The play follows Martin Borulya, a prosperous farmer who becomes obsessed with proving his "noble" ancestry. He spends years and a fortune on bureaucratic red tape, bribes, and lawsuits to be officially recognized as a nobleman. His tragedy (and the source of the play's comedy) is that he values a piece of paper more than his actual character or his family’s happiness.
If you are looking to read the work, several editions are available in digital and physical formats:
: This collection includes Karpenko-Karyi's most famous comedies and is available at Ukrainian Pages .
: The play mocks the complex and often corrupt "noble registers" of the 19th-century Russian Empire, where dignity was something to be bought through paperwork. Themes of True Dignity