Hippopotamus
Behemoth is probably the most charming and funny of the characters in the novel. Well, indeed, the image of a talking pussy is very charming. Actually, he is supposed to be like that, because he is not only the page of the knight Koroviev, but also the jester of Woland.The author of The Master and Margarita got information about Behemoth from the book by M.A. Orlov "The History of Man's Relations with the Devil" (1904), extracts from which have been preserved in the Bulgakov archive. There, in particular, the case of the French abbess, who lived in the 17th century, was described. and possessed by seven devils, the fifth demon being Behemoth. This demon was depicted as a monster with an elephant's head, with a trunk and fangs. His hands were of a human style, and his huge belly, short tail and thick hind legs, like a hippopotamus, reminded him of the name he bore. Behemoth in the demonological tradition is the demon of the desires of the stomach. Hence his extraordinary gluttony, especially in Torgsin, when he indiscriminately swallows everything edible.
In the third picture, a fragment of William Blake's painting "Behemoth and Leviathan" and Alexander Bashirov, who plays the role of Behemoth in the film Bortko:
Bulgakov's Behemoth became an enormous black werewolf cat, since it is black cats that are traditionally considered to be associated with evil spirit. Unless he had human-style hands, hence the glass of vodka in the cat's hand and the coin that he handed to the conductor.
The hippopotamus in the novel mostly jokes and fools around, which manifests Bulgakov's truly sparkling humor, and also causes confusion and fear in many people with his unusual appearance.
I also note that there are the most images of the Behemoth cat on the Internet. Only Woland is capable of competing with him.
About Behemoth in the Bulgakov Encyclopedia
Azazello
Azazello is "the demon of the waterless desert, the killer demon," as Bulgakov himself writes about him.The name Azazello was formed by Bulgakov from the Old Testament name Azazel (or Azazel). The legend of Azazel as one of the fallen angels arose rather late (not earlier than the 3rd century BC) in Jewish folklore and is recorded, in particular, in the famous apocryphal Book of Enoch. In the Book of Enoch, Azazel is the leader of the antediluvian giants who rebelled against God. He taught men how to fight, and women how to deceive, seduced people into godlessness and taught them depravity. In the end, he was tied, by the command of God, to a desert rock.
In the middle vintage engraving with the demon Azazel and the performer of the role of Azazello Alexander Filippenko:
Thanks to Azazel, women have mastered the "lascivious art" of painting their faces. Therefore, it is Azazello who hands the cream to Margarita, magically changing her appearance.
I would also like to mention the tradition associated with Azazel. It was believed that on the day of atonement it is necessary to make two sacrifices: one - to Yahweh, the other - to Azazel. For this purpose, they chose two goats, on which the people, as it were, shifted their sins. The animal that was intended to be sacrificed to the demon was released into the desert, where, according to legend, Azazel lived (hence the expression "scapegoat")
Probably, Bulgakov was attracted by the combination in one character of the ability to seduce and kill. It is for the insidious seducer that Azazello Margarita takes during their first meeting in the Alexander Garden.
Azazello in the Bulgakov Encyclopedia
Gella
Gella is a member of Woland's retinue, a female vampire: " I recommend my maid Gella. Quick, understanding and there is no such service that she would not be able to provide".M.A. Bulgakov got the name "Gella" from the article "Sorcery" of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, where it was noted that in Lesbos this name was used to call untimely dead girls who became vampires after death.
The only one from Woland's retinue, absent in the scene of the last flight. The third wife of the writer E. S. Bulgakov believed that this was the result of the incompleteness of work on The Master and Margarita. According to the memoirs of V. Ya. Lakshin, when he pointed out to her the absence of G. in last scene, "Elena Sergeevna looked at me bewildered and suddenly exclaimed with an unforgettable expression:" Misha forgot Gella !!! ".
But it is possible that Bulgakov deliberately removed Hella. from the scene of the last flight as the youngest member of the retinue, performing only auxiliary functions, besides, she would have no one to turn into on the last flight, after all, she retained her original appearance. When the night "revealed all deceptions", Hella could only become a dead girl again.
Gella in the Bulgakov Encyclopedia
Abaddonna
As in the case of Azazello, the name Abaddon is only a slightly modified name of a real demon - Abaddon or Abaddon (Hebrew extermination) or the Greek counterpart: Apollyon, that is, the destroyer - in Jewish (and then in Christian) theology - an angel (demon) extermination, destruction and death. Initially, the name meant not an entity, but a place. In rabbinical literature and in the Old Testament, one of the regions of hell (Gehenna) is called Abaddon. So in the Old Testament this term is used six times. In Revelation, St. John the Theologian Abaddon is already unequivocally personified and represents the lord of the abyss, death and hell, leading hordes of locusts. I will not quote the revelation, but if you are interested - 9:7-11.By the way, Abaddon is mentioned in another novel by Bulgakov - " white guard", where the patient of Alexei Turbin, sick with syphilis and having read the Revelation of John the Theologian, the poet Rusakov connects this angel with the military leader of the Bolsheviks L. D. Trotsky, whose name is supposedly "in Hebrew Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon, which means the destroyer."
