Dramatic Irony

Dramatic Irony: The Story:

After realizing what has happened with the mistaken identity, the Mayor moans, "And as if it's not bad enough being a laughingstock already, along will come some hack, some miserable pen-pusher, and stick us in a comedy" (204). This is a fantastic piece of irony (and meta-narrative strategy) on Gogol's part since this is exactly what he did! The Government Inspector is, indeed, a story of these buffoons.

Dramatic Irony: Mayor and Khlestakov

The first conversation between the Mayor and Khlestakov, which takes place at the inn, is a deeply ironic scene. The audience knows that the Mayor is a corrupt and inept official, that he is deeply afraid of the putative government inspector, and that, of course, Khlestakov is not that inspector. As both men try to navigate this conversation, it is rife with amusement for the audience. The Mayor tries to seem puissant; Khlestakov tries to be imperious to cover up his sense of wrongdoing; and all of this is pure, cutting comedy.