The image and characteristics of Khlestakov in Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”: a description of appearance and character. A brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy “The Inspector General”: a man without moral principles Who is Khlestakov in the work The Inspector General

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 lie 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, 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!..

Option 1:

Khlestakov... He is generally considered a swindler and a deceiver. But is this really so? All his life a person is late for something, doesn’t have time, everything is awkward for him, he doesn’t know how to do anything, he’s a failure in everything... At the same time, he dreams. And in his dreams he is strong, smart, rich, powerful and irresistible to women.

The reality is sad - Khlestakov lost to smithereens. Only a miracle will save our dreamer from starvation and debt.

And a miracle happens. The circumstances are so favorable that Ivan Alexandrovich cannot resist the temptation. And those in power fawn over him, and the first beauties of N-Ska are ready to fall into his arms - or provide their daughters. And there is no strength or desire to stop and think about the consequences - the whirlwind of flattering and corrupt carries on and on...

Khlestakov himself, however, is stupid and cowardly. And the only thing that justifies him in our eyes is the even greater stupidity and cowardice of the characters around him. However, he knows how to deftly adapt to the situation and wishful thinking. If you want to see an important official, you will have an important official. If you want to give bribes, he will accept them. If you want a profitable marriage or an influential lover, he will promise you this. It is impossible to stop in the flow of lies, only to leave, which is what Khlestakov does. Very timely.

Khlestakov is not the main character of the play. It is rather a natural phenomenon, like a snowstorm or drought. He simply by existing allows others to show themselves in all their glory. Put your vices and passions on display. Turn inside out under the spotlight.

Khlestakov is passive throughout the entire action, he goes with the flow. It doesn't act - it just encourages those around them to take off their masks. By your very existence here and now.

Khlestakov is only a catalyst.

Option 2:

It is precisely this invincible confidence in his right to be cared for by other people that leads to the fact that Khlestakov is easily drawn into the game offered to him and does not disabuse the other participants in this game. He carries himself so naturally in the image of a pompous talker that officials have no doubt: this role was invented on purpose to disguise the audit.

The behavior model of all bribe takers is approximately the same - they also pretend to be stupid. Therefore, the events of the play unfold very predictably. The combination of fear with hope for quick success leads to a loss of vigilance, including among women.

Khlestakov is not a positive hero, although he did not have any bad intentions. This image is especially relevant in our time, when society is aimed at consumption rather than personal development.

Option 3:

Gogol is one of the most merciless critics of the moral principles and foundations of the public of that time. It is noteworthy that everything described by the author, all the characteristics and life stories are relevant to this day. As they say: “we all came out of Gogol’s overcoat.” The same can be said about the comedy “The Inspector General,” in particular about Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, whose character is central to the work. His character traits, manner of behavior, and the adventures in which he got involved were so vital and natural that a collective name appeared for this kind of incident - “Khlestakovism.”

If you figure out who Khlestakov is, it will become obvious that he is, in fact, not an evil character, but an extremely resourceful, cunning and skillful deceiver. He is even close to acting. Upon arrival in the small town, he found it difficult to make ends meet. Left alone in the room and sending the servant to beg dinner from the owner of the inn, these are the thoughts that come to him: “It’s terrible how hungry I am! So I walked around a little, wondering if my appetite would go away - no, damn it, it won’t. Yes, if I hadn’t had a party in Penza, I would have had enough money to get home.” It is obvious that sometimes, very rarely, Khlestakov’s thoughts of common sense slip through, and repentance appears. This happens not because of high morality, but because of the horrors of need. The hero squandered almost all his father's money at cards. He is left to look for ways to make money, but our character is not so prudent. Instead, he simply took advantage of the situation, pretended to be an important official and fooled the residents of a small town. “After all, you live to pick flowers of pleasure.”

Khlestakov is intoxicated by the situation, the imaginary power and the fallen role. Such a person has no backbone; he swims wherever the current takes him. He cheats to get out, throws dust in his eyes, wants to appear and not be. Unfortunately, both before and today, a person who has received a high position, without achieving it through his own work, but by chance, behaves this way. He imagines himself to be a great man, deciding the destinies of people, covers his eyes with false achievements, extols himself to the skies, not noticing that there is nothing to support his flight. And each of us needs to answer honestly, to ourselves, would we be tempted to hit the big jackpot when it comes into our hands? What would they do if each of the residents was in a hurry to please us, honor us and “kiss our hands.” Wouldn't you give in? “There is no point in blaming the mirror if your face is crooked,” the proverb to the work tells us.