There is an opinion that Bulgakov saw the image of the demon of war in the poem of the poet Vasily Zhukovsky "Abbadon" (1815), which is a free translation of the epilogue of the poem german romance Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock "Messiad" (1751-1773).
In "Master and Margarita" Abaddon - the demon of war, keeping alive crystal globe Woland, where people are dying and smoking houses hit by bombs and shells, and Abbadon impartially observes that the sufferings for both warring parties are the same.
The war unleashed by Abadona and presented to the eyes of Margarita is a very concrete war. On Woland's globe, "a piece of land whose side is washed by the ocean," which has become a theater of military operations, is the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is located here, where in 1936-1939. there was a bloody civil war.
About Abaddon in the Bulgakov Encyclopedia
About Abaddon on wikipedia
Woland
It would seem that it is so clear who this is ... the devil, Satan, "the prince of darkness", "the spirit of evil and the lord of shadows" (all these definitions are found in the text of the novel). But anyway..Undoubtedly, Goethe's Mephistopheles is the main prototype of Woland. Not for nothing, even the epigraph of the novel is a quote from Faust. Yes, even the name Woland taken from a poem by Goethe, where it is mentioned only once and is usually omitted in Russian translations. This is how Mephistopheles calls himself in the scene of Walpurgis Night, demanding that evil spirits give way: " Nobleman Woland is coming
!". In the prose translation of A. Sokolovsky (1902), this place is given as follows:
"Mephistopheles: Look where you have gone! I see that I have to use my master's rights. Hey, you! Place! Mr. Woland is coming!"
In the commentary, the translator explained the German phrase " Junker Voland commt": "Junker means a noble person (nobleman), and Woland was one of the names of the devil. The main word "Faland" (which meant a deceiver, crafty) was already used by ancient writers in the sense of a devil".
By the way and last name occurs in the novel: after a session of black magic, the employees of the Variety Theater try to remember the name of the magician: " - In ... Say, Woland. Or maybe not Woland? Maybe Faland".
By the way, according to another version, this designation comes from the name of the Anglo-Saxon god Velund ...
In the edition of 1929-1930. Woland's name was reproduced entirely in Latin on his business card: "D-r Theodor Voland". In the final text, Bulgakov refused the Latin alphabet: Ivan Bezdomny remembers only initial letter surnames - W ("double-ve"). The version why the author replaced the original V ("fau") is that the German "Voland" is pronounced like Foland, and this, you see, is not so impressive.
The portrait of Woland is shown before the start of the Great Ball" Two eyes rested on Margaret's face. The right one with a golden spark at the bottom, drilling anyone to the bottom of the soul, and the left one is empty and black, sort of like a narrow needle's eye, like an exit to a bottomless well of all darkness and shadows. Woland's face was slanted to the side, the right corner of his mouth was pulled down, deep wrinkles parallel to sharp eyebrows were cut on his high bald forehead. The skin on Woland's face seemed to be burned forever by a tan"
M.V. Nesterov draws attention to the similarity appearance Woland and the artist F.I. Chaliapin, who played Mephistopheles on the stage.
Fyodor Chaliapin as Myphistopheles, Viktor Avilov and Oleg Basiashvili as Woland:
Also, many critics, directors and researchers draw a parallel between Woland and Stalin, mentioning the "legend of Stalin's hoof" (According to legend, Stalin's two fingers on his left foot were completely fused like a hoof), original title novel "The Hoof of an Engineer", as well as a quote from the leader of the people put into Woland's mouth: "Facts are a stubborn thing"
Others consider Woland's prototype Lenin. B. Sokolov cites as an example episodes from the life of V. Lenin, transferred by Bulgakov to the pages of the novel. For example, the situation when, in the fall of 1917, Lenin was hiding from the Provisional Government and the police were looking for him with the help of a dog named Tref, resembles an episode from the novel, which deals with the search for Woland and his retinue by detectives from the criminal investigation department and their bloodhound Tuzbuben.
However, in my opinion, these parallels are just a hint of who controls the thoughts and actions of the leaders of the USSR ....
Also, some researchers argue that Woland, being a devil, is endowed with some obvious attributes of God. The devil is a product of God, but can God create something evil? Satan turns against God the power received from him and as a result, against his will, contributes to the fulfillment of God's plan. This is the main difference between Bulgakov's character and his "brothers" ... If the same Mephistopheles is a demon, an insidious seducer, the main objective which is to destroy the soul of a person, then Woland is a servant of God and he is noble in his own way, for example, he professes the values denied by Mephistophiles: fidelity to love and devotion to creativity ...
Who cares about the other characters in the novel...
