Every schoolchild knows that the theatrical play “The Inspector General” was written by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, and this work was one of his first works created for the theater. Since one of the key characters of the comedy is Khlestakov, in this article we will talk about him - a young man who found himself among the residents of the city of N at the moment when he went from St. Petersburg to the village to visit his father. So, below is the characterization of Khlestakov from the comedy “The Inspector General”.
This is what you can immediately say about Khlestakov, and this information in a condensed form will help you if you are writing an essay on the topic “Characteristics of Khlestakov.” This man is flighty and “without a king in his head.” In other words, he acts to please himself, without thinking about the consequences and those around him, including his loved ones.
For example, Gogol describes how Khlestakov squandered the money sent by his father, moreover, simply at the card table. And he still owes money to the innkeeper, because, living in his inn together with Osip (Khlestakov’s servant), he does not pay for lodging and food. On top of everything else, this hero speaks indignantly about the fact that he is not fed for free, as if it were someone else’s responsibility. This is a brief description of Khlestakov from Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General". Let's see what role Gogol assigned to this character in his play.
Khlestakov - the most empty person in Gogol's comedy
Reading Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General,” we see that prominent people in the city of N think of Khlestakov as an inspector. Frightened at first, the young man quickly realized that this situation could play into his hands.
There was a moment when Khlestakov was afraid of the mayor, because he, in his opinion, wanted to arrest the young man. But then it turned out that these fears were empty, and Khlestakov’s characterization for us, as readers, immediately became clear. He realized that the mayor and others were afraid of officials, and were currying favor with those who were higher in duty, and Khlestakov literally extorted money from the pockets of these people, after which he disappeared to an unknown location.
In an essay on the characterization of Khlestakov, the following conclusion will be useful to you: this character was created by Gogol to reveal the essence of officials in the city of N. All their shortcomings and unclean deeds came out. How did they begin to behave towards each other? Yes, at first they all made cute faces and stretched their faces in smiles, as if they respected each other and everything was fine with them. But after that, this “elite” of the city turned into irreconcilable enemies who insult others and are ready to plunge anyone into the mud headlong.
What does the name Khlestakov tell us in the comedy “The Inspector General”
Many people wonder whether the name of this character is connected with his actions and his role as conceived by Gogol. Let’s think about this since we are studying Khlestakov’s characterization.
In fact, his last name is certainly telling. Having “whipped” the face of each of his characters, Gogol came up with a wonderful surname for the person playing this role. Indeed, Khlestakov’s deception turned out to be a slap in the face for officials. Let us note that those around them themselves imposed this position on Khlestakov, and he simply did not miss his chance.
Here's what else needs to be taken into account in the essay, paying attention to Khlestakov's brief description:
- Khlestakov adapts to people. With a servant he pretends to be a gentleman, with officials he first behaves timidly, then plays the role of an important person.
- Special conversation about women. Khlestakov whispers pleasantries to the ladies, no matter what age they are, and tries to pretend to be a metropolitan dandy.
- Sensing danger, and in many ways helping his master Osip here, Khlestakov managed to curl up and disappear, not allowing himself to be exposed.
Is it possible to discern the features of Khlestakov, whose characteristics we are considering, as well as the behavior of officials of the city of N, in modern society? Undoubtedly! And today some people bow down to rank in order to gain a better position or gain something. And there are quite a few people who like to lie, dodge, adapt, just to stay in the win, while overstepping all the norms of morality and etiquette.
Thanks to the above, you better understand what a brief description of Khlestakov is in Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General,” and this will also help you write an essay on this topic. You may also be interested in
The role of Khlestakov and the means of creating his image. Khlestakov is the central character of the comedy. The writer managed to portray a hero who contributes to the development of the action. This was Gogol's innovation, since, despite the fact that Khlestakov is neither a reasoning hero, nor a conscious deceiver, nor a hero of a love affair, his image motivates the development of the plot. Gogol finds a new impulse that contributes to this development. In his comedy, everything rests on a situation of self-deception, which becomes possible precisely thanks to such a hero.
