Dramatic irony

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.