"Sunset" novel by M.A. Bulgakov is attributed to the works fantastic realism, leading the tradition from Goethe, Hoffmann, Gogol. Even decades after the creation of The Master and Margarita (1929-1940), the novel is considered one of the most mysterious phenomena Russian literature. The magic and secrets of the novel are manifested at all levels: from the plot action in Moscow of Woland's retinue to Everyday life heroes, in which symbols, signs, secret codes and ciphers. The author does not deviate from the mystical tradition in the relationship of the characters he created.
It is difficult to single out the main character in the novel - the Master and his beloved Margarita, of course, come to the fore, but there is also Ivan Bezdomny, to whom, according to researchers, the entire action of the work is directed. All heroes are united by M.A. Bulgakov in groups - 8 triads and 1 dyad, and along with bright, colorful heroes, the group can also include an invisible hero, barely perceptible on the pages of the novel, a secret double.
Triad 1 is represented by the rulers of the destinies and lives of people. These are Pontius Pilate, Woland and Dr. Stravinsky. Each of them rules in the world “entrusted” to him: Pilate in Yershalaim, Woland in Moscow, Stravinsky in a clinic for the mentally ill. Each of them is obsessed with the idea of salvation. Pilate tries to save the preacher Yeshua, but retreats (cowardice is the worst sin); Woland - in the other world - saves the Master, and Stravinsky unsuccessfully tries to save the Master in the Moscow world.
Triad 2 is made up of the closest assistants to those in power: Pilate's Aphranius, Woland's Koroviev-Fagot, and, finally, Stravinsky's doctor Fyodor Vasilyevich. Each of them - right hand his "master", carrying out any order.
Mark Krysoboy, Azazello, Archibald Archibaldovich - triad 3, triad of executioners. Mark Ratslayer willingly "teaches" Yeshua how to behave with the Procurator. Azazelo, the demon-killer, does the dirty work on behalf of Woland. And Archibald Archibaldovich becomes their projection in the real world.
Triad 4 is unusual in that its characters are animals. This is Banga, Pilate's dog, his only salvation during bouts of headache, the only creature that understands and loves the Cruel Fifth Procurator of Judea the Horseman, the Golden Spear. Tuztuben is a projection of Bunga in the Moscow world, a "police" dog. Behemoth is Woland's favorite cat, able to ride a "hare" in a tram and appear from a mirror.
The 5th triad is purely female: Nisa is the agent of Aphranius, Gella is the agent and maid of Koroviev-Fagot, Natasha is the maid of Margarita. Each performs a secret act: Niza avenges the betrayal of Yeshua, Gella excites visitors to a bad apartment with her appearance, and Natasha ... becomes a witch.
Berlioz, Iosif Kaifa and the editor of the "thick" literary magazine are united in the 6th triad. They are also "those in power", but the rank is undoubtedly lower. Each of them has a wormhole that puts them in the category bad guys: Kaifa understands the absurdity of the execution of Yeshua, but insists on it; Berlioz imposes his "militant" atheism on everyone; the editor pretends to be a foreigner. 
Triad of traitors - triad 7: Judas, who betrayed Yeshua, Baron Meigel, who offended Woland, and Aloisy Mogarych, who offended the Master.
And finally, the 8th triad is the triad of students who have become last hope their mentors: Matthew Levi, a former tax collector and the only disciple of Yeshua; Ivan Homeless - a student of the Master, who was supposed to continue his novel; Ryukhin is a failed student of Pushkin.
The only dyad of the novel is the dyad of heroes who accomplished a feat: Yeshua is a sacrificial feat, the Master is a creative feat.
The grouping of the heroes of the novel is another example of the three worlds of The Master and Margarita, which is far from its only mystery.
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Woland did not come to earth alone. He was accompanied by creatures that in the novel by and large play the role of jesters, arrange all sorts of shows, disgusting and hated by the indignant Moscow population (they simply turned human vices and weaknesses inside out). But their task was also to do all the "dirty" work for Woland, to serve him, incl. to prepare Margarita for the Great Ball and for her and the Master's journey into the world of peace. Woland's retinue consisted of three "main" jesters - Behemoth Cat, Koroviev-Fagot, Azazello and another vampire girl Gella. Where did such strange creatures in Woland's suite? And where did Bulgakov get their images and names from?
Let's start with Behemoth. This is a werewolf cat and Woland's favorite jester. The name Behemoth is taken from the apocryphal Old Testament book of Enoch. Information about Behemoth Bulgakov, apparently, learned from the research of I.Ya. Porfiriev "Apocryphal tales of the Old Testament persons and events" and from the book of M.A. Orlov "The History of Man's Relations with the Devil". In these works, Behemoth is a sea monster, as well as a demon, which “was depicted as a monster with an elephant head, with a trunk and fangs. His hands were of a human style, and a huge belly, a short tail and thick hind legs, like a hippopotamus, reminded him of his name. Bulgakov's Behemoth became a huge werewolf cat, and Behemoth served as a real prototype domestic cat L.E. and M.A. Bulgakov Flushka is a huge gray animal. In the novel, he is black, because. symbolizes evil spirits.
