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Who is Ivan Khlestakov in The Government Inspector?
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Nikolay Gogol
Ukrainian-born humorist, novelist, and dramatist Nikolay Gogol, 19th-century photographic print.
In Nikolay Gogol's farcical play The Government Inspector (Revizor), Ivan Khlestakov is a well-dressed windbag who becomes the central figure of the plot.1
While passing through an obscure provincial town, Khlestakov is mistakenly identified by corrupt local officials as a dreaded government inspector. Desperate to hide their own maladministration, the officials bribe and fĂȘte him in an attempt to secure his favor. Khlestakov plays along with the deception until his eventual departure, leaving the officials to celebrate their perceived success just before the arrival of the actual inspector is announced.1