The Government Inspector: Act 4 Summary & Analysis

Khlestakov makes the most of another meeting with a town official by asking for more money to fund his frivolous pleasure-seeking. He reiterates his demand for comfort and ease, as well as his need for external validation through being liked and respected by other people. Notably, Khlestakov’s own moral corruption is evident in his willingness to cheat other people for his selfish gain. Moreover, Khlestakov clearly desires more respect and admiration than he deserves.

Khlestakov continues to indulge in all the pleasures available to him. He enjoys more amusement and money, while the Inspector of Schools gains nothing. The town officials’ attempts at self-preservation are ineffective because they fail to bribe a real government inspector. By persuading themselves that Khlestakov has power over them, the officials have led themselves to be swindled. However, they still don’t realize their mistake, and they’re foolishly hopeful they can get away with their corruption.

That Khlestakov remembers the Warden of Charities only by the delicious food they ate at the charity hospital emphasizes Khlestakov’s preoccupation with pleasure. Also, Khlestakov’s disinterest in the town officials’ crimes showcases his self-centeredness. Khlestakov treats the Warden of Charities’ revelations as mere entertainment for his own enjoyment, rather than crucial evidence of serious problems. Although Khlestakov isn’t a government inspector, he’s still a member of the civil service, yet he doesn’t care about local corruption. Khlestakov’s lack of concern shows that he’s a bad government official. Additionally, the Warden of Charities appears particularly corrupt, as he’s the only official willing to betray the others to ingratiate himself with the supposed inspector.

By taking money even from Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, Khlestakov displays selfishness and greed. In this case, he’s also taking advantage of citizens rather than fellow corrupt government officials, highlighting how Khlestakov too abuses power at townspeople’s expense. Furthermore, Khlestakov only agrees to do favors for Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky because he wants to appear important and high ranking. He knows he has no real authority to fulfill their requests, but he desires their respect and admiration. In this way, Khlestakov seeks outside approval beyond what he deserves.

Once Khlestakov finally realizes that he’s been taken for someone else, he ridicules the town officials’ stupidity. His laughter highlights the ridiculousness of their mistake. Because the officials have deceived themselves so thoroughly about Khlestakov’s identity, they’ve lost some of their money and their dignity. Meanwhile, Khlestakov is delighted that they’ve treated him so well. He exhibits more of his greedy and self-centered desire for pleasure as he looks forward to future gambling.

Khlestakov’s reluctance to leave town demonstrates his incessant desire for pleasure. He wants to continue enjoying himself as much as possible by taking advantage of the foolish, corrupt local officials. Even when Khlestakov allows petitioners to approach him, he’s acting on selfish impulses. He has no power to help them—he simply wants entertainment and external validation from townspeople who believe he’s an important authority figure.

When the shopkeepers expose more of the mayor’s misdeeds, Khlestakov acknowledges how terribly corrupt and immoral the mayor is. However, even though Khlestakov may not be as crooked as the mayor, he still isn’t a good government official. He steals money from the shopkeepers, and he allows Osip to accept luxurious food items as bribes. Neither Osip nor Khlestakov can resist food, which symbolizes pleasure and self-indulgence. Worse, Khlestakov knows he’s only a clerk, has no real governmental power, and can’t actually help the shopkeepers. Khlestakov makes false promises to them only so he can look more impressive.

The locksmith’s wife and sergeant’s widow seem to have legitimate complaints about the mayor’s extensive corruption, but as soon as the petitioners stop being entertaining to Khlestakov and start being troublesome, Khlestakov loses interest. He doesn’t care about their lives. He’s only concerned with his own pleasure. Khlestakov’s apathy toward problems with the local government demonstrates his self-centeredness and corruption as a negligent bureaucrat. 

Khlestakov flirts with the mayor’s daughter for his own selfish pleasure. His interest in Marya Antonovna is purely superficial, and his advances are impudently flippant. To a certain extent, Marya is charmed by Khlestakov’s city manners because she believes he’s an important, high-ranking man. But Marya isn’t immediately enamored with him, showing that Khlestakov isn’t very impressive after all. Khlestakov’s failure to be romantic enhances the comedy of this scene. While confessing his love melodramatically, Khlestakov seems more like a ridiculous fool than an alluring gentleman.

Khlestakov indulges frivolously in any pleasure he can find, even if it’s inappropriate to pursue a married woman and her daughter at the same time. Khlestakov’s shamelessness emphasizes his greed and self-centeredness, which are made more humorous by his exaggerated displays of sincerity. The play presents Khlestakov as a ridiculous figure and mocks him for being so fixated on pleasure.

Khlestakov insists on having Marya Antonovna’s hand in marriage, even though now he understands he’s been mistaken for someone else and has made plans to leave town imminently. This false engagement shows that Khlestakov does whatever is pleasurable and entertaining for himself in the moment, without thinking of future consequences or the impact his actions have on other people. Khlestakov is irresponsibly self-indulgent. Additionally, Anna Andreyevna’s thorough self-deception is evident in how she talks about Khlestakov. She already believes Khlestakov is a highly prestigious person, so she aggrandizes him in her mind to an unreasonable extent.

The mayor’s pathetic attempts to cover up his misdeeds by lying and accusing the shopkeepers of deceit reinforce how corrupt he is. Meanwhile, Khlestakov’s dismissal of the shopkeepers showcases his indifference to the town’s corruption and, instead, his sole focus on self-gratification. Khlestakov is so consumed by his desire for pleasure that he ignores his duties as a civil servant and enables corrupt government officials to commit crimes without care. Similarly, the mayor is so absorbed in his fears of getting caught by the government inspector that he’s unable to recognize obvious truths. He continues to believe Khlestakov is the inspector and foolishly believes that Khlestakov’s supposed engagement to his daughter absolves him of his misconduct.

Khlestakov successfully gets away from the town officials before they discover he’s not a government inspector. He even manages to escape with yet another bribe from the corrupt mayor—or, what Khlestakov believes is a generous “loan.” Even when the mayor sees the rickety carriage Khlestakov has hired—proof that Khlestakov really is a nobody—the mayor still doesn’t recognize his mistake. Instead, the self-deceived mayor foolishly continues to treat Khlestakov like royalty.