Bulgakov worked on the novel The Master and Margarita for about 12 years and did not have time to finally edit it. This novel was a real revelation of the writer, Bulgakov himself said that this was his main message to humanity, a testament to posterity.
Many books have been written about this novel. Among researchers creative heritage Bulgakov, there is an opinion that this work is a kind of political treatise. In Woland, they saw Stalin and identified his retinue with politicians that time. However, to consider the novel "The Master and Margarita" only from this point of view and see in it only political satire it wouldn't be right.
Some literary scholars believe that the main meaning of this mystical work is eternal struggle between good and evil. According to Bulgakov, it turns out that evil on Earth must always be in balance. Yeshua and Woland personify precisely these two spiritual principles. One of the key phrases of the novel was the words of Woland, which he uttered, referring to Levi Matthew: “Isn’t it so kind, to think about the question: what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would it look like if shadows?
In the novel, evil, in the person of Woland, ceases to be humane and just. Good and evil are intertwined and are in close interaction, especially in human souls. Woland punished people with evil for evil for the sake of justice.
No wonder some critics drew an analogy between Bulgakov's novel and the story of Faust, though in The Master and Margarita the situation is presented upside down. Faust sold his soul to the devil and betrayed Margarita's love for the sake of a thirst for knowledge, and in Bulgakov's novel Margarita concludes with the devil for the sake of love for the Master.
Fight for a man
Residents of Bulgakov's Moscow appear before the reader as a collection of puppets, tormented by passions. It is of great importance in Variety, where Woland sits down in front of the audience and begins to argue that people do not change for centuries.
Against the background of this faceless mass, only the Master and Margarita are deeply aware of the world and who rules it.
The image of the Master is collective and autobiographical. The reader will not recognize his real name. Any artist, as well as a person who has his own vision of the world, acts as a master. Margarita is an image perfect woman who is able to love to the end, despite the difficulties and obstacles. They are perfect collective images a devoted man and a woman faithful to her feelings.
Thus, the meaning of this immortal novel can be conditionally divided into three layers.
Above everything is the confrontation between Woland and Yeshua, who, together with their students and retinue, are waging an unceasing struggle for the immortal human soul, play with the fate of people.
A little lower are such people as the Master and Margarita, later the Master's student Professor Ponyrev joins them. These people are spiritually more mature, who realize that life is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.
And, finally, at the very bottom are the ordinary inhabitants of Bulgakov's Moscow. They have no will and seek only material values.
Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita" serves as a constant warning against inattention to oneself, from blindly following the established order of things, to the detriment of awareness of one's own personality.
Sources:
- The Theme of Good and Evil in Bulgakov's Master and Margarita
- The meaning of the title of the novel "The Master and Margarita"
- main idea novel "The Master and Margarita"
Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita is one of the best books written in the 20th century in Russian. Unfortunately, the novel was published many years after the death of the writer, and many of the mysteries encrypted by the author in the book remained unsolved.
Devil on the Patriarchs
Work on the novel, dedicated to the appearance of the Devil in Moscow in the 1930s, Bulgakov began in 1929 and continued it until his death in 1940, without completing the author's revision. The book was published only in 1966, thanks to the fact that the widow of Mikhail Afanasyevich Elena Sergeevna Bulgakova kept the manuscript. The plot, or rather, all of it hidden meanings, are still the subject scientific research and literary disputes.
The Master and Margarita is included in the list of the hundred best books of the 20th century according to the French periodical Le Monde.
The text begins with two Soviet writers talking on Patriarch's Ponds, an alien approaches, who turns out to be Satan. It turns out that the Devil (he introduces himself as Woland) travels all over the world, periodically stopping in various cities along with his retinue. Once in Moscow, Woland and his henchmen punish people for their petty sins and passions. The images of bribe takers and swindlers are written out by Bulgakov masterfully, and the victims of Satan do not evoke sympathy at all. So, for example, the fate of the first two interlocutors of Woland is extremely unpleasant: one of them dies under a tram, and the second ends up in a lunatic asylum, where he meets a man who calls himself the Master.
The master tells Woland's victim his story, in particular, saying that at one time about Pontius Pilate, because of whom he ended up in a psychiatric hospital. In addition, he recalls romantic story his love for a woman named Margarita. At the same time, one of the representatives of Woland's retinue turns to Margarita with a request to become the queen of Satan's ball, which is held annually by Woland in various capitals. Margarita agrees in exchange for the Master being returned to her. The novel ends with a scene of all the main actors from Moscow, and the Master and Margarita find what they dreamed of.