During the last flight, the Behemoth turns into a thin young page, flying next to the purple knight (transformed by Koroviev-Fagot). Here, probably, the comic “legend of a cruel knight” from the story of Bulgakov’s friend S.S. was reflected. Zayaitsky "Biography of Stepan Aleksandrovich Lososinov". In this legend, along with a cruel knight, his page also appears. The knight at Zayaitsky had a passion to tear off the heads of animals, and this function in the "Master ..." is transferred to Behemoth, only in relation to people - he tears off the head of Georges of Bengal.
In the demonological tradition, Behemoth is the demon of the desires of the stomach. Hence the extraordinary gluttony of Behemoth in Torgsin. This is how Bulgakov sneers at the visitors of the foreign exchange store, including himself (people seem to have been possessed by the demon Behemoth, and they are in a hurry to buy delicacies, while outside the capitals the population lives from hand to mouth).
The hippopotamus in the novel mostly jokes and fools around, which manifests Bulgakov's truly sparkling humor, and also causes confusion and fear in many people with his unusual appearance (at the end of the novel, it is he who burns down apartment No. 50, "Griboyedov" and Torgsin).
Koroviev-Fagot - the eldest of the demons subordinate to Woland, his first assistant, the devil and the knight, who appears to Muscovites as an interpreter with a foreign professor and a former regent church choir. There are many versions about the origin of the name Koroviev and the nickname Fagot. Perhaps the surname is modeled after the surname of the character in A.K. Tolstoy's "Ghoul" of State Councilor Telyaev, who turns out to be a knight Ambrose and a vampire. Koroviev is also associated with the images of the works of F.M. Dostoevsky. In the epilogue of The Master and Margarita, “four Korovkins” are named among those detained because of the similarity of their surnames with Koroviev-Fagot. Here one immediately recalls Dostoevsky's story "The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants", where a certain Korovkin appears. And a number of knights from the works of authors of different times are considered the prototypes of Koroviev-Fagot. It is possible that this character had real prototype among Bulgakov's acquaintances was the plumber Ageich, a rare dirty trick and drunkard, who more than once recalled that in his youth he was the regent of the church choir. And this influenced the hypostasis of Koroviev, posing as a former regent and appearing at the Patriarchs as a bitter drunkard.
The nickname Bassoon, of course, echoes the name of the musical instrument. This, most likely, explains his joke with the employees of the branch of the Entertainment Commission, who, against their will, sang in a choir directed by Koroviev, “Glorious Sea, Sacred Baikal.” The bassoon (musical instrument) was invented by the Italian monk Afranio. Due to this circumstance, the functional connection between Koroviev-Fagot and Aphranius is more clearly indicated (in the novel, as we have already said, three worlds are distinguished, and the representatives of each of them together form triads in terms of external and functional similarity). Koroviev belongs to the triad: Fyodor Vasilievich (first assistant to Professor Stravinsky) - Aphranius (first assistant to Pontius Pilate) - Koroviev-Fagot (first assistant to Woland). Koroviev-Faot even has some resemblance to Fagot - a long thin pipe folded in three. Bulgakov's character is thin, tall and in imaginary subservience, it seems, is ready to triple in front of his interlocutor (in order to calmly harm him later).
On the last flight, Koroviev-Fagot appears before us as a dark purple knight with a gloomy face that never smiles. He rested his chin on his chest, he did not look at the moon, he was not interested in the earth beneath him, he was thinking about something of his own, flying next to Woland.
Why has he changed so much? Margarita asked softly to the whistle of the wind at Woland.
- This knight once joked unsuccessfully, - Woland answered, turning his face to Margarita, with a softly burning eye, - his pun, which he composed, talking about light and darkness, was not entirely good. And the knight had to beg a little more and longer than he expected ...
Tasteless torn circus clothes, gayer look, buffoonish manners - that, it turns out, what punishment was determined for the nameless knight for the pun about light and darkness!
Azazello - "the demon of the waterless desert, the killer demon." The name Azazello was formed by Bulgakov from the Old Testament name Azazel (or Azazel). This is the name of the negative cultural hero of the Old Testament apocrypha - the book of Enoch, the fallen angel who taught people to make weapons and jewelry. Thanks to Azazel, women have mastered the "lascivious art" of face painting. Therefore, it is Azazello who gives Margarita a cream that magically changes her appearance. Probably, Bulgakov was attracted by the combination of the ability to seduce and kill in one character. It is for the insidious seducer that Azazello Margarita takes during their first meeting in the Alexander Garden. But the main function of Azazello is connected with violence. Here are the words that he said to Margarita: “Kicking the administrator in the face, or putting my uncle out of the house, or shooting someone, or some other trifle of that kind, this is my direct specialty ...” Explaining these words, I will say that Azazello threw Stepan Bogdanovich Likhodeev from Moscow to Yalta, expelled him from
Bad apartment uncle M.A. Berlioz Poplavsky, killed Baron Meigel with a revolver.
