what the author laughed at, what is unique about Gogol’s laughter, can we say that laughter is a positive face of comedy?

Working on the text.

slide "City")

- Name the location of the comedy.

(A provincial town from which “even if you ride for three years, you won’t reach any border.”)

Why doesn't the city have a name?

(The small town contains typical features social order. Gogol wanted to show that the order that reigns in the city occurs everywhere. The object of Gogol's satire is herself modern life in its comically ugly manifestations.

(slide “The auditor is coming to us”)

The comedy begins with the phrase:

“The auditor is coming to see us.”

How do officials know about the arrival of the auditor?

(From a letter to the mayor).

What's funny about this scene?

(The mayor hurries to read the letter. And it looks funny. The letter already contains the mayor’s denunciation: “Since I know that you, like everyone else, have sins, because you are a smart person and don’t like to miss out on what is in your hands ..."

What is the reaction of officials to the letter?

(The officials are alarmed and are trying to find the reason for this. Rev. 1 Luka Lukich: “Why, why is this? Why do we need an auditor?

Phenomenon 1. Ammos Phed. : “I think there is a subtle and larger political reason here.

Russia wants to wage war..."

Phenomenon 2. Postmaster: “I think there will be a war with the Turks.”

What instructions does the mayor give to officials?

God pleases the trustee. establishments Artemia Phil. Strawberries,- change the caps,

treat the sick, write a medical history, eliminate dirt, the smell of cabbage.

Judge, Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyap.- in the hallway, remove the geese, the hunting arap, and the drunkard assessor.

Superintendent of educational institutions, Luka Lukich Khlopov- bring order among

teachers.

Postmaster, Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin– do not open or read other people’s letters.

What is Gogol laughing at from the first pages?

(Above the ignorance of the official, the absurdity of their judgments, which expose themselves).

The ugly rule of the bureaucratic and police authorities, their desire to hide shortcomings, and fear of punishment make the audience laugh.

(slide “Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky”)

Gogol enhances the comedic situation by showing us the scene of the news about the arrival of the auditor by Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky (appearance 3), as well as the mayor’s orders (appearance 5).

How does Gogol laugh at the landowners and the mayor?

(Laughs at Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky naturally, cheerfully, mischievously,

They mistook a man in a private dress for an auditor, who does not pay for accommodation and meals, and he is from St. Petersburg. He rather mocks the mayor than just laughs, because behind his excitement is a picture of the appalling state of the city. “Let the quarterly Pugovitsyn stand on the bridge for landscaping... hastily sweep up the old fence and put up a straw milestone...” The remark “puts on a box instead of a hat” is typical.)

What is a cheerful, good-natured laugh, a mocking attitude towards something called?

What is the name of accusatory irony that ridicules negative shortcomings?

This means that Gogol laughs in different ways and acts in comedy both as a humorist and as a satirist.

What are the episodes in a comedy in which mockery, casual, cheerful laughter sounds?

(This is a scene in a tavern. Khlestakov’s love explanation to Marya Antonovna).

(Slide “In the tavern”)

Why is this scene funny?

(The mayor and Khlestakov both feel fear. One is afraid of prison, the other of a complaint to the minister.

So laughter is based on a misunderstanding. The truth told by Khlestakov is taken as a lie, and the lie as the truth. A comic situation is based on a mistake.

Slide Love explanation

( Khlestakov is very funny during his heated declarations of love to the mayor’s daughter, then to her mother, and again to the daughter. He himself can no longer understand who he is: a petty employee who has not received any high ranks and therefore called home by his father, or “Your Excellency,” the manager of the department, a man known to all officials in St. Petersburg. Not realizing that he is in danger of being exposed, he continues to lie. He confesses his love to the daughter and wife of the Governor, and the explanation occurs in the same terms, he even asks for Marya Antonovna’s hand).

What episode in a comedy can be called the climax?

(D.3. yavl.6 - a scene of lies, because Khlestakov is especially funny).

(slide “Task in groups”)

Group assignment.

1.What in Khlestakov’s story is fiction and what is true?

2. How does the behavior of officials change during Khlestakov’s story about life in St. Petersburg?

3. Does Khlestakov really have “extraordinary ease of thought”?

4. What helps Khlestakov ascend to field marshal?

5. Why is the verb “splops” used in the stage directions and not “falls”?

6. What assessment do officials give to Khlestakov?

Conclusion: in this scene Gogol combined subtle humor and sharp satire. The author laughs not so much at the fact that the “elistrate” was mistaken for a field marshal, but at the fact that the dummy was mistaken for the ideal person.

