Svejk is a dog trader Prague. He is charged for lèse-majesté, "injured majesty" and is supposed to be jailed. But the court finds him to be dim-witted, and he is committed to a mental asylum. There, the doctors examine his physical and mental status. When one of the physicians accuses Svejk of being a simulator, Svejk assures him that he is an officially approved imbecile poking fun at the trappings of empire and the absurdity of war, as Svejk personifies the power of passive resistance.