Gella is the youngest member of Woland's retinue, a female vampire. Bulgakov got the name "Gella" from the article "Sorcery" of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, where it was noted that in Lesbos this name was used to call untimely dead girls who became vampires after death. Character traits behavior of vampires - clicking teeth and smacking Bulgakov, perhaps borrowed from the story of A. K. Tolstoy "Ghoul", where the main character is threatened with death by ghouls (vampires). Here, a vampire girl turns her lover into a vampire with a kiss - hence, obviously, the kiss of Gella, fatal for Varenukha. She, the only one from Woland's retinue, is absent from the scene of the last flight. The third wife of the writer E.S. Bulgakova believed that this was the result of the unfinished work on The Master and Margarita. However, it is possible that Bulgakov deliberately removed Gella from the scene of the last flight as the youngest member of the retinue, performing only auxiliary functions in the Variety Theater, and in the Bad Apartment, and at the great ball with Satan.
Vampires are traditionally the lowest category of evil spirits. In addition, Gella would have no one to turn into on the last flight, because, like Varenukha, having turned into a vampire, she retained her original appearance. It is also possible that the absence of Gella means immediate disappearance (as unnecessary) after the end of the mission of Woland and his companions in Moscow.
Woland did not come to earth alone. He was accompanied by beings who in the novel largely play the role of jesters, arrange all kinds of shows, disgusting and hated by the indignant Moscow population (they simply turned human vices and weaknesses inside out). But their task was also to do all the "dirty" work for Woland, to serve him, incl. to prepare Margarita for the Great Ball and for her and the Master's journey into the world of peace. Woland's retinue consisted of three "main" jesters - Behemoth Cat, Koroviev-Fagot, Azazello and another vampire girl Gella. Where did such strange creatures appear in Woland's retinue? And where did Bulgakov get their images and names from?
Let's start with Behemoth. This is a werewolf cat and Woland's favorite jester. The name Behemoth is taken from the apocryphal Old Testament book of Enoch. Information about Behemoth Bulgakov, apparently, learned from the research of I.Ya. Porfiriev "Apocryphal tales of the Old Testament persons and events" and from the book of M.A. Orlov "The History of Man's Relations with the Devil". In these works, Behemoth is a sea monster, as well as a demon, which “was depicted as a monster with an elephant head, with a trunk and fangs. His hands were of a human style, and a huge belly, a short tail and thick hind legs, like a hippopotamus, reminded him of his name. Bulgakov's Behemoth became a huge werewolf cat, and L.E.'s domestic cat served as the real prototype of Behemoth. and M.A. Bulgakov Flushka is a huge gray animal. In the novel, he is black, because. symbolizes evil spirits.
During the last flight, the Behemoth turns into a thin young page, flying next to the purple knight (transformed by Koroviev-Fagot). Here, probably, the comic “legend of a cruel knight” from the story of Bulgakov’s friend S.S. Zayaitsky “The Biography of Stepan Alexandrovich Lososinov” was reflected. In this legend, along with a cruel knight, his page also appears. Zayaitsky's knight had a passion for tearing off the heads of animals, and this function in "The Master ..." is transferred to Behemoth, only in relation to people - he tears off the head of Georges of Bengal.
In the demonological tradition, Behemoth is the demon of the desires of the stomach. Hence the extraordinary gluttony of Behemoth in Torgsin. This is how Bulgakov sneers at the visitors of the foreign exchange store, including himself (people seem to have been possessed by the demon Behemoth, and they are in a hurry to buy delicacies, while outside the capitals the population lives from hand to mouth).
The hippopotamus in the novel mostly jokes and fools around, which manifests Bulgakov's truly sparkling humor, and also causes confusion and fear in many people with his unusual appearance (at the end of the novel, it is he who burns down apartment No. 50, "Griboyedov" and Torgsin).