(slide “Do you have a loan?”

Let's turn to the scene of bribes (act. 4 episodes 3-7)

Why did Gogol show exactly all the officials giving bribes, and not limit himself, for example, to one official?

(All officials behave the same way, everyone gives bribes, i.e. the author wanted to emphasize the widespread nature of such phenomena as servility, bribery, meanness, denunciations).

(Accusatory, satirical, in order to more convincingly, brighterly expose social vices, emphasize the scale of bribery).

In what scene is Khlestakov. acts as a real auditor: in the scene with the bribe from Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky or in the scene of complaints about the mayor?

(In the appearance of complaints against merchants, a locksmith with a non-commissioned officer's widow, because a real auditor takes bribes, gives orders, and threatens violence (“to Siberia”)

Is it possible to call the scene of complaints from a mechanic or a non-commissioned officer funny (scene from act 4 of Yan. 11)? And are Anna Andreevna and Marya Antonovna funny?

(Women's images do not evoke sympathy, they are ridiculous, ignorant, uncultured, they only complement the idea of the inhabitants of the county town as a whole).

How does the comedy end?

(Reading Tryapichkin’s letter, from which they learn that Khlestakov is not an auditor. And like thunder among clear skies words are heard about the arrival of a real auditor.

Silent scene . (slide “Silent scene”)

What importance did Gogol attach to the silent stage?

(Very important, because this is the result, a verdict on meanness and hypocrisy, but also hope for the triumph of justice.

In this scene, along with all the heroes, is invisibly present Gogol's laughter How actor.

Let's remember the topic of the lesson .

“I’m sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest, noble person who acted in her throughout her entire life. This honest, noble face was full of laughter.”

Can you call laughter positive hero and why?

(Besides laughter, there are no positive characters in comedy. Laughter helped the writer fulfill a high civic goal: to collect everything that is bad and laugh at everything at once, because laughter helps to see shortcomings.

Who is the main character of the comedy?

(Of course, laughter... In comedy it reflects the height moral position writer, his dream of perfect reality. Laughter is what makes a person be human).

"The Inspector General" on theater stages.

(slide “Poster” BDT)

Is comedy relevant today?

(Yes, because the problems of comedy, unfortunately, exist in our modern society.

Therefore, comedy is constantly in the spotlight of theaters. Including our theater named after. Gorky ( slide of scenes from a theatrical production).

Word to a pre-prepared student.

Rostovsky academic theater dramas named after M. Gorky is one of the oldest in the south of Russia. True admirers of Rostov drama date back to July 4, 1863, when the first permanent troupe of entrepreneur F. Nadler began its existence with the play “The Inspector General” by N. Gogol, with the participation of M. Shchepkin. It was for her that the first stone building was built, which immediately became an architectural landmark of the country.

Funny and sparkling comedy. N.V. Gogol's play “The Inspector General” is a wonderful “comedy of errors”, a pearl of the domestic and world theatrical repertoire.

“The auditor is coming to see us!” This famous phrase from the no less famous Gogol's work has been serving for several centuries now key point productions of The Inspector General.

The characters in this truly immortal comedy for Russia are so well written and the theme is just as relevant at all times, that it seemed that I don’t want to play. 'Cause straight from surrounding life you can “write” characters, which, apparently, is what the troupe’s actors playing officials do. How sweet Sergei Vitchenko’s trustee of charitable institutions, Strawberry, turned out to be! Let the sick die like flies, but their caps are clean, and the doctor Christopher Ivanovich vodka to the imaginary auditor dashingly brings it up. Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin is gloomy and openly talks about his bribes ( Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Sergei Galkin). True, his knees shake when he himself has to take the bills out of his clenched hand and stick them in to the “auditor” and admit the profitability of his business. Luka Lukich Khlopov, a figure in public education (Andrei Tikhonov), is also good in his wretchedness. And how fussy (the post office would work like that for him!) Postmaster Shpekin (Andrey Rebenkov), who loves to read other people’s letters.

Lesson summary

Did you like Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General"?

Have you seen the comedy production? But if given the opportunity, would you go to the theater again?

Did you like the guys' performance in the skits?

How would you characterize Gogol's laughter? (we saw different types of laughter: comic, funny, tragic, satirical and even sad; laughter as a character, a kind of technique necessary for a writer to solve problems.)