Option 4:

The key figure in N.V. Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General" is Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov.

The writer characterizes the main character of his work negatively. Why? Because Khlestakov behaves so arrogantly and irresponsibly that even the reader develops a feeling of hostility towards this character.

When we meet Khlestakov, we learn that he managed to spend all his money because of his love for gambling. Now he is in the county town of N, unable to pay for accommodation in the hotel where he was staying. The mayor, who mistook this rogue for an auditor, creates for Khlestakov all the conditions where the imaginary auditor can show his “talents” - lies, ambition, money-grubbing. All this leads to the fact that the number of people deceived by Khlestakov increases every day, and the anti-hero himself, without a twinge of conscience, uses what could never rightfully belong to him.

The image of this negative hero has become a household name and today we can observe a considerable number of such “Khlestakovs” surrounding us in everyday life.

Option 5:

One of the main characters, as well as the most striking image of the comedy N.V. Gogol's "Inspector General" is Ivan Khlestakov, he is young, thin and stupid. They often say about such people: “without a king in their head.”

Khlestakov serves in the office, receiving a meager salary and dreaming of incredible heights that are inaccessible to him from birth. He fantasizes about how he will lead a luxurious life and become the favorite of the ladies, although this, of course, will never happen.

By chance, having lost everything he had, he ends up in a hotel in the provincial town of N, where he encounters the mayor. He takes him for an auditor, and previously inaccessible opportunities open up for the dreamer and liar Khlestakov. He begins to feel his importance, even if imaginary, and uncontrollably lies about himself, his achievements and position in society. At the same time, he doesn’t even know who exactly he was confused with; the hero lacks the intelligence to use his temporary position for his own benefit. Although unconsciously, Khlestakov, playing the role that was imposed on him, managed to feed everyone’s fear of the “big man.” During his service in the office, he more than once tried on the role of serious officials, observing their behavior. And so he had the opportunity to feel significant and important, and the hero, of course, took advantage of it, because his superficiality does not allow him to predict the troubles that may follow. It is worth noting that Khlestakov was not a swindler by nature, he simply accepted other people’s honors and was sure that he deserved them, already beginning to believe in his own lies.

The mayor was unable to recognize the forgery, because Ivan impersonated an official unintentionally, without the goal of profit; he innocently considered himself to be what those around him believed. But it was an accident that saved him; he left the city on time and thanks to this he avoided retribution for his lies.

The image of Khlestakov illustrates an empty and worthless person who, without giving anything to society, wants to receive all kinds of benefits and honors for nothing.

Option 6:

Khlestakov Ivan Aleksandrovich is one of the key characters in Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”. By himself, he is a very mediocre person, not standing out from the crowd with any positive qualities, a typical “little man.” By the will of fate, he finds himself on the crest of a wave of life - by pure chance, residents of the provincial town of N mistake him for an important person - the capital's auditor. And here our hero’s real life begins - the life he has dreamed of for so long: the top officials of the town invite him to dinner parties, the best women pay attention to him, and officials are in awe of the “significant person.”

And then, when Khlestakov achieves the life he dreamed of, his true face begins to clearly appear. Khlestakov lies uncontrollably, presenting himself as a great writer and public figure, shamelessly takes bribes, and fools two women at the same time. In the middle of the work, we see him no longer as a faceless “little man”, but as a truly immoral person. In his character we see frivolity and deceit, irresponsibility and stupidity, superficiality and simply a lack of decency. It’s not for nothing that all these qualities together were dubbed Khlestakovism.

It is also interesting that as the action of the work develops, the character of the main character also develops - the negative traits of his character appear more and more. It is unknown what Khlestakov would have reached if it were not for another happy accident - just before the hero’s deception was revealed, he left the city. Probably, luck is the only valuable natural gift that nature endowed Khlestakov with.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is the main character of N.V.’s comedy. 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 as a great writer, 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.

Ivan Khlestakov is one of the main characters of Gogol's comedy. Thanks to his image, the author was able to show us life in a past era, when in the country a person is judged not by his qualities and services to the Fatherland, but by his position. Now we will try to describe in the image of Khlestakov, the main character, who became a creative success for the writer.

