Pontius Pilate is a character characteristic. Pontius Pilate - character characteristic Meeting of a close soul

PONTIUS PILATE is the central character of M. A. Bulgakov's novel "Master and Margarita" (1928-1940). with a bloody lining, a shuffling cavalry gait, ”going to the forefront of the plot, where he will be invisibly present until it is completely over, until the last phrase of the epilogue. This presence of his is due to the main plot event that connects the narrative: the novel composed by the Master is written about him, Pilate of Pontus. The hero of the hero simultaneously acts as the protagonist of the "antique" chapters that form the "novel within the novel". The two Pilates, "literary" and "historical", do not differ in any way; they constitute a single image, objectified in the narrative. "

Literary ”P.P., created by the Master, is not a product of artistic fantasy; he was "guessed" as he really was, and therefore completely coincides with the "historical" that Baland talks about in a conversation with Berlioz and Ivan Bezdomny at the Patriarch's Ponds. The identity of both Pilates is confirmed by Woland himself, the only living witness who was present incognito in the palace of Herod the Great during a conversation between P.P. Pilate to the question of Matthew Levi about the murderer of Judas: "I did it." At the end of the novel, releasing his hero, the Master simultaneously frees the "biblical" Pilate, who has been tormented by pangs of conscience for two thousand years. In the process of creating the image, P. P. Bulgakov used several sources. The first in importance were the canonical gospels, in which the writer learned the main plot circumstances: P.P. does not find fault in the actions and words of Jesus (Luke, 23.5; John, 18.38), tries to save him (John, 19.12), Pilate is pressured by the high priests and excited they are the people crying out “Crucify him!”, and, finally, the procurator makes the final decision on the execution out of fear of Caesar: “The Jews shouted:“ If you let Him go, you are not a friend of Caesar ”(John, 19.12). The probable source of the image was the book of the German historian G. A. Muller "Pontius Pilate, the fifth procurator of Judea, and the judge of Jesus of Nazareth" (1888). Here P. P., as in the novel, is called the fifth procurator: other authors believe his sixth.Another literary source was the book of the English theologian F. W. Farrar "The Life of Jesus Christ" (1874, Russian translation 1885). In the chapter "Jesus Christ before Pilate" Farrar described the hegemon's "Roman contempt" for the Jews and spoke of his "cowardly compliance." of which Bulgakov could read in the "Encyclopedic Dictionary" of Brockhaus and Efron. On Good Friday, on a high mountain in the Swiss Alps called Pilate, the ghost of the procurator appears and washes his hands, trying in vain to cleanse himself of complicity in the crime. This legend may be related to the scene of the last chapter - a rocky peak, where the Master meets P.P. and absolves his sin. As for the plot motifs composed by Bulgakov himself, this is the involvement of the procurator in the murder of Judas. According to the gospels, he hanged himself. Considering the image of P.P. from the point of view of literary genealogy, one can point to the traces of Ahasuerus. There are grounds for comparison with the image of Pushkin's Boris Godunov: the motif of a stain on conscience that appeared by chance and became the cause of mental anguish, so painful that "I'm glad to run, but nowhere." Among Bulgakov's heroes there is no other character comparable in scale to P. P. , although some of its features can be caught in Khludov ("Flight"), in Louis ("The Cabal of the Holy Ones"). In Bulgakov's novel, P.P. personifies the collision of hierarchical power, unlimited in relation to everything below and completely defenseless, unarmed before which is higher. This makes the hegemon of Rome socially cowardly. The latter is all the more striking because cowardice is shown by a person who is courageous, firm and cruel by nature. If cowardice is generally the worst of vices (the words of Yeshua Ha-Nozri), then in the strong it is also shameful. This is the main idea of ​​the writer in reading the image of Pontius Pilate, a hero who covered himself with historical shame.

Sections: Literature

(Slide #2)

Target: To observe the details of the literary text, at the same time analyzing their own feelings that arose as a response to the events happening to the characters.