From Moscow to Jerusalem
In parallel with the "" plot line, the "Yershalaim" plot develops, that is, in fact, a novel about Pontius Pilate. From Moscow in the 30s, it is transferred to Jerusalem from the time of the beginning of our era, where tragic events described in the New Testament and reinterpreted by Bulgakov. The author tries to understand the motives of the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who sent to execution the philosopher Yeshua Ha-Nozri, whose prototype is Jesus Christ. In the final part of the book, the storylines intersect, and each hero gets what he deserves.
There are many adaptations of Bulgakov's novel, both in Russia and abroad. In addition, the text has inspired many musicians, artists and playwrights.
"The Master and Margarita" is a novel at the junction. Of course, in the foreground is satirical image manners and life of the inhabitants of modern Bulgakov Moscow, but in addition to this, there are various mystical symbols, moral throwing, the theme of retribution for sins and misdeeds is revealed.
One of the main characters of the novel "The Master and Margarita" is replete with various semantic nuances, and this or that context is not complete without a connection with this image. This allows us to call the Master, in fact, the main character of the novel.
Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, among other possible genre definitions can also be viewed as a novel about an artist. From here, the semantic thread immediately stretches to the works of romanticism, since the theme of the "artist's path" sounded most distinctly and became one of the main ones in the work of romantic writers. At first glance, it makes one wonder why the hero does not have a name and in the novel only the name "Master" is used to designate him. It turns out that a certain concrete and yet "faceless" image appears before the reader. This technique works on the author's desire to typify the hero. Under the name "Master" hide the true, according to Bulgakov, artists who do not meet the requirements of the official "culture" and therefore are always persecuted.
Image in the context of 20th century literature
It should not be forgotten that in general the theme of the state of culture, which is very characteristic of the 20th century, makes Bulgakov's novel related to such a genre as the intellectual novel (a term used mainly when considering the work of Western European writers). Main character intellectual novel is not a character. This is the image that contains the most character traits era. At the same time, what happens in inner world hero, reflects the state of the world as a whole. In this regard, as the most revealing, it is appropriate to recall Harry Haller from Hermann Hesse's Steppenwolf, Hans Castorp from The Magic Mountain or Adrian Leverkühn from Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus. So it is in Bulgakov's novel: about himself, the Master says that he is crazy. This indicates the author's opinion about state of the art culture (by the way, almost the same thing happens in the Steppenwolf, where the entrance to the Magic Theater - a place where the remains of classical art, the art of the humanistic era - is still possible only for the "crazy"). But this is just one piece of evidence. In fact, the indicated problem is revealed in many aspects, both on the example and outside the image of the Master.Biblical allusions
The novel is mirrored and it turns out that many storylines are variations, parodies of each other. So, story line Masters is intertwined with the line of the hero of his novel, Yeshua. It is appropriate to recall the concept of the Romantics about the artist-Creator rising above the world and creating his own special reality. Bulgakov also parallels the images of Yeshua (the biblical Jesus) and the writer Master. In addition, just as Levi Matvey is a disciple of Yeshua, so at the end the Master calls Ivan his disciple.The connection of the image with the classics
The connection of the Master with Yeshua evokes another parallel, namely with Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot. "Positively wonderful person» Myshkin is endowed with Dostoevsky features biblical jesus(the fact of which Dostoevsky did not hide). Bulgakov, on the other hand, builds the novel according to the scheme just discussed above. Again, the motif of "madness" makes these two heroes related: just as Myshkin ends his life in the Schneider clinic, where he came from, so life path Masters, in fact, ends in crazy at home, after all, Praskovya Fedorovna answers the question of Ivan, that he had just died from the one hundred and eighteenth room. But this is not death in its truest sense, this is the continuation of life in a new quality.It is said about Myshkin's seizures: "What does it matter that this tension is abnormal, if the very result, if the minute of sensation, remembered and considered already in a healthy state, turns out to be in the highest degree harmony, beauty, gives an unheard of and hitherto unspeakable feeling of fullness, measure, reconciliation and triumphant prayerful merging with the highest synthesis of life? And the result of the novel - the incurability of the hero suggests that he finally plunged into a state, into a different sphere of being and his earthly life is akin to death. The situation is similar with the Master: yes, he dies, but he dies only for all other people, and he himself acquires a different existence, merging in this again with Yeshua, ascending moonlit path.