Koroviev-Fagot is the eldest of the demons subordinate to Woland, his first assistant, devil and knight, who introduces himself to Muscovites as an interpreter with a foreign professor and a former regent of the church choir. There are many versions about the origin of the name Koroviev and the nickname Fagot. Perhaps the surname is modeled after the surname of the character in A.K. Tolstoy's "Ghoul" of State Councilor Telyaev, who turns out to be a knight Ambrose and a vampire. Koroviev is also associated with the images of the works of F.M. Dostoevsky. In the epilogue of The Master and Margarita, “four Korovkins” are named among those detained because of the similarity of their surnames with Koroviev-Fagot. Here one immediately recalls Dostoevsky's story "The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants", where a certain Korovkin appears. And a number of knights from the works of authors of different times are considered the prototypes of Koroviev-Fagot. It is possible that this character also had a real prototype among Bulgakov's acquaintances - the plumber Ageich, a rare dirty trick and drunkard, who more than once recalled that in his youth he was the regent of the church choir. And this influenced the hypostasis of Koroviev, posing as a former regent and appearing at the Patriarchs as a bitter drunkard. The nickname Bassoon, of course, echoes the name of the musical instrument. This, most likely, explains his joke with the employees of the branch of the Entertainment Commission, who, against their will, sang in a choir directed by Koroviev, “Glorious Sea, Sacred Baikal.” The bassoon (musical instrument) was invented by the Italian monk Afranio. Due to this circumstance, the functional connection between Koroviev-Fagot and Aphranius is more clearly indicated (in the novel, as we have already said, three worlds are distinguished, and the representatives of each of them together form triads in terms of external and functional similarity). Koroviev belongs to the triad: Fyodor Vasilyevich (first assistant to Professor Stravinsky) - Aphranius (first assistant to Pontius Pilate) Koroviev-Fagot (first assistant to Woland). Koroviev-Fagot even has some resemblance to a bassoon - a long thin tube folded in three. Bulgakov's character is thin, tall and in imaginary subservience, it seems, is ready to triple in front of his interlocutor (in order to calmly harm him later). On the last flight, Koroviev-Fagot appears before us as a dark purple knight with a gloomy, never smiling face. “He rested his chin on his chest, he did not look at the moon, he was not interested in the earth under him, he was thinking about something of his own, flying next to Woland. Why has he changed so much? Margarita asked softly to the whistle of the wind at Woland.
This knight once made an unsuccessful joke, ”Woland answered, turning his face with a quietly burning eye to Margarita,“ his pun, which he composed, talking about light and darkness, was not entirely good. And the knight had to beg a little more and longer than he expected.
Tasteless torn circus clothes, gayer look, buffoonish manners - that, it turns out, what punishment was determined for the nameless knight for the pun about light and darkness!
Azazello - "the demon of the waterless desert, the killer demon." The name Azazello was formed by Bulgakov from the Old Testament name Azazel (or Azazel). This is the name of the negative cultural hero of the Old Testament apocrypha - the book of Enoch, the fallen angel who taught people to make weapons and jewelry. Thanks to Azazel, women have mastered the "lascivious art" of face painting. Therefore, it is Azazello who gives Margarita a cream that magically changes her appearance. Probably, Bulgakov was attracted by the combination of the ability to seduce and kill in one character. It is for the insidious seducer that Azazello Margarita takes during their first meeting in the Alexander Garden. But the main function of Azazello is connected with violence. Here are the words that he said to Margarita: “Kick the administrator in the face, or put an uncle out of the house, or shoot someone, or some other trifle of that kind, this is my direct specialty ...” Azazello threw Stepan Bogdanovich Likhodeev out of Moscow to Yalta, expelled Uncle M.A. Berlioz Poplavsky from the Bad Apartment, killed Baron Meigel with a revolver.
Gella is the youngest member of Woland's retinue, a female vampire. Bulgakov got the name "Gella" from the article "Sorcery" of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, where it was noted that in Lesbos this name was used to call untimely dead girls who became vampires after death. The characteristic features of the behavior of vampires - clicking their teeth and smacking their lips, Bulgakov, perhaps, borrowed from A.K. Tolstoy's story "Ghoul", where the main character is threatened with death by ghouls (vampires). Here, a vampire girl with a kiss turns her lover into a vampire from here, obviously, the kiss of Gella, fatal for Varenukha. She, the only one from Woland's retinue, is absent from the scene of the last flight. The wife of the writer E.S. Bulgakova believed that this was the result of the unfinished work on The Master and Margarita. However, it is possible that Bulgakov deliberately removed Gella from the scene of the last flight as the youngest member of the retinue, performing only auxiliary functions in the Variety Theater, and in the Bad Apartment, and at the great ball with Satan. Vampires are traditionally the lowest category of evil spirits. In addition, Gella would have no one to turn into on the last flight, because, like Varenukha, having turned into a vampire, she retained her original appearance. It is also possible that the absence of Gella means immediate disappearance (as unnecessary) after the end of the mission of Woland and his companions in Moscow.
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As you already understood, it is impossible to display Bulgakov's novel in verses in the same figurative and tragic way, at least I cannot ... Therefore, the fruits of my lunchtime come to you, from which, perhaps, later I will select 8-10 stanzas. which and become "Pontius Pilate" with a complete meaning and idea... In the meantime, we continue to play in our free time!
Shadow covered the hills of Jerusalem...
Red grass fell under the wind...
In the coolness of the Temple, smiling sweetly,
Iscariot sold his words...
Eyes suffered, the pain squeezed the whiskey,
And everything is back to normal...
In a purple robe lined with ermine,
The governor of Rome executed himself...
The philosopher asked to be left alive,
To take him to distant lands...
After all, it was impossible to decapitate
The one whom he loved, idolized ...
The high priest remained unmoved,
And he did not allow the Horseman to have mercy on Christ...
