The Inspector-General

"The Inspector-General" by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol is a comedic play that exposes the underbelly of 19th-century Russian society through a mix-up of identities and a town gripped by fear. It all starts when local officials in a small town hear word that a secret inspector is on his way to investigate their governance, and they are instantly nervous about the things he might find. When a nobody named Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov checks into the local inn, the officials are dead certain that he's the man, causing them to trip over each other in an attempt to charm and bribe him. Khlestakov, who is usually broke, plays along and makes a fool of them all. The story hilariously shows just how self-important and ridiculous people can act when they are desperately trying to hold on to their authority and standing in the community.