Ivan Khlestakov is a contradictory and ambiguous hero, whose image turned out to be very successful and accurate. On the one hand, it is difficult to call Khlestakov a fraudster, because he is not specifically called an auditor, but only took advantage of the opportunity. But on the other hand, an honest person would never do this and would immediately refute the erroneous opinion. But no, because of a mistake by the highest district authorities, because of local cowardly swindlers and thieves, a vile nature was released, which immediately ran rampant. Moreover, the excitement also ran rampant. Therefore, the hero is completely immersed in the role assigned to him. Another prudent person in his place would have received a benefit and left immediately, especially if they began to suspect him of deception, but this is not about Khlestakov, who was gambling throughout his life and played until the last, squandering all his fortune.

How does the image of Khlestakov appear before us?

The author describes him as a petty person, an insignificant low-ranking official. This is a poor guy of twenty-four years old who could have lost even the small fortune that he had. writes that he is a rather stupid person, without a king in his head. He wanted to try his luck in the capital, but failed. On the way home, he lost all the money and he has to live in a certain town, where they are just waiting for the arrival of the auditor. Khlestakov was mistaken for him. And he quickly began to play along, especially since he always wanted to be a significant person.

Khlestakov is a dreamer, a deceitful person who thinks superficially and does not think about the consequences. Having played at being an auditor, Ivan lies about himself, inventing unprecedented stories. In his stories, he makes his dreams come true, giving them a certain reality. He does this with such conviction that even the experienced mayor did not see through the false inspector and believes him to the end. And Ivan himself believes in his lies.

The hero is a master of lies who, without a twinge of conscience, takes money from everyone, promising to return everything. This is a man who can simultaneously care for his daughter and her mother, and it is unknown how the whole story would have ended if Khlestakov had not left before the deception was revealed.

The image of Khlestakov and the hero of the comedy are the founder of Khlestakovism, which personifies frivolity, stupidity, lies, laxity, and the desire to impersonate someone else.

The image of Khlestakov in the comedy The Inspector General, version 2

The key figure and striking image in Gogol's work The Inspector General is the image of Khlestakov, who in himself was a worthless person, an ordinary typical little man. By chance, when he lost in the capital and was on his way home, Khlestakov finds himself in a town where officials mistake him for an important auditor. And here his life turns into the fairy tale that Khlestakov always dreamed of. Now everyone is interested in him, everyone wants to see him and are in awe of his person. And here the true image of Khlestakov begins to be revealed in the comedy The Inspector General about which we are writing our essay.

Image of Khlestakov with quotes

In order to more plausibly describe the main character in an essay on the topic of the image of Khlestakov, we suggest turning to quotes from the work. And we meet, as the author writes, a young twenty-three-year-old man, thin, thin, slightly stupid. According to the mayor, it is so nondescript that you could crush it with a fingernail. a poor nobleman who serves in St. Petersburg, holding the position of registrar. He takes his work carelessly, so he can skip it, but card games have always been mandatory.

Khlestakov is always combed, dressed stylishly, knows how to present himself, respects ranks, honors people from high society and despises people of low class.

He is a good actor, so he quickly gets used to the role of an auditor, as if he had been waiting for this all his life. The false inspector, having become an important person, immediately attributed to himself talents that he never had. He boasted of his connections, had conversations, and without a twinge of conscience asked for money from officials. In the successfully invented image of Khlestakov, Gogol ridiculed the vices of officials and their obscene qualities.

Khlestakov's lifestyle

What kind of life does our Khlestakov lead? From Gogol's work we see a nobleman, a landowner, who lives in a modest apartment and occupies an insignificant post, earning little money. Khlestakov leads a life beyond his means, travels to theaters, plays cards, takes money from his parents, and constantly dreams of a different life, which he observes from the outside. And how I would like to become a significant person, to feel constant attention from the ladies. He dreams of being taken for the commander-in-chief, so the incident in a small town became for Khlestakov like a fairy tale, which he had dreamed about all his life, and by chance came true.

In general, Khlestakov’s lifestyle is worthless, frivolous, and does not bring any benefit to society. His whole life consists of accidents.

Khlestakov's character

While working on the essay, I would like to briefly dwell on the character of Khlestakov. This is a frivolous, irresponsible, lazy person who does not like to work. He does not strive to grow in his career, he is a spender, a liar, a frivolous playmaker, who, however, was an excellent actor. His only natural gift was luck, thanks to which Khlestakov managed to leave the city on time, while not forgetting to give precise characteristics in a letter to each of the officials of the small county town.

The meaning of the image of Khlestakov

Having studied the comedy The Inspector General, we see how important the image of Khlestakov is in Gogol’s work. Here Khlestakov not only personifies deceit and hypocrisy, and shows the spiritual emptiness that was characteristic of many of the author’s contemporaries, but is also an instrument through which the vices of officials are revealed. At the same time, the hero reveals them unconsciously. Without noticing it, he brought the officials to light, so the significance of his image in comedy is priceless.