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The novel, which still leaves many places open for discussion, attracts a lot of both researchers and ordinary readers. The novel offers its own interpretation of the contradictions relevant to the era.
What is the novel about?
Since the protagonist of the novel is the Master, the writer, it is reasonable to assume that the main theme is the theme of art and the path of the artist. This idea is also suggested by the abundance of "musical" names: Berlioz, Stravinsky, Strauss, Schubert and the fact that important place in the novel takes "Griboedov".The theme of art and culture was raised with a new ideological content in an intellectual novel. This genre has its origins in the 1920s. 20th century. At the same time, Bulgakov was working on the novel The Master and Margarita.
Before the reader is Stravinsky's clinic (certainly a reference to the composer Stravinsky). Both the Master and Ivan are in it. Ivan as a poet (a bad poet, but this is not important, but this “status” at the time of his stay in the clinic). That is, the clinic can be conditionally designated as a "shelter of artists." In other words, this is a place where artists have closed themselves off from the outside world and are busy only with the problems of art. The novels of Hermann Hesse "The Steppenwolf" and "The Glass Bead Game" are devoted to this problem, where one can find analogues of the image of the clinic. These are the "Magic Theater" with an inscription above the entrance "Only for crazy people" (the clinic in Bulgakov's novel is a madhouse) and the country of Castalia.
The heroes of the intellectual novel are mostly condemned for leaving the outside world, and since the image of the hero is always generalized, society as a whole is condemned for passivity, which leads to disastrous consequences (for example, the activation of fascism in Thomas Mann's novel "Doctor Faustus"). So Bulgakov unambiguously alludes to Soviet power.
End of the novel
In the final scenes, the fate of the Master is decided. If we proceed from the fact that "he did not deserve light, he deserved peace", then we can assume that "peace" is a kind of intermediate state between light and darkness, since peace cannot resist. Moreover, Woland gives peace to the Master and then it becomes clear that the Master's shelter is in the kingdom of the devil.But in the epilogue, when the fate of Ivan Bezdomny (by then simply Ivan Ponyrev) is told after the events described in the novel, the days of the full moon are especially painful for him, when something obscure torments him and in a dream he sees Pontius Pilate and Yeshua, walking along the path of the moon, and then "a woman of exorbitant beauty" along with a man with whom he once spoke in crazy house, which go the same way. If the Master and Margarita follow Pontius Pilate and Yeshua, doesn't this mean that the Master was subsequently awarded "light"?
Novel within a novel:
The "novel within a novel" form allows Bulgakov to create the illusion of creating the Master's novel in real time in front of the reader. But the novel is “written” not only by the Master, but also by Ivan (strange as it may seem). The Master's novel about Pontius Pilate gets its logical conclusion only at the moment of "liberation" of Pilate, who leaves with Yeshua along the moonlit path; Bulgakov’s novel about the Master ends with his ascent after Pilate and Yeshua, and it is Ivan who “sees” this, who (by analogy with the Master) “liberates” the Master and becomes involved in writing the novel, becomes Bulgakov’s co-author.General information
The history of the creation of the novel "The Master and Margarita" is still shrouded in secrets, however, like the novel itself, which never ceases to be the focus of riddles for the reader. It is not even known exactly when Bulgakov had the idea of writing a work that is now known as The Master and Margarita (this title appeared in Bulgakov's drafts relatively shortly before the creation of final version novel).
The time it took Bulgakov from the maturation of the idea to the final version of the novel ended up being about ten years, which indicates how carefully Bulgakov set about the novel and what, apparently, the significance he had for him. And Bulgakov seemed to foresee everything in advance, because The Master and Margarita was the last work he wrote. Bulgakov did not even have time to complete the literary revision of the novel; it stopped somewhere in the area of the second part.