(Slide #3)

Tasks:

• Explain the reasons for the actions of Pontius Pilate through the observation of his emotional experiences; notice all the subtleties in his behavior, speech, intonation, explain the inconsistency of his feelings.
• Analyze your own feelings that appear when reading the text.
• Make a psychological dictionary of your feelings.

Equipment: Microsoft Power Point presentation (Appendix 1), two sheets of whatman paper, felt-tip pens

During the classes

Introduction by the teacher.

So, today we are starting to analyze the 2nd chapter of the novel by M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita", which is based on the eternal problems of human existence: Good and Evil, Faith and Unbelief, Betrayal and Love, Power and Freedom, the problem of repentance and fair retribution.

A whole panorama of human mores unfolds before us, exposing questions as old as the world and eternal as life itself. What is a person? Is he responsible for his own affairs? Can even the harshest circumstances justify an immoral act? You know that a part of Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita", its separate chapters is the novel of its hero, the Master, turned by events into almost two thousand years of history, but having a direct connection with the events taking place in Moscow in the 30s. The plot of this novel is reminiscent of the biblical story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and gives the impression of a documentary accurate presentation of the events that really took place, since its heroes are almost historical figures. However, there is something that distinguishes the Master's novel.

The Gospel of Matthew says that, having gathered 12 disciples for the Last Supper on the eve of the Easter holiday, Jesus Christ predicted his death from the betrayal of one of them...

(Slide number 4)

Student's message about the biblical story of the crucifixion of Christ ( tells the legend of the crucifixion of Christ, supplementing the story with the following quotations from the Bible):

“Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me.

The disciples were saddened by this, and they began to ask one after another:

- Isn't it me, Lord?

Then Judas, who had previously betrayed Him, also asked:

“Of course not me, Master?”

Jesus replied:

“Yes, you…”

(Gospel of Matthew, ch.26 (20–22, 25, 46–52,) ch.27 (1–5)

Teacher: There is no doubt that Yeshua Ha-Nozri is a kind of double of Jesus Christ. Moreover, Yeshua in Aramaic means Lord (salvation), and Ha-Nozri - from Nazareth. Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, lived permanently in Nazareth before beginning his activity, which is why he is often called Jesus the Nazarene. What, in your opinion, is the peculiarity of the interpretation of the gospel story?

(The writer significantly deepened the biblical plot, conveyed a whole gamut of feelings and experiences of the characters, he “humanized” them, which causes empathy and compassion for the readers. He puts them before a moral choice, and it seems that Bulgakov addresses everyone: “I could are you just as courageously, meekly as Yeshua, to accept suffering in the name of your idea, to the end retaining faith in a good beginning in a person, not allowing a single iota of feeling of anger and resentment for your fate?”)

At the second lesson of studying the novel by M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" you received the task: to reread the 2nd chapter of "Pontius Pilate" and answer the questions:

1. Can we, sincerely sympathizing with Yeshua, understanding the injustice of his punishment, categorically condemn Pilate for his cruelty? What is Pilate's true fault?
2. Why were circumstances superior to the procurator's desire to save the preacher? Why was Yeshua above these circumstances?
3. Did Pilate have a choice, why did he still choose evil?

Individual homework (report by 2 students presenting their slide)

1 student completed the task: to trace how the mood of Pontius Pilate changes. Make a dictionary of your feelings that arose while reading chapter 2.

2 the student analyzes the behavior of Yeshua Ha-Nozri and makes a dictionary of his own feelings.

(Slide number 5)

Presentation by 1 student:

As soon as Bulgakov introduces us to the palace of Herod the Great and introduces us to Pontius Pilate, an atmosphere of some kind of unrest immediately catches our eye. Pilate's ill state confirms this (“an attack of hemicrania has begun again, when half of the head hurts”).

So, meeting with the procurator for the first time, we see him irritated. It is felt that the inhabitants of the palace and those close to him are accustomed to the cruelty and harshness of his character. Speaking with the prisoner brought to him, he interrupts him in mid-sentence, when Yeshua turned to him: “Good man…” Pilate declares that in Yershalaim everyone whispers about him: “fierce monster”, “and this is absolutely true” In support of his words Pilate calls the centurion, the formidable Mark Ratslayer: “The criminal calls me a “good man…” Explain to him how to talk to me. But don't hurt."