Under the burning sun, angry-hot,
Three crosses rose into the sky at once ...
Pilate's heart beat out of rhythm,
Shadows pushed, trembling in the torches...
The head of the guard listened in the wards
The second part of his briefing...
The earth was spinning, people were leaving,
And many have been forgotten forever...
Betray the Teacher...Worse than the sin of Judas
Will never be in this world!
And nothing could be fixed
And Annushka spilled the oil...
And Pontius Pilate He could not force,
Though he understood that death came to Christ!
Ponds on the Patriarch's were melting under the heat,
Over all Moscow from a black cloak
The shadow of the one who was older than Jesus lay,
Who saw everything, and in whom the soul lived!
The question of birth as a symbol of being
I decided sharply on a park bench,
The professor of magic laughed like a child
Refuting two friends guesses!
The moon is to the west ... It means to be in trouble.
In the desert field the wind whistles sharply.
The forecast is up! in the evening you
A simple Komsomol member will cut off his head!
Soul and faith are two crosses!
And the third is to carry Christ within you!
A simple example when they don't believe in fate
They take off their heads to break them at the knees!
There was a conversation, leading to the finish line
With a hand of immeasurable rigidity...
Settling in your apartment soon
Your skull will become my measuring cup!
Hello readers!
How I would like to give you all 248 quatrains at once based on Bulgakov's first book...
But no one writes to the colonel ... So read the excerpts! There are 50 people who want to get everything at once or weakly????
To be continued... Hee hee!
Woland did not appear alone in Bulgakov's novel. He was accompanied by characters who played mainly the role of jesters. Woland's retinue put on a variety of shows that were disgusting. They were hated by the indignant Moscow population. After all, the whole environment of the "messier" turned inside out human weaknesses and vices. In addition, their task was to perform all the "dirty" work at the behest of the master, serving him. Everyone who was part of Woland's retinue had to prepare Margarita for Satan's ball and send her with the Master to the world of peace.
The servants of the prince of darkness were three jesters - Azazello, Fagot (aka Koroviev), a cat named Behemoth and Gella - a female vampire. Woland's retinue was. Each character is described separately below. every reader famous novel arises regarding the origin of the represented images and their names.
Behemoth cat
Describing the image of Woland and his retinue, the first thing I want to do is describe the cat. Basically, the Behemoth is a werewolf animal. Most likely, Bulgakov took the character from the apocryphal book - the "Old Testament" of Enoch. Also, the author could get information about the Behemoth in the book “The History of Intercourse between Man and the Devil”, written by I. Ya. Porfiriev. In the literature mentioned, this character is sea monster, a demon in the form of a creature with the head of an elephant, having fangs and a trunk. The hands of the demon were human. The monster also had a huge belly, an almost imperceptible tail small size and very thick hind limbs, similar to those of hippopotamuses. This similarity explains his name.
In the novel The Master and Margarita, Bulgakov introduced the Behemoth to readers in the form of a huge cat, the prototype of which was the author's pet Flyushka. Although fluffy pet Bulgakov had a gray color, in the novel the animal is black, since his image is the personification of evil spirits.
Behemoth Transformation
At the time when Woland and his retinue made the final flight in the novel, Behemoth turned into a frail young page. Next to him was a knight purple. It was the transformed Fagot (Koroviev). In this episode, Bulgakov, apparently, reflected a comic legend from S. S. Zayaitsky's story "The Biography of Stepan Alexandrovich Lososinov." In her in question about a cruel knight, with whom his page constantly appears. Main character legend had a passion for tearing off the heads of animals. This cruelty is transferred by Bulgakov to Behemoth, who, unlike a knight, tears off the head of a man - Georges of Bengal.
Tomfoolery and gluttony Behemoth
Behemoth is a demon of carnal desires, especially gluttony. Hence, the cat in the novel had an unprecedented gluttony in Torgsin (currency store). Thus, the author shows irony towards the visitors of this all-Union institution, including himself. At a time when people live from hand to mouth outside the capitals, people in big cities enslaved by the demon Behemoth.
The cat in the novel most often plays pranks, clowns, lets go different jokes, laughs. This feature Behemoth's character reflects the sparkling sense of humor of Bulgakov himself. This behavior of the cat and his unusual view became a way of causing fear and confusion in people in the novel.
Demon Bassoon - Koroviev
What else is Woland and his retinue remembered by the readers of the novel? Of course, a bright character is the representative of demons subordinate to the devil, Fagot, aka Koroviev. This is Woland's first assistant, a knight and a devil rolled into one. Koroviev appears to the residents as an employee of a foreign professor, and a former director of the church choir.
There are several versions of the origin of the surname and nickname of this character. It is also associated with some images of the works of F. M. Dostoevsky. So, in the epilogue of the novel The Master and Margarita, four Korovkins are mentioned among the people detained by the police because of the similarity of their surnames with Kroviev. Here, apparently, the author wanted to point out a character from Dostoevsky's story called "The Village of Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants."