Conceptual question
Initially, Bulgakov replaced the protagonist of his new novel with the image of the devil (the future Woland). The first few editions of the novel were created under the banner of this idea. It should be noted that each of the four known editions can be considered as an independent novel, since they all contain many fundamental differences both at the formal and semantic levels. Familiar to the reader main image- the image of the Master was introduced into the novel by Bulgakov only in the fourth, final edition, and this by itself ultimately determined the main concept of the novel, which initially contained a bias to a greater extent to the side, however, the Master as the main character, by his "appearance" forced Bulgakov to reconsider the perspectives novel and give the dominant place to the theme of art, culture, the place of the artist in the modern world.
The work on the novel dragged on so much, probably not only because of the incomplete formulation of the concept, its change, but also because the novel was supposed by Bulgakov himself as a final work, generalizing his entire path in the field of art, and in connection with this, the novel has a rather complex structure, it is filled with a huge number of explicit and implicit cultural allusions, references at every level of the poetics of the novel without exception.
75 years ago Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov last time touched the manuscript of the brilliant novel "The Master and Margarita" with the tip of the pen, which became a reference book for millions of readers.
Time has passed, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, but this great work, covered with riddles and mysticism, still remains a fertile field for various philosophical, religious and literary discussions.
This masterpiece is even included in school curriculum several countries, although the meaning of this novel cannot be fully comprehended, not only by the average student, but even by a person with a higher philological education.
Here are 7 keys to unrivaled romance"The Master and Margarita", which will shed light on many secrets.
1. Where did the name of the novel come from?
Have you thought about the title of this novel? Why Master and Margarita? Is it really love story or, God forbid, melodrama? What is this book all about?
It is known that a huge influence on writing famous work Mikhail Afanasyevich's fascination with German mythology of the 19th century had.
It's no secret that the basis of the novel, in addition to Holy Scripture and Goethe's "Faust", formed various myths and legends about the devil and God, as well as Jewish and Christian demonology.
The writing of the novel was facilitated by works read by the author, such as Mikhail Orlov's History of Man's Relations with the Devil and Alexander Amfiteatrov's The Devil in Life, Legend and Literature of the Middle Ages.
As you know, the novel "The Master and Margarita" was edited more than once. Rumor has it that in the very first edition, the work had the following titles: "Black Magician", "Tour", "Juggler with a Hoof", "Engineer's Hoof", "Son of V." and there was no mention at all of either the Master or Margarita, since central figure was to be Satan.
It is interesting to note that in one of the subsequent editions, the novel actually had such a variant of the title as "Satan". In 1930, after the play "The Cabal of the Saints" was banned, Bulgakov destroyed the first edition of the novel with his own hands.
He speaks about it
In the second edition, by the will of fate, Margarita and her Master appeared, and Satan acquired his retinue. But only the third edition, which is considered unfinished, received its current name.
2. The many faces of Woland.
Woland is rightfully considered one of the main characters in The Master and Margarita. He even impresses many readers in some way, and on a superficial reading it may seem that the Prince of Darkness is kindness itself and such a fighter for justice who fights against human vices and helps to triumph of peace and love.
Others consider Woland a prototype of Stalin. But in fact, Woland is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. This is a very multifaceted and difficult character to understand. Such an image, in general, befits the Tempter.
This is, to some extent, the classic prototype of the Antichrist, whom mankind should have perceived as the new Messiah. The image of Woland also has many analogues in the ancient pagan mythology. You will also find some resemblance to the spirit of darkness from Goethe's Faust.
3. Woland and his retinue.
Just as a person cannot exist without a shadow, so Woland is not Woland without his retinue. Azazello, Behemoth and Koroviev-Fagot are executors of diabolical justice. Sometimes it seems that these colorful characters outshine Satan himself.
It is worth noting that behind them is by no means an unambiguous past. Take, for example, Azazello. Mikhail Bulgakov borrowed this image from the Old Testament books, which mention fallen angel who taught people how to make weapons and jewelry.
Thanks to him, women have mastered the "lascivious art" of painting their faces. That is why in the novel Azazello gives the cream to Margarita and cunningly encourages her to go over to the side of evil.
He is like right hand Woland, performs the most menial work. The demon kills Baron Meigel and poisons the lovers.
Behemoth is a werewolf cat, a prankster and a joker. This image is drawn from the legends about the demon of gluttony. His name is borrowed from the Old Testament, in one of the books of which there was a speech about sea monster Behemoth, who lived with Leviathan.
This demon was depicted as a monster with an elephant's head, trunk, fangs, human hands and hind legs, like a hippopotamus.