(There is some kind of terrible feeling of fear and bewilderment and the question: “For what?”)

But later, it seems, Pilate himself became interested in talking with this man. After all, “the easiest way would be to drive this strange robber from the balcony, uttering only two words:“ hang him. However, the procurator does not do this. And when Yeshua explains to the procurator the reason for his suffering (“the truth is, first of all, that your head hurts ... You are not only unable to talk to me, but it’s hard for you to even look at me ...”), Pilate is simply smitten.

The procurator calms down when Yeshua continues to talk about the fact that “there are no evil people in the world”, and a formula formed in his head: “the hegemon sorted out the case of the wandering philosopher Yeshua, nicknamed Ha-Notsri, and did not find corpus delicti in him. In particular, I did not find the slightest connection between the actions of Yeshua and the riots that took place in Yershalaim recently. The wandering philosopher turned out to be mentally ill. As a result, the death sentence ... the procurator does not approve ... "

(Here the reader involuntarily rejoices for the procurator and for Yeshua, and is already waiting for a happy ending.) And suddenly it turns out that everything is not so.

Everything about him? Pilate asked the secretary.

No, unfortunately,” the secretary unexpectedly answered and handed Pilate another piece of parchment.

– What else is there? Pilate asked and frowned.

(Here I really want this second parchment to not be, it becomes scary that it will ruin everything.)

The procurator himself feels the same, who is trying with all his being to avert the danger, even condescending to giving signs to Yeshua. (Therefore, the feeling of excitement and anxiety increases) especially since Pilate has a terrible hallucination, which seems to portend trouble: “So, it seemed to him that the prisoner’s head had floated away somewhere, and another appeared instead. On this bald head sat a rare-toothed golden crown; there was a round ulcer on the forehead, corroding the skin and smeared with ointment, ... in the distance, as if, trumpets played softly and menacingly, and a nasal voice was very clearly heard, arrogantly drawing the words: "The law of lèse majesté ..." Yeshua's story about what and how he spoke to Judas of Cariath, giving Pilate a mood of hopelessness. He feels that he is losing the chance of saving the naive prisoner. (Feeling of anxiety increases)

(Slide number 6)

Presentation by 2 students:

The cruel, unjust punishment, it seems, did not even arouse indignation in the arrested person. He simply, like a child, asks the centurion in response to his formidable tone: “I understand you. Do not hit me." (This causes interest in him and respect)

(Slide number 7)

In the future, the sincerity and ease of his conversation with Pilate is simply breathtaking.

(Slide number 8)

For this reason, the directness of the answer struck Pilate with its impudence: “Don't you think that you hung her, hegemon? If so, you are very wrong." (At this point there is a fear that Yeshua might hurt himself) Pilate "shuddered and answered through his teeth, 'I can cut this hair.'

“Would you let me go, hegemon,” the prisoner suddenly asked, and his voice became anxious, “I see that they want to kill me.”

(At the moment of the verdict, the reader has an acute feeling of disagreement with what is happening: the cruelty of the procurator and his impotence are so vividly shown.)

(Slide number 9)

“Do you think, unhappy, that the Roman procurator will release a man who said what you said? I don't share your thoughts!

It is interesting that Pilate does not calm down, but arranges a meeting with the President of Sendrion Kaifa. Talking to him was the last hope for Yeshua's salvation, and Pilate made every effort to do so.

After that, he is seized by longing, growing into a terrible anger of impotence. the procurator realizes his guilt and feels terrible pangs of conscience, and then feels almost furious with him for trampling on his last hope. The procurator is seized with open indignation:

“You will then remember the saved Barravan and regret it.” But the high priest is adamant:

“... You wanted to release him so that he would embarrass the people, outrage over the faith and bring the people under the Roman swords! But I, the high priest of the Jews, as long as I live, will not let the faith be mocked and will defend the people!”