The meaning and relevance of the image of Khlestakov

The meaning of Khlestakov’s image is quite clear. Through the image of the main character, the author wanted to ridicule the evils of society and draw the viewer's attention to the existing problems that people face. What’s most interesting is that the Khlestakovs can easily be found among us, so the question of whether the image of Khlestakov is relevant in our time can be answered positively. To confirm this, it is enough to remember who Khlestakov is.

He is a liar, enjoys using his parents’ money, loves fashionable clothes, but at the same time does not want to work and earn money. Now look around. Almost all people lie for their own benefit. How many children are there around that happily live at the expense of their parents? A lot of them. They are used to getting the best without much difficulty. Look around, see how many people pretend to be someone they are not!

All this certainly emphasizes the relevance of Khlestakov’s image in our days.

The image of Khlestakov based on Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” - essay

In his work, Gogol tried to focus public attention on the attitude of officials to their duties in the workplace. The image and characterization of Khlestakov in the comedy “The Inspector General” will make it possible to create a composite portrait of all officials in the person of the main character. Khlestakov managed to collect in himself all the universal vices, giving the name to the whole phenomenon - “Khlestakovism”, which hides stupidity, lies, frivolity and irresponsibility for one’s actions.

Image of Khlestakov

Gogol, at the very beginning of the work, described Khlestakov as follows:

“...a young man of about twenty-three, thin, thin; somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head, - one of those people who in the offices are called empty ... "

Full name Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. Arrived from St. Petersburg. Originally from the Saratov province, where his parents live. Official. A short brown-haired man with shifty eyes. He had a pleasant appearance and made a special impression on women.

“...Oh, how nice!”

Khlestakov liked to dress according to fashion. It was his love for expensive clothes that played a cruel joke on him. Local officials mistook him for an auditor. The protagonist's speech is abrupt. The phrases fly out before he has time to think.

“His speech is abrupt, and words fly out of his mouth completely unexpectedly...”

Characteristic

Khlestakov found himself at the scene of the events described by chance. Having lost to smithereens at cards, he was forced to stay at a local hotel.

“...If I hadn’t had a party in Penza, I would have had enough money to get home...”

The road to his native village was postponed for some time due to the complete depletion of his pocket.

A small man, well aware of his position in society. The salary in the office is meager, but I want to live beautifully. Khlestakov, working in St. Petersburg, saw enough of people who did not deny themselves pleasures, who were accustomed to living to the fullest. He wanted it too, but with his capabilities he could only dream about it.

The father regularly sent money to his unlucky son. With enviable regularity, Khlestakov lost cash at cards. The bad habit had become firmly entrenched in him.

Jonah. Even the servant treats him with slight disdain. Khlestakov’s talent lies in the ability to lie and show off. He deftly took advantage of the situation when he was mistaken for an auditor and began to be given money. The other one in his place burned with shame, but he did not. Audacity second happiness. It's about him.

Lover of women. He managed to set his sights on two people at once, the mayor’s wife and daughter.

“...The mayor’s daughter is very pretty, and her mother is such that it would still be possible...”

The women did not suspect a trick in the sweet speeches, immediately believing the rascal.

In addition to lies, Khlestakov loved to fantasize. Moreover, he believed in his fantasies, often imagining himself in the role of a general, a famous writer, or a public figure. Human "without a king in my head". Frivolous. Superficial When committing actions, he does not think at all about the consequences.

How could he borrow money, knowing that he could not pay it back? In his opinion, success does not require much effort. A fool is the one who earns his living with hump and blood. Khlestakov believed that everything in life depends on chance. If you get a lucky ticket, as is the case with the role of auditor, why not take advantage of it.

He managed to fool all the city officials. As if under hypnosis, they succumbed to his charm and ability to speak beautifully. No one was even surprised how at his age one could achieve such heights.

This man's ego is off the charts. Considering himself an order of magnitude superior to others in intelligence, he looks at people as fools, over whom one can and should boast and mock.

His adventure could have resulted in imprisonment if he had not left the city in time. Soon after his departure, the mayor and other officials learned the truth from a letter left by Khlestakov for a journalist friend. One thought was spinning in the mayor’s head: how could he

“Take an icicle or a rag for an important person! Now he’s singing bells all over the road!”

These words contain the whole essence of Khlestakov. A dummy and a tyrant who knows how to pretend in time to be who he needs to be and take advantage of the situation for his own benefit.