4. Dark Queen Margo or a la Pushkin's Tatiana?
Many who have read the novel have the impression that Margarita is a kind of romantic nature, the heroine of Pushkin's or Turgenev's works.
But the roots of this image lie much deeper. The novel emphasizes Marguerite's connection with two French queens. One of them is the well-known Queen Margo, the wife of Henry IV, whose wedding turned into a bloody Bartholomew night.
This dark action, by the way, is mentioned in the novel. Margarita, on the way to the Great Ball at Satan's, meets a fat man who, recognizing her, addresses her with the words: "bright Queen Margot."
In the image of Marguerite, literary critics also find similarities with another queen - Margaret of Navarre, one of the first French women writers.
Bulgakov's Margarita is also close to belles-lettres, she is in love with her brilliant writer— Masters.
5. Spatio-temporal connection "Moscow - Yershalaim".
One of the key mysteries of The Master and Margarita is the place and time of the events taking place in the novel. You will not find a single exact date from which to count. There are only hints in the text.
The events in the novel take place in Moscow in Holy Week from May 1 to May 7, 1929. This part of the book is closely connected with the so-called "Pilatian Chapters", which describes the week in Yershalaim in the year 29, which later became Holy Week.
The attentive reader will notice that in the New Testament Moscow of 1929 and the Old Testament Yershalaim of 29, the same apocalyptic weather prevails, the actions in both of these stories develop in parallel and eventually merge together, drawing a complete picture.
6. Influence of Kabbalah.
It is said that Mikhail Bulgakov, when he wrote the novel, was strongly influenced by Kabbalistic teachings. It affected the work itself.
Just remember the winged words of Woland: “Never ask for anything. Never and nothing, especially for those who are stronger than you. They themselves will offer and give everything themselves. ”
It turns out that in Kabbalah it is forbidden to accept anything unless it is a gift from above, from the Creator. Such a commandment is contrary to Christianity, which, for example, does not prohibit begging.
One of the central ideas of Kabbalah is the doctrine of "Ohr ha-Chaim" - "the light of life." It is believed that the Torah itself is the light. The achievement of light depends on the desire of the person himself.
In the novel, the idea that a person independently makes his life choice comes to the fore.
Light also accompanies Woland throughout the novel. When Satan disappears with his retinue, the lunar road also disappears.
7. A lifelong romance.
The last manuscript of the novel, which later came down to us, Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov began back in 1937, but it haunted the writer until his death.
He continually made some changes to it. Perhaps it seemed to Bulgakov that he was ill-informed in Jewish demonology and Holy Scripture, perhaps he felt like an amateur in this field.
These are just guesses, but one thing is for sure - the novel was not easy for the writer and practically “sucked” all the vitality out of him.
It is interesting to know that the last edit that Bulgakov made on February 13, 1940, was the words of Margarita: “So this, therefore, is the writers following the coffin?”
A month later, the writer died. According to Bulgakov's wife, his last words before his death
were: "To know, to know..."
No matter how we interpret this work, it is impossible to study it completely. This is such a deep masterpiece that you can unravel it for eternity, but never get to the bottom of its essence.
The main thing is that this novel makes you think about the high and comprehend important life truths.
From the moment of the first edition, the attractiveness of the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov has not dried up, representatives of different generations, different outlook. The reasons for this are many.
One of them is that in the novel "The Master and Margarita" the characters and their destinies are forced to rethink life values to reflect on one's own responsibility for the good and evil done in the world.
The main characters of The Master and Margarita
Bulgakov's work is a "novel within a novel", and the main characters of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita in the part that tells about Satan's stay in Moscow are Woland, the Master and Margarita, Ivan Bezdomny.
Woland
Satan, the Devil, "the spirit of evil and the lord of shadows", the powerful "prince of darkness." Visited Moscow as a "professor of black magic". Woland studies people different ways trying to bring out their essence. Looking at the Muscovites in the variety theater, he concludes that they " ordinary people, in general, resemble the former, housing problem just ruined them." Giving his "great ball", he brings anxiety and confusion into the lives of the townspeople. Selflessly takes part in the fate of the Master and Margarita, revives the burnt novel of the Master, allows the author of the novel to inform Pilate that he is forgiven.
Woland assumes his true form when he leaves Moscow.