The image of Khlestakov is the embodiment of ideal emptiness and ideal stupidity. We can say that it lacks its own content. He is a meaningless person without inner filling. Therefore, he can easily transform and play the roles that are imposed on him. Khlestakov is weaving an intrigue, but we see that he himself is not aware of this. He rejoices at the honors shown to him and does not even try to find out the reason for such a ceremonial reception; he does not suspect that he was mistaken for an auditor; he simply does what those around him suggest, and through his actions he further establishes himself in their eyes as an official from St. Petersburg.
Khlestakov does not so much consciously or deliberately deceive the heroes of the comedy as mislead them. At the first meeting with the mayor, he tries to intimidate him so as not to end up in prison, although he himself is no less frightened. In the house of the Governor, Khlestakov lies just as unintentionally; he strives to rise in the eyes of his listeners and therefore invents a dizzying career for himself from a minor official to a field marshal. In addition to the role of auditor, commander-in-chief, and head of the department, he also takes on the guise of a benefactor for the city, a writer, and even the fiancé of Marya Antonovna, the mayor’s daughter. He takes on one form or another in accordance with the situation in which he finds himself; and therefore we can say that he is practically invulnerable. It can be compared to a chameleon, which changes its color not for fun, but for survival.
A similar definition of its essence is reflected in Khlestakov’s comparison with water taking the shape of the vessel into which it was poured, which was accurately noted by Yu. Mann. Thanks to the sincerity and sincerity with which Khlestakov plays the roles imposed on him, he easily gets out of any situation that could catch him in a lie. Marya Antonovna recalls that “Yuri Miloslavsky” is the work of Mr. Zagoskin, while the newly appointed auditor claims that he is its author. What about Khlestakov? And on the fly he comes up with an excuse for this discrepancy, explaining this by the presence of two works with the same title. Khlestakov once again admits inaccuracy in his simple lies when, intoxicated by wine and his sudden success, he utters the line: “As you run up the stairs to your fourth floor, you only say to the cook: “On, Mavrushka, your overcoat.” But officials do not notice this oversight and take it for a slip of the tongue. They encourage Khlestakov in his lies, thinking that by doing so they will recognize him. In their acceptance of the nonsense they have invented as truth, and truth as lies, lies the most comic (and tragic) part of the work.
The portrait of Khlestakov is created by the author using the comment he gave at the beginning of the comedy in “Notes for Gentlemen Actors,” replicas of other characters and his own words. Thus, the following image appears before the reader: a young man of about twenty-three, “somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head, - one of those people who in the offices are called empty... His speech is abrupt, and the words fly out of his mouth completely suddenly". Even his servant Osip does not consider his master a worthwhile person, but sees in him just a simple “elistrate”. When the Mayor first sees this nondescript, short man in front of him, whom he “would crush with his fingernail,” he doubts that a real auditor is standing in front of him. But since, due to the hasty reasoning of the officials, they decided that an auditor had actually appeared in the city incognito, since Khlestakov is the only visitor so far, and he is behaving strangely, the Mayor and the rest of the officials do not pay attention to the discrepancy between his appearance and the position he “occupies.” . Thus, the image of Khlestakov is shown in detail in
background of city officials, which allows us to consider his personality also in comparison with other characters. His stupidity and emptiness are shown in comparison with the stupidity of officials, and it remains to be seen which of them loses in this comparison.
The image of Khlestakov created by Gogol contributes to the penetration of mirage intrigue into the comedy, the meaning of which lies in depicting the pursuit of officials by the mirage, in their wasting their strength. Thanks to the mirage intrigue, Khlestakov’s demonic essence is revealed. He, like the devil, takes on the form offered to him by the petitioner and creates the illusion of fulfilling the request. Also, something mystical can be seen in the unexpected appearance of Khlestakov and in his sudden departure - from nowhere to nowhere.
Khlestakov is a capacious and deep image that contains great human truth. The Khlestakovs have not yet disappeared, and it is not for nothing that his name has become a household name. Much has already been said about the fact that Khlestakov is essentially an empty person. But how much interesting and instructive we take away from his image and how deeply he makes us think about ourselves!..
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov - the main thing actor comedy N.V. Gogol "The Inspector General". This is a young twenty-three-year-old man, slender and thin, superficial, without a clear idea of his place in life. According to the author, others consider such people to be dummies, because they are not able to answer either for their words or for their actions.
