Irony as a Means of Characterization in the Works of N.V. Gogol

In this article, irony is considered as a conceptual category of a literary text, which includes the author's assessment in an implicit form. Ironic meaning as an integral component of a literary text is an evaluative and emotional way of representing the author's worldview and values. The means of explication of irony in the works of N.V. Gogol of various genres (epic, lyric-epic and dramatic genres) are determined. Consideration of the ways of actualization of irony in the author's characterization of Gogol's literary heroes showed that irony is realized both in the character and in the author's speech and is mainly aimed at assessing the character and behavior of the characters.