Master
Former historian who disclaimed his name, wrote a brilliant novel about Pontius Pilate. Unable to withstand the persecution of critics, he ends up in a psychiatric hospital. Margarita, beloved of the Master, asks Satan to save her beloved. Woland also fulfills the request of Yeshua, who has read the novel, to give the Master peace.
“The farewell has happened, the bills have been paid”, and the Master and Margarita find peace and an “eternal home”.
margarita
Beautiful and clever woman, the wife of a "very prominent specialist", who did not need anything, was not happy. Everything changed at the moment of meeting with the Master. Having fallen in love, Margarita becomes his "secret wife", friend and like-minded person. She inspires the Master to romance, encourages him to fight for it.
Having made a deal with Satan, she plays the role of hostess at his ball. The mercy of Margarita, asking to spare Frida instead of asking for herself, the defense of Latunsky, participation in the fate of Pilate soften Woland.
Through the efforts of Margarita, the Master is saved, both leave the Earth with Woland's retinue.
Homeless Ivan
A proletarian poet who wrote an anti-religious poem about Jesus Christ on the instructions of the editor. At the beginning of the novel, “an ignorant man”, a narrow-minded one, believes that “man himself controls” his life, cannot believe in the existence of the Devil and Jesus. Unable to cope with the emotional stress of meeting with Woland, he finds himself in a mental hospital.
After meeting with the Master, he begins to understand that his poems are "monstrous", he promises never to write poetry again. The master calls him his disciple.
At the end of the novel, Ivan lives on real name- Ponyrev, he became a professor, works at the Institute of History and Philosophy. Cured, but sometimes he can not cope with incomprehensible mental anxiety.
The list of heroes of the novel is great, everyone who appears on the pages of the work deepens and reveals its meaning. Let us dwell on the most significant characters in Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita for revealing the author's intention.
Woland's retinue
Fagot-Koroviev
The senior henchman in Woland's retinue, he is entrusted with the most responsible affairs. In communication with Muscovites, Koroviev appears as the secretary and translator of the foreigner Woland, but it is not clear who he really is: "a magician, regent, sorcerer, translator, or the devil knows who." He is constantly in action, and no matter what he does, no matter who he communicates with, he grimaces and clowns, screams and “yells”.
Bassoon's mannerisms and speech change dramatically when he speaks to those who deserve respect. He speaks to Woland respectfully, in a clear and sonorous voice, Margarita helps to manage the ball, looks after the Master.
Only at the last appearance on the pages of the novel Fagot appears in true image: next to Woland, a knight "with the gloomiest and never smiling face" was riding a horse. Once punished for an unfortunate pun on the theme of light and dark by the role of a jester for centuries, now he "paid his bill and closed it."
Azazello
Demon, Woland's assistant. Appearance "with a fang sticking out of his mouth, ugly and without that unprecedented vile physiognomy", with a thorn in his right eye, repulsive. His main duties are related to the use of force: "to kick the administrator in the face, or put an uncle out of the house, or shoot someone, or some other trifle of that kind." Leaving the earth, Azazello takes on a real appearance - the appearance of a killer demon with empty eyes and a cold face.
Behemoth cat
By the definition of Woland himself, his assistant is a “pea jester”. He appears before the inhabitants of the capital in the form of a "huge, like hogs, black, like soot or a rook, and with a desperate cavalry mustache" cat or complete man with a cat-like face. Behemoth's jokes are by no means always harmless, and after his disappearance, ordinary black cats began to be exterminated throughout the country.
Flying away from the Earth in Woland's retinue, Behemoth turns out to be "a thin young man, a page demon, the best jester that has ever existed in the world."
Gella. Woland's maid, a vampire witch.
Characters in the novel The Masters
Pontius Pilate and Yeshua are the main characters of the story written by the Master.
Pontius Pilate
Procurator of Judea, cruel and powerful ruler.
Realizing that Yeshua, brought in for interrogation, is not guilty of anything, he is imbued with sympathy for him. But despite high position, the procurator could not resist the decision to execute him, he became cowardly, fearing to lose power.
Ga-Notsri's words that "among the human vices, he considers cowardice to be one of the most important," the hegemon takes it personally. Tormented by remorse, he spends "twelve thousand moons" in the mountains. Released by the Master, who wrote a novel about him.