(Reading this scene, one feels such indignation at the fact that there was no force capable of preventing this ridiculous and monstrous injustice.)

Heading to the platform and pronouncing the words of the sentence, Pilate does not even look in the direction of the criminals. “He didn't see anything. He didn't need it. He already knew that behind him the convoy was already leading to Bald Mountain Ha-Notsri, to whom the procurator himself had pronounced a death sentence and whom he most wanted to see alive.

(Slide number 10)

A dictionary reflecting feelings and experiences when reading a chapter

Teacher: So, we see that the figure of Pontius Pilate is indeed complex and contradictory. He wanted to save Yeshua, realizing the groundlessness of the sentence passed by the Sanhedrin. But even the all-powerful procurator, a man whose mere glance plunges one into a stupor, turned out to be powerless to save Yeshua from death. Why were circumstances beyond Pilate's will? Why was Yeshua above these circumstances? Did the procurator have a choice? And why did he still choose evil?

group task(performed on computers or on Whatman sheets)

Group1 Compile a cluster of character traits of Yeshua Ha-Nozri that appeared in chapter 2 of the novel

Group 2 Compile a cluster of Pontius Pilate's character traits that appeared in chapter 2 of the novel

Speech by representatives from groups with the defense of their work.

(Slide number 11)

Comparison: the attention of students is offered to the attention of the color spectrum of the character traits of the characters, made by the teacher. Teacher's explanation:

Yeshua is the ideal of individual freedom. Its main feature is HUMANITY.

(Slide number 12)

The main goal on earth is the peaceful preaching of the kingdom of truth and justice. And therefore, no forces can force him to betray faith in goodness. (Recall the episode when he asks the executioner before his death not for himself, but for another: “Give him a drink”). He does not forever betray the accepted belief - his truth. He is internally surrounded by a halo of bright feelings: Love, Freedom, Goodness.

Pilate is always irritated, embittered, distrustful, cruel. In addition, he has to live in a city that he hates, he rules over a people that he does not like. His will cannot contradict the will of the higher authority of the clergy in the person of the Great Caesar, the high priests and the entire Sanhedrin. Therefore, Pilate turns out to be internally bound, dependent on his position.

He constantly experiences internal discord.

In Yeshua, Pilate felt what he himself lacked: understanding, sincerity, sensitivity, fortitude. In addition, this philosopher managed to guess not only his loneliness, suffering, but also removed his physical pain, awakened long-forgotten feelings. He wants to help Yeshua.

The procurator faces a choice face to face: either take a step towards the salvation of Yeshua and thus do Good; or destroy it and commit Evil.

Pilate understood perfectly well the injustice of the punishment of Yeshua and with all the strength of his soul wanted to choose Good

But on the other hand, the procurator is a powerful ruler. He cannot let go of a man who said about the authorities what he said, and what is recorded not only in the report of Judas, but also in the protocol of the secretary of the procurator. Then career and position will be ruined. He - servant of Caesar, his position and his career. Pilate chooses Evil, thereby betraying his conscience.

He was free to decide the fate of others, but he cannot, it turns out, control his own actions and deeds. And therefore Pilate is doomed to eternal spiritual torment, a guilt that for almost two thousand years he has not been able to expiate, since there is no greater vice than cowardice.

Conclusion: Yeshua leaves, and the procurator remains for millennia in the chamber of his loneliness, where he dreams of the lunar road along which he walks and talks with the prisoner Ha-Nozri, because, as he claims, he did not say something then on the fourteenth day of the spring month of Nisan. And he waits and hopes that he will be forgiven and released.

The literary drawing completely coincides with the historical drawing, even in small things and subtleties. And the name of Pilate - both as a gospel person and as Bulgakov's character - will always go hand in hand with the name of Yeshua-Jesus, as a punishment for inaction. Immortality through the ages is his curse.