Khlestakov lost a large amount of money. Due to lack of funds, he huddles in a modest hotel room in the provincial town of N. He has no food or clean clothes. Here the mayor discovers him, thinking that he is actually an auditor, incognito in the city.
Small man
In Khlestakov, Gogol reveals the image of a “little man” who understands his insignificance in the world. He holds the position of adviser in the chancellery and receives a modest salary. But in his thoughts and dreams, he sees himself as a significant person, whom people worship, who lives beautifully, whom women adore and follow on his heels. But such a life is not destined for him.
Khlestakov's fantasies
It is impossible not to note Ivan Aleksandrovich’s ability to talentedly and incessantly lie and fantasize. His frivolity and superficial thinking give the impression of a man “without a king in his head.” He is not able to see the consequences of his actions, so he easily enters into an adventure with a false auditor. He is not embarrassed by deception; he constantly lies about himself, inventing new incredible facts from his “luxurious” life. He claims that everyone recognizes him on the streets and sometimes mistakes him for a general.
The most amazing thing is that he himself begins to believe in his stupid fantasies. He imagines himself to be a great writer, a commander-in-chief, public figure, close to the emperor, almost the sovereign himself.
"Inspector"
Without feeling any remorse, Khlestakov borrows money from officials, realizing that he will not be able to return it. His moral education allows him to care for two women at once - his wife and the young daughter of the mayor himself. Moreover, he swears eternal love to both of them, quoting Karamzin, he convinces them of the absence of boundaries for a great feeling.
Having crossed all the boundaries of what is permitted, Khlestakov, by pure chance, leaves the city. This accident is fortunate for Ivan Alexandrovich, because very soon a real auditor will appear in the city. The mayor and all the officials of the city of N find out that they have warmed up the deceiver. But most of all they are worried that Khlestakov will now tell everyone about their shame.
Khlestakovs in Russia
In the image of Khlestakov N.V. Gogol introduced us to such a typical concept for Russia at that time as “Khlestakovism.” Although, in my opinion, this phenomenon is still relevant today. And today we can meet people covered in an aura of lies, fantasy, frivolity, superficiality and stupidity. The worst thing about them is that they strive to pass themselves off as someone they are not, thereby showing an extreme degree of irresponsibility.
In 1835 N.V. Gogol planned to write a sharp comedy that would expose the bureaucracy in Russia of those times. He made a request to Pushkin, who suggested the plot of his future comedy. In 1836, the comedy “The Inspector General” was first shown on the stage of the St. Petersburg Theater.
The events in the play take place around the central character, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. Khlestakov is not opposed to the other heroes, because he is a representative of the same bureaucratic caste. In the table of ranks, he occupies the lowest level: collegiate registrar (essentially, a copyist of papers). Gogol characterizes his main character this way: “... a young man of about 23 years old, thin, skinny; somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head... He is not able to pay constant attention to any thought.”
According to the plot, Khlestakov goes from St. Petersburg to the Saratov province to visit his father, and on the way he is completely lost, so he has no money at all and lives in a tavern in the city of N on credit. The city authorities are waiting for the secret arrival of an auditor from the capital and mistakenly take Ivan Alexandrovich for an inspector. Khlestakov believes that the increased attention and favor of local officials towards him and their willingness to lend money is explained by their humanity and hospitality. “Pleading” visits from officials and merchants of the city begin to visit Khlestakov, and he, gradually becoming more impudent, borrows money from everyone. Only after this does he realize that he is being mistaken for someone else. Having gotten used to the role of a “high-ranking person,” he feels comfortable, because it is very pleasant to be someone whom he could only envy before and whom he would never become in real life. Khlestakov comes up with the most fantastic images for himself, amazing the officials, and is so carried away by his role that he is ready to stay in the city for as long as he likes, without fear of being exposed.
Khlestakov lies and boasts inspiredly and disinterestedly, simply not remembering what he said a minute ago. He is a dummy person who has the extraordinary ability to adapt to others without spending any effort on it, absolutely incapable of any independent decisions and conscious intentions.