Also, the prototypes of Fagot are a number of knights, who are the heroes of some works of different times. It is also possible that the image of Koroviev arose thanks to one of Bulgakov's acquaintances. The prototype of the demon could be a real man, plumber Ageich, who was a rare drunkard and dirty trick. He repeatedly mentioned in conversations with the author of the novel that in youth was one of the choir directors in the church. This, apparently, was reflected by Bulgakov in the incarnation of Koroviev.
The similarity of the bassoon with a musical instrument
The bassoon was a musical instrument invented by the Italian monk Afranio.
degli Albonesi. In the novel, the connection (functional) of Koroviev with this canon from Ferrara is sharply indicated. Three worlds are clearly defined in the novel, representatives of each of which form certain triads according to similar qualities. The demon Fagot belongs to one of them, which also includes: Stravinsky's assistant Fyodor Vasilievich and Aphranius, the "right hand" of Pontius Pilate. Koroviev, however, made Woland his main associate, and his retinue did not contradict this.
The bassoon is even outwardly similar to the long and thin instrument of the same name, folded in three. Koroviev is tall and thin. And in his imaginary subservience, he is ready to triple in front of the interlocutor, but only in order to later unhinderedly harm him.
Koroviev's transformation
At the moment when Woland and his retinue were making their last flight in the novel, the author presents the reader with Fagot in the form of a dark purple knight, who has a gloomy, incapable of smiling face. He was thinking about something of his own, resting his chin on his chest and not looking at the moon. When Margarita asked Woland why Koroviev had changed so much, Messire replied that once this knight joked badly, and his mocking pun about light and darkness was inappropriate. For this, he was punished with jester manners, a gayer look and circus tattered clothes for a long time.
Azazello
What other representatives of the forces of evil did Woland's retinue consist of? The Master and Margarita has another bright character- Azazello. Bulgakov created his name by converting one of the Old Testament ones. The book of Enoch mentions fallen Angel Azazel. It was he, according to the Apocrypha, who taught people to create weapons, swords, shields, mirrors and various decorations from precious stones and not only. In general, Azazel managed to corrupt. He also taught males to fight and women to lie, turned them into godlessness.
Azazzello in Bulgakov's novel gives Margarita a magic cream that magically changes her appearance. Probably, the author was attracted by the idea of combining in one character the ability to kill and seduce. Margarita sees the demon in the Alexander Garden just like that. She perceives him as a seducer and murderer.
Azazello's main responsibilities
The main duties of Azazello are certainly connected with violence. Explaining his functions to Margarita, he admits that his direct specialty is to punch the administrator in the face, shoot someone or put him out of the house, and other “trifles” of this kind. Azazello transfers Likhodeev to Yalta from Moscow, expels Poplavsky (Uncle Berlioz) from the apartment, deprives Baron Meigel of life with the help of a revolver. The demon-killer invents a magic cream that he gives to Margarita, giving her the opportunity to acquire witch beauty and some demonic powers. From this cosmetic product, the heroine of the novel gains the ability to fly and become invisible at her request.
Gella
Only one woman was allowed into their entourage by Woland and his retinue. Characteristics of Gella: the youngest member of the diabolical union in the novel, a vampire. Bulgakov took the name of this heroine from an article entitled "Sorcery", published in encyclopedic dictionary Brockhaus and Efron. It noted that such a name was given to the dead girls, who later became vampires, on the island of Lesbos.
The only character from Woland's retinue who is missing from the description of the final flight is Hella. One of Bulgakov's wives counted given fact the result of the fact that the work on the novel was not fully completed. But it may also be that the author deliberately excluded Hella from the important scene, as an insignificant member of the devil's retinue, performing only auxiliary functions in the apartment, variety show and at the ball. In addition, Woland and his retinue could not equally perceive a representative of the lower rank next to them in such a situation. In addition, Gella had no one to turn into, because she had her original appearance from the moment of transformation into a vampire.
Woland and his retinue: characteristics of the devilish forces
In the novel "The Master and Margarita" the author defines the forces of evil with unusual roles for them. After all, the victims of Woland and his retinue are not righteous, not decent and good people, whom the devil must lead astray, and those who have already taken place
sinners. It is their sir and his assistants who denounce and punish, choosing peculiar measures for this.
So, the director of the variety show has to go to Yalta in an unusual way. He is simply mystically thrown there from Moscow. But, escaping with a terrible fright, he safely returns home. But Likhodeev has a lot of sins - he gets drunk, makes numerous connections with women, using his position, does nothing at work. As Koroviev says in the novel about the director of the variety show, he Lately terribly swine.
In fact, neither Woland himself nor the devil's assistants in any way influence the events taking place in Moscow during their visit to it. The non-traditional representation of Satan in Bulgakov's way is manifested in the fact that the leader of otherworldly impure forces is endowed with some clearly expressed attributes of God.