What does Gogol teach us? (not to be Khlestakovs, mayors, lead decent life, fight against shortcomings).

Interest in Gogol's work will never go away.

Reflection.

Have we achieved the goals and objectives set at the beginning of the lesson?

What did you find most successful in the lesson, and what would you change or do differently?

Mark yourself.

Making marks.

Homework . How will events develop with the arrival of a new auditor? (Present your script for the continuation of the play).

Thanks to all lesson participants.

A close friend of N.V. Gogol wrote that modern Russian life does not provide material for comedy. To which Gogol replied: “Comedy is hidden everywhere... Living among it, we don’t see it... but if an artist transfers it into art, onto the stage, then we will laugh at ourselves.”

The object of N.V. Gogol’s satire is modern life itself in its comically ugly manifestations. Already at the heart of the plot itself is a comedic incongruity: a person is mistaken for someone other than who he really is. But the author solves this situation in a new way: Khlestakov does not pretend to be anyone. The unintentionality of Khlestakov’s actions confused everyone, and his sincerity deceived the officials and the mayor, who himself “deceived the swindlers of the swindlers.” What was happening revealed the truly ugly and funny Face people, caused them to laugh. It was laughter through tears - angry laughter through tears of bitterness and indignation. The author laughs not at specific individuals, but at the vices of Russian reality; it is not for nothing that at the end he throws into the laughing audience: “You are laughing at yourself.”

It becomes both funny and bitter when we read about the orders in county town: “geese and goslings” scurry around public places, and the assessor always smells of vodka; What crazy teachers teach at the school; healer Christian Ivanovich doesn’t know a single word of Russian; At the post office, letters are opened to satisfy the postmaster’s curiosity, and the police “for the sake of order” give everyone a check, and so on.

It was precisely this satirical depiction that allowed N.V. Gogol to clearly express his indignation at administrative arbitrariness and predation, and the petty self-interested characters of people in power.

But also just funny comic situations there is a lot in the play. For example, the mayor’s hasty orders: “Let everyone pick up the street...”, or the remark “Put on a paper case instead of a hat,” etc. Khlestakov is absurd and ridiculous, screaming in fear and banging his fist on the table: “What right do you have?” ?...I’ll go straight to the minister!” And how “magnificent” he is in the scene of lying, having made a dizzying career in a few minutes from a copyist of papers to a field marshal.

All this makes the play lively, authentic and helps the reader and viewer cleanse their souls with the help of laughter, because, exposing everything bad, the writer believes in the triumph of justice, which will win.

Explaining the meaning of The Inspector General, N.V. Gogol pointed to the role of laughter: “I am sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest, noble
a person who acted in her throughout her entire life. This honest, noble face was full of laughter.”
A close friend of N.V. Gogol wrote that modern Russian life does not provide material for comedy. To which Gogol replied: “Comedy is hidden everywhere. Living among it, we don’t see it, but if an artist transfers it into art, onto the stage, then we will laugh at ourselves.”
The object of N.V. Gogol’s satire is modern life itself in its comically ugly manifestations. Already at the heart of the plot itself is a comedic incongruity: a person is mistaken for someone other than who he really is. But the author solves this situation in a new way: Khlestakov does not pretend to be anyone. The unintentionality of Khlestakov’s actions confused everyone, and his sincerity deceived the officials and the mayor, who himself “deceived the swindlers of the swindlers.” What was happening revealed the truly ugly and funny face of people and caused them to laugh. It was laughter through tears - angry laughter through tears of bitterness and indignation. The author laughs not at specific individuals, but at the vices of Russian reality; it is not for nothing that at the end he throws into the laughing audience: “You are laughing at yourself.”
It becomes both funny and bitter when we read about the order in the county town: “geese and goslings” are scurrying around in public places, and the assessor always smells of vodka; What crazy teachers teach at the school; healer Christian Ivanovich does not know a single word of Russian; At the post office, letters are opened to satisfy the postmaster’s curiosity, and the police “for the sake of order” give everyone a check, and so on.
It was precisely this satirical depiction that allowed N.V. Gogol to clearly express his indignation at administrative arbitrariness and predation, and the petty self-interested characters of people in power.
But there are also a lot of simply funny comic situations in the play. For example, the mayor’s hasty orders: “Let everyone pick up the street,” or the remark “Put on a paper case instead of a hat,” etc. Khlestakov is absurd and ridiculous, screaming in fear and banging his fist on the table: “What right do you have? ... I’m going straight to the minister!” And how “magnificent” he is in the scene of lying, having made a dizzying career in a few minutes from a copyist of papers to a field marshal.
All this makes the play lively, authentic and helps the reader and viewer cleanse their souls with the help of laughter, because, exposing everything bad, the writer believes in the triumph of justice, which will win.