Khlestakov is an empty, frivolous darling and spender. He has “extraordinary ease of thought.” As Gogol himself wrote, “he is simply stupid, he chatters only because he sees that they are willing to listen to him; he’s lying because he had a hearty breakfast and drank a fair amount of wine. He is fidgety only when he approaches the ladies.” All his actions are guided by petty vanity, the desire to show off.
According to the author’s description, he is “a liar, a sneak, a coward, and a snapper in all respects.” Deprived of any concept of good and evil, constantly ready to adapt and dodge, he can commit any meanness, easily moves from arrogance to humiliation, from narcissism to cowardice. The character of the hero does not represent anything integral and permanent. And his aspirations are low and petty: he always squanders his father’s money on carousing, cards and other entertainment.
By his behavior, the hero claims to be “secular” educated. In fact, he speaks and acts without any consideration, and is not able to focus his attention on anything for a minute. And in this inspired lie he gives full rein to his disordered imagination, in which his actual inner poverty and poverty of nature are more manifested. At the same time, a gambler, a vulgar red tape and an arrogant bribe-taker - he carries within himself the makings of everything that a feudal society brought up in people.
Khlestakov treats people of lower status in society with obvious superiority, contempt and rudeness. Osipa calls the servant exclusively with abusive words: brute, fool, rude animal; he calls the tavern servant a fool, a nasty little pig; He calls people of the poor class swindlers, slackers, and scoundrels.
“What is Khlestakov, if you look at it, really? - says the author. “A young man, an official, who contains many qualities that belong to people whom the world calls empty...”
The comical aspect of the situation is that the more connections Khlestakov ascribes to himself, the higher he climbs in his lies, the less dignified he looks, the more officials become convinced that he is the St. Petersburg auditor. The fact that he “doesn’t pay and doesn’t go” makes his every step, every word misinterpreted: it means he’s a high-ranking official. Thus, the main idea, which the writer embodied in his hero: Khlestakov is not just a funny and stupid “elistratishka”, a “wizard” who was mistaken for an auditor, he is the product of the entire bureaucratic regime, the emptiness and decline of feudal society.
Unfortunately, the Khlestakovs can still be seen today. The surname Khlestakov has become a household name. “Microscopic pettiness and gigantic vulgarity” - this is how V.G. Belinsky defined the main features of Khlestakovism. Khlestakovism is a lie, unbridled boasting and phrase-mongering combined with frivolity. This is arrogance inner emptiness, frivolity and worthlessness.
Option 1:
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is the main character of N.V.’s comedy. Gogol "The Inspector General". A thin young dandy of twenty-three years old from St. Petersburg finds himself in a set of circumstances in which his true essence is revealed more than ever.
Returning home to his father in Saratov, Khlestakov loses all his money at cards. By chance, at the same time, in a small county town N, the city authorities receive a letter about an auditor who has come to conduct an inspection. Khlestakov is mistaken for an auditor and they begin to curry favor with him in every possible way and give bribes, and he, in turn, gets used to the new role, taking what is happening for granted.
“He speaks and acts without any consideration,” the author writes about Khlestakov. The character's remarkableness lies in his obvious love of showing off and showing off, thanks to which he manages to show off everyone around him. Praising himself to the mayor and the ladies, he himself believes in his own lies. He already imagines himself almost as a director of a department and an outstanding artist.
At the same time, Khlestakov is not a malicious intriguer. At first, he naively believes in the kindness and benevolence of those around him who give him “loans,” remaining polite with them, but still greedy. Ivan Alexandrovich is so flattered by himself and the location of the mayor that he dares to ask for the hand of Marya Antonovna, the mayor’s daughter, and receives consent. Only thanks to his more perceptive servant Osip does he manage to reverse in time and get out of the water unscathed.
It is not without reason that thanks to the bright character of Khlestakov, the concept of “Khlestakovism” appeared, characterizing shameless self-praise and lies, when emptiness and stupidity are hidden under a flashy pompous appearance. Nikolai Vasilyevich himself wrote that every person becomes Khlestakov at least once in his life. These words tell us about the relevance of the character in our time.