Yeshua Ha-Nozri
A philosopher traveling from city to city. He is alone, knows nothing about his parents, believes that by nature all people are good, and the time will come when “the temple of the old faith will collapse and a new temple of truth will be created” and no power will be needed. He talks about this with people, but for his words he is accused of an attempt on the power and authority of Caesar and is executed. Before the execution, he forgives his executioners.
In the final part of Bulgakov's novel, Yeshua, having read the Master's novel, asks Woland to reward the Master and Margarita with peace, meets Pilate again, and they walk, talking, along the lunar road.
Levy Matvey
Former tax collector who claims to be a disciple of Yeshua. He writes down everything that Ga-Notsri says, stating what he heard according to his understanding. Loyal to his teacher, takes him down from the cross to bury him, intends to kill Judas of Cariath.
Judas of Kiriath
A handsome young man who, for thirty tetradrachms, provoked Yeshua in front of secret witnesses to speak out about state power. Killed by the secret order of Pontius Pilate.
Caifa. Jewish high priest who heads the Sanhedrin. He is accused by Pontius Pilate of the execution of Yeshua Ha-Nozri.
Heroes of the Moscow world
The characterization of the heroes of the novel "The Master and Margarita" will be incomplete without a description of the characters of literary and artistic Moscow, contemporary to the author.
Aloisy Mogarych. A new acquaintance of the Master, who introduced himself as a journalist. Wrote a denunciation of the Master in order to occupy his apartment.
Baron Meigel. An employee of the entertainment commission, whose duties included introducing foreigners to the sights of the capital. "Earphone and spy", according to Woland.
Bengal Georges. Entertainer of the Variety Theatre, known throughout the city. Man is limited and ignorant.
Berlioz. Writer, chairman of the board of MASSOLIT, a large Moscow literary association, editor of a large art magazine. In conversations "discovered a solid erudition." Denied the existence of Jesus Christ, and argued that a person cannot be "suddenly mortal." Not believing Woland's prediction about his unexpected death, he dies after falling under a tram.
Bosoy Nikanor Ivanovich. The “businesslike and cautious” chairman of the housing association of the building in which the “bad apartment” was located.
Varenukha. "The famous theater administrator, resolutely known throughout Moscow."
Likhodeev Stepan. Director of the Variety Theatre, drinking heavily and not fulfilling his duties.
Sempleyarov Arkady Apollonovich. Chairman of the acoustic commission of Moscow theaters, insisting during a black magic session in the Variety on exposing the "technique of tricks".
Sokov Andrey Fokich. little man, a barman at the Variety Theatre, a crook-skvalyga who does not know how to get joy from life, earning unearned money on sturgeon of the “second freshness”.
A brief description of the characters will be needed in order to make it easier to understand the events of the summary of the novel "The Master and Margarita" and not to get lost in the question of "who is who."
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The Master and Margarita (film, 1972) The Master and Margarita Maistor I Margarita Genre parable ... Wikipedia
- "The Master and Margarita": "The Master and Margarita" novel by Mikhail Bulgakov (1940). Screen versions of the novel: "The Master and Margarita" Italian Yugoslav film of 1972, directed by A. Petrovich. "The Master and Margarita" Polish TV movie 1989 ... ... Wikipedia
- The Master and Margarita: The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Screen versions of the novel: The Master and Margarita (film, 1972). The Master and Margarita (film, 1989). The Master and Margarita (film, 1994) (unreleased). The Master and Margarita (TV series, 2005), ... ... Wikipedia
A novel by M. A. Bulgakov (1940, first published in 1966). M. M. is, of course, the most amazing work Russian literature of the twentieth century. The mere fact that between the beginning of work on the text (1929) and its full publication separate edition(1973) 44 passed ... ... Encyclopedia of cultural studies
This term has other meanings, see Master and Margarita (meanings). Master and Margarita ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Master and Margarita (meanings). The Master and Margarita Il Maestro e Margherita ... Wikipedia
Novel. During Bulgakov's lifetime it was not completed and was not published. For the first time: Moscow, 1966, No. 11; 1967, No. 1. The time of the beginning of work on M. and M. Bulgakov in different manuscripts dated either 1928 or 1929. Most likely, it refers to 1928 ... ... Encyclopedia Bulgakov
Master and Margarita ... Wikipedia
The Master and Margarita Genre social satire Director Vladimir Bortko Starring Oleg Basilashvili (Woland) Anna Kovalchuk (Margarita) Alexander Galibin (Master) Vladislav Galkin (Ivan Bezdomny (Pony ... Wikipedia)
- "Master and Margarita" Music Gradsky, Alexander Borisovich Words Gradsky, Alexander Borisovich Based on the novel "Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov Staged 2009 "Master and Margarita" rock musical Alexander Gradsky 2009 based on ... ... Wikipedia
Books
- The Master and Margarita: A Novel, Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich. The novel by M. A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" was created for thirteen years, waited for the first publication for twenty-six, but became and still remains one of the most famous Russian texts of the 20th century. IN…
- The Master and Margarita: A Novel, Bulgakov, Mikhail Afanasyevich. "The Master and Margarita" by M. A. Bulgakov is the most amazing and enigmatic work XX century. Published in the mid-1960s, this novel struck readers with its unusual design, colorfulness ...