Laughter is one of the most powerful weapons
against everything that has become obsolete.
A. Herzen

One of the features of Gogol's dramaturgy is determined by its attitude to laughter, to the comic. Gogol is a comic writer in general - both as a short story writer and as the author of the poem " Dead Souls", and as a playwright. Nevertheless, it was dramaturgy (the comedies “The Government Inspector”, “Marriage”, and then a number of plays united under the heading “Dramatic excerpts and individual scenes”) that most fully demonstrated the comic nature of Gogol’s genius.

The comic constituted the predominant aspect of Gogol's dramatic world. From now on (since 1836), Gogol’s constant and freest theme will be the idea of deep spiritual conditioning and the security of laughter. High laughter has nothing in common with the laughter that is generated by a quick wit, a pun, or a deliberate exaggeration. He has his own ethical and pedagogical functions: ridicule of “hidden vice”, maintaining elevated feelings.

It is in the comedy “The Inspector General” that the understanding of depth of laughter takes place, its thorough and, so to speak, multi-tiered echeloning: humor, irony, sarcasm, grotesque.

It should be noted that comical are those life phenomena that contain inconsistency with the generally accepted norm, alogism. A constant source of comedy in life is unfounded pretension. Likewise, in the comedy “The Inspector General,” the device of error and inconsistency is the basis of the comic, the basis of the conflict.

Let us remember the time when the comedy “The Inspector General” (1836) was written: the dark era of Nicholas I, a system of denunciation and investigation was in effect, and frequent “incognito” inspector visits were common. Gogol himself defined the idea of “The Inspector General” as follows: “In “The Inspector General” I decided to collect in one pile everything bad in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices... and at one time I laughed at everything.”

Gogol refused to introduce positive heroes into the comedy. And this was a completely deliberate decision. Satirical image life in comedy did not at all mean oblivion by the writer positive ideals. Quite the contrary, based on these positive ideals, which consist in the emancipation of the people, the development of their strength and prosperity, Gogol characterized social phenomena. It is no coincidence that the writer noted that “the brightness of the collected crimes and vices already draws the opposite in everyone’s head.” The real positive hero in comedy, according to the writer, was laughter.

That is why Gogol’s comedic world is emphatically homogeneous. Neither among the actors nor among the off-stage characters did we encounter those who would be “taken as a model” and would signal the existence of a different moral and ethical order. All Gogol's heroes are painted the same color, sculpted from the same dough, they all line up as if in a single and undisturbed perspective. This is the perspective of consistent comedy.

Another innovative feature of the comedy should be noted. In The Inspector General, the writer boldly took the action beyond the boundaries of family, everyday, love and lyrical relationships.

The comedy is based on poignant social conflicts, which determine its entire internal development. Social practice characters act in comedy as a decisive criterion for evaluation human qualities. The heroes of The Inspector General suffer defeat not simply due to their moral inferiority, but due to their social failure. The main idea of the comedy is also subordinated to the depiction of the mayor’s family, which accepts such Active participation in a magnificent meeting of a visitor from the capital - an auditor.

By the way, it was not Gogol who first introduced the “auditor’s situation” into literature. It was developed before him. But the depth and consistency of Gogol’s artistic solution cannot be compared with the solutions of his predecessors.

“The Inspector General” is a deeper work. The point of this comedy is not at all to expose a group of officials of abuses. This topic was already sufficiently covered in satire and comedy of the 18th century. Gogol extremely expanded the boundaries of his comedy, in various situations which reflected the most diverse aspects of the entire structure of life in Russia. Avoiding direct accusations, the writer cheerfully and naturally introduced us to the life of his heroes and showed how grandiose destructive force has laughter.

Gogol, according to Dobrolyubov, possessed “the secret of laughter.” He knew how to see the funny in social and everyday troubles, in a person’s character and behavior, in his manners, in his language. Humor penetrates into all pores of Gogol's text - its content, style and language.