Option 2:
One of the main characters of the famous comedy work by N.V. Gogol “The Inspector General” is a slightly stupid, but cunning guy who will not miss any good opportunity - Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov.
When local officials became worried and mistakenly mistook him for a visiting auditor traveling incognito, Khlestakov supported this convenient situation and began to desperately lie and play along. For his own benefit, he either appears to everyone as an absolutely lost reveler asking for lunch, or adds considerable importance to himself by pretending that he has good connections with dukes and counts, or even a real womanizer and ladies' man. One can only envy Khlestakov’s artistry.
In this comedy work, on the one hand, our hero is a simple-minded guy, a talkative joker who does not have much knowledge, but only superficial ones, and always walks around on his own. He plays what the local environment wants to see in him, any role, as long as no one suspects that he is not an auditor. His speech is quite primitive, in which literary cliches and the incorrect use of beautiful French words he heard are clearly audible.
One can characterize Khlestakov as a home-grown rogue, the kind you just need to look for, a lazy and uneducated person who does not hesitate to brag and skillfully lie. Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov never took the words he said seriously and was not going to answer for them.
Thanks to the main character of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General,” a new word for everyone has appeared in everyday life - “Khlestakovism,” which is defined as lies, boasting and irresponsibility all rolled into one.
Option 3:
Ivan Andreevich Khlestakov - main character comedy by N.V. Gogol “The Inspector General”. He is presented as a contradictory and ambiguous personality. The young man is constantly dissatisfied with his life and never has money. Khlestakov does absolutely nothing to change his life, but only hopes that the day will come and everything will be decided by itself.
His position is fully consistent with his character. The character is by nature an adventurous person and partly a swindler. If he had been an honest man, he would not have approached practically strangers(Dopchinsky and Bobchinsky) with a request to borrow money, without being able to give it back. Moreover, he would not have shown interest in both his daughter and her mother at the same time.
Khlestakov is an inveterate liar and deceives people very easily and naturally, as little children do when they invent some kind of fable. His stories bring him pleasure. During conversations, the hero behaves irresponsibly and does not talk about anything specifically or seriously. Even Gogol himself emphasizes the spiritual emptiness and lack of morality in him. He, as a narrow-minded person, believes that to achieve success you do not need to make efforts, have certain knowledge and talent. Khlestakov is confident that a simple chance is enough to achieve a goal; everything can be decided, for example, luck at the right time card games which he loves so much.
Gogol managed to create an image that demonstrates to readers many human vices. IN modern world corrupt officials would hardly mistake Khlestakov for an auditor, but, nevertheless, many of us have his traits.
Option 4:
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol creates the image of a young man who, due to circumstances, becomes the center of attention of a small county town. The heroes of the comedy take him for an auditor, and he, in turn, brilliantly plays his role. His name is Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov.
In notes for actors, the author describes the hero’s appearance as follows: “a young man of about twenty-three, thin, thin; somewhat stupid “...” - one of those people who in the offices are called empty-headed. He speaks and acts without any consideration. "..." Dressed in fashion."
The development of the plot introduces the reader even closer to Khlestakov. In addition to the listed characteristics, others will be added to it. Ivan Alexandrovich is a dreamer. He tries to realize his dreams in conversation with the townspeople, especially the ladies. He assures them that he personally knows A.S. Pushkin, that he is part of the high society of society, that it was he who owned the famous works: “Frigate of Hope”, “Moscow Telegraph”, “Yuri Miloslavsky”.
Despite the stupidity noted by Gogol, Khlestakov is not without resourcefulness and cunning. Understanding his position, he robs frightened officials under the guise of a monetary debt and manages to “get away with it” from the love triangle. Moreover, he sends a letter to his St. Petersburg friend Tryapichkin about all the adventures that happened to him. In it, Khlestakov mocked deceived people, not skimping on insults: “The mayor is stupid, like a gray gelding...”, “The overseer of the charitable establishment, Strawberry, is a perfect pig in a yarmulke,” etc.
N.V. Gogol portrayed a “little man” who is not distinguished by outstanding qualities, but strongly wants to have wealth and fame. Khlestakov laughs not only at the officials and the mayor, but also at himself, because he is no better than them. Unless he’s “dressed in fashion.”