Bulgakov himself dated the time of the beginning of work on The Master and Margarita differently in different manuscripts - 1928 or 1929. It is authentically known that the conception of the novel dates back to 1928, and direct work on the text began in 1929. According to the surviving receipt, on May 8, 1929, Bulgakov handed over to the Nedra publishing house the manuscript of Furibunda (one of the working titles of The Master and Margarita). This is the earliest known date for the work on the novel.
The first edition of the novel was destroyed by the author on March 18, 1930, after he received the news about the ban on the play "The Cabal of Saints". Bulgakov reported this in a letter to the government on March 28, 1930: "And personally, with my own hands, I threw a draft of a novel about the devil into the stove ...".
Bulgakov, a doctor by education, felt the symptoms of a severe hereditary disease (nephrosclerosis), which at one time killed his father. It is no coincidence that on one of the pages of the manuscript of the novel, the author made a dramatic note: "Finish before you die!".
The Master is largely an autobiographical hero. His age at the time of the novel ("a man about thirty-eight years old") is exactly Bulgakov's age in May 1929. He turned 38 on May 15, 10 days after the Master and his beloved left Moscow.
The prototype of the "bad apartment" was apartment No. 50 in house No. 10 on Bolshaya Sadovaya Street in Moscow, where Bulgakov lived in 1921-1924. In addition, in some features of its layout, the “bad apartment” corresponds to apartment No. 34 in the same house where the writer settled in the period from August to November 1924.
The prototype of the Variety Theater was the Moscow Music Hall, which existed in 1926-1936 and was located not far from the "bad apartment". Now this building houses the Moscow Theater of Satire.
According to the second wife of the writer, real prototype Hippo served them domestic cat Fluffy is a huge gray animal. Bulgakov only made the Behemoth black, since it is black cats that are traditionally considered to be associated with evil spirit. In addition, the Behemoth in the demonological tradition is the demon of the desires of the stomach. Hence the unusual gluttony of the cat.
According to the memoirs of the third wife of the writer E.S. Bulgakova, in the description of the Great Ball with Satan, impressions of a reception at the American embassy in Moscow on April 22, 1935 were used. US Ambassador to the USSR William Bullitt invited the writer and his wife to this solemn event.
Woland's words "Manuscripts do not burn" and the resurrection of the novel (the Master's stories about Pontius Pilate) are an illustration of the well-known latin proverb: "Verba volant, scripta manent". Characteristically, it was often used by Saltykov-Shchedrin, one of Bulgakov's favorite authors. In translation, it sounds like this: "Words fly away, what is written remains." It is no coincidence that the name of Satan in The Master and Margarita practically coincides with the word "volant".
Woland does not allow Koroviev to destroy the fighter sent against them with a whistle and orders his retinue to leave Moscow, because he is sure that this city and country will remain in his power as long as a man with a courageous face who “does his job right” dominates here. There is no doubt that Bulgakov had only one person in mind - Stalin. Such a direct allusion to the fact that the head of the Communist Party enjoys the favor of the devil, especially frightened Bulgakov's friends, who were present at the reading of the last chapters of the novel on May 15, 1939. To no lesser extent, this frightened the subsequent publishers of Bulgakov's novel. Although the quoted fragment was contained in the last typescript of The Master and Margarita and was not canceled by subsequent editing, it has not found its way into the main text in any of the editions carried out so far.