Preparations for the meeting with the “auditor” begin. There is no hint of any establishment of “wonderful orderliness in affairs,” even if it is short-term. All orders of the mayor relate to appearance: tidy up the public places, put clean caps on the sick, sweep the street to the tavern, that is, the one along which the “auditor” will pass. In short, you just need to keep the form. The position of the person being audited did not at all require that any improvements or corrections be made on the merits. The mayor is well aware of this: “As for the internal regulations and what Andrei Ivanovich calls sins in his letter, I cannot say anything. Yes, and it’s strange to say. There is no person who does not have some sins behind him.”

But the other side also leads in the “auditor situation” a certain game. This game involuntarily - due to the peculiarities of his character - is played by Khlestakov. Or rather, the mayor and the company are leading her along with themselves - with the help of Khlestakov. Awareness of the “auditor” (“I found out everything, the damned merchants told everything!”), threat of punishment, hint of a bribe (“What the hell!”), reluctance to speak directly about his mission (“... wants to be considered incognito” ) - all these observations serve as proof for the mayor that his interlocutor is playing his role correctly, that, therefore, he is facing a real auditor. Deception, or rather self-deception, of the mayor turned out to be possible because he was preparing to play his role with the auditor, and with the auditor, who, in turn, was leading the game. This was required by the logic of the situation, well learned by the mayor over the years. long years services (“... deceived three governors”). And he had to play with the sincere Khlestakov.

The entire episode is permeated with Gogolian irony. The dramaturgy of this very complex scene is developed with pinpoint precision. Here, the direct meaning of the conversation that the characters conduct among themselves, and the hidden one, which, as always, turns out to be the most important, are constantly intertwined. External alogism turns into a very definite logic, completely understandable to the characters participating in the conversation.

The mayor and Khlestakov are exponents of the same reality. Both are swindlers and cheats, although they reveal themselves differently. They have a common logic of behavior and language. The incongruities and oddities in the behavior of the capital's guest do not puzzle the mayor in any way, for they are fully consistent with his ideas about how an important official from St. Petersburg should behave. Gogol's characters have their own logic, which does not always coincide with the generally accepted one.

In “Theatrical Travel,” with the words of “a very modestly dressed man,” Gogol aptly defined the peculiar comic features of the characters in “The Inspector General”: “... I admit, I felt joy seeing how funny well-intentioned words were in the mouth of a rogue and how hilariously funny it became for everyone, from the chairs to the rike, he wore a mask.” These words apply not only to the mayor, but also to other official rulers.

Just as the mask of hypocrisy and hypocrisy is funny, immense pretensions make an irresistible comic impression. worthless people to the significance, wisdom and greatness that we encounter not only in Khlestakov, but also in Lyapkin-Tyapkin, convinced of the extraordinary subtlety and depth of his mind, and in Zemlyanika, confident that if anyone is worthy of high honors, it is he . And the mayor is funny not only when he pours out into well-meaning speeches, but also in the case when he smugly boasts of what an important bird he has become, united by ties of kinship with Khlestakov.

Trying to show social “vices and crimes” in their entirety, Gogol painted his heroes “ close-up”, boldly resorted to hyperbole, to the grotesque. From here arise “couriers, couriers, couriers... you can imagine: thirty-five thousand couriers alone!” Or such characteristics: “Look, look, the whole world, all of Christianity, everyone, look how the mayor has been fooled! Fool him, fool the old scoundrel! (Threatens himself with his fist.) ... There he is now filling the entire road with bells! Will spread the story all over the world.” Grotesque, in which real life relationships are deformed, verisimilitude gives way to caricature, fantasy, allows not only to expressively, large-scale outline the characters, but also to include them in broad social dimensions.

Gogol dreamed of a comedy that would be a “great school” for society and would mercilessly punish with laughter the “tares” of Russian reality. Explaining the meaning of “The Inspector General,” the writer pointed to the role of laughter and satire: “... I’m sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest, noble person who acted in her throughout her entire life. This honest, noble face - there was laughter..."

Gogol emphasizes that he decided to ridicule the despicable and insignificant, knowing that this would arouse the enmity of many towards him. In laughter, in bringing out “everyone’s eyes” bad writer saw a powerful means of influencing society. By this he emphasized the main thing in his aesthetic views, in his attitude towards society. It consisted in substantiating the positions of a passionate defender of the truth, a formidable denouncer of social evil. High realism closely merged in The Inspector General with satire, satire - with the embodiment of important social ideas. Stupid violence and greed, oblivion of public duty and pretentious ignorance, imperious arrogance and cunning sycophancy found in Gogol's comedy bright and deep expression. Her images have had and are having an effective influence on society and continue to live intensely, coming into close contact with many modern social phenomena.