By the image of Pilate, his fate, his mental anguish, Bulgakov convinces us that a person is responsible for his deeds. As a living being, he can oppose the fulfillment of his civic duty with all his strength and find justification for himself - in the thirst for life, in habits, in the natural desire for peace, in fear of suffering or of superiors, of hunger, poverty, exile, death. But as a spiritual being, possessing a moral consciousness, he is always responsible to his conscience. Here he has no allies to whom he could shift at least part of his responsibility, and no external circumstances and conditions of choice can justify him.

You come to such conclusions by analyzing the contradictory feelings experienced by Pontius Pilate. In his words, eyes, voice, a wide variety of feelings are captured: hopelessness, longing, rage, despair. And it turns out that Pilate is a suffering man, hardened by illness and misunderstanding, bound by his power. But the main thing is that he is lonely, intelligent, deeply feeling.

There is always a choice in life, even in the most hopeless situations, a person must make some kind of decision. And it depends only on him how he will live longer: in harmony or at odds with his conscience.

(Slides #13, 14)

Summing up the lesson: Why did Bulgakov need such an artistic device – in parallel with the narration about modernity, to also lead the line of a novel written by the Master and telling about events that took place two thousand years ago? ( The novel is dedicated to eternal problems, they exist in the present just like thousands of years ago. For a long time humanity has been moving towards the truth and whether it will come to its knowledge is unknown).

Lesson grades.

Homework: Select material relating to a) the history of the Master, b) the general atmosphere of life in the 30s of the 20th century, using chapters 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 27.

Literature:

1. “M.A. Bulgakov "Master and Margarita" Moscow "Olympus" 1997
2. Russian literature of the 20th century, part 2, edited by V.P. Zhuravleva Moscow "Enlightenment" 2006.
3. Russian literature of the 20th century. Reader” Compiled by A.V. Barannikov, T.A. Kalganova Moscow "Enlightenment" 1993 p.332.
4. M.P. Zhigalova "Russian literature of the 20th century in high school" M Bulgakov and his novel "The Master and Margarita" in scientific and methodological research pp. 10-9 Minsk 2003.
5. Journal "Literature at School" No. 7, 2002, pp. 11-20.
6. When creating the presentation, Internet resources were used.

The Master and Margarita is one of Bulgakov's greatest works. The novel is not quite easy to understand, but it contains the deepest meaning that the author conveys to the reader. This novel is difficult to attribute to any particular genre. This is a novel-parable, a satirical novel with a philosophical inclination. It all starts with the appearance of one of the main characters in the novel - the devil. After that, there is a lot of discussion about the choice of a person. In this case, a person either believes in God, or not. The main idea and thought of the novel are seen when the image of Yeshua and the procurator Pontius Pilate appears before the reader.

Pontius Pilate is a procurator, he has power over people. This hero wholeheartedly shows that he hates the city of Yerlashaim. Maybe it's because of his role in this city. This man is harsh and uncompromising. His word here is law and power in his concept forms law and order. The procurator had once been a military man, he had experienced danger more than once. He understands that at the top only the one who is stronger, wiser. In order for you to be respected, you need to discard pity. Pilate is sure that if a person has power, then he can have only one enemy and no friends. The Roman Emperor is the most powerful and authoritative person for the procurator. Accordingly, he was appointed emperor in Yerlashaim, which means that he is a god here. Maybe once he was a different person, which is quite noticeable, but now he is what he is. All his main features are the influence of the power given to him.

This hero in the city has no equal people in status and not only, he simply has no one to talk to on an equal footing, all people are not interesting to him. Pontius Pilate has only one friend, and that is his faithful dog. When they met the vagabond Yeshua, the procurator felt that they were talking to him on an equal footing. It seemed to him that he could communicate with the philosopher forever. This man, preaching his doctrine, has the courage to argue and object to the words of the procurator. Moreover, everything happens in such a way that Pilate does not even immediately understand that his words are not law for a vagabond. Yeshua is of the opinion that in the world all people are good, and there are no evil people. The philosopher tells only the truth, he has no reason to lie, because telling the truth is not always easy, but always pleasant. For the procurator, Yeshua was a rather interesting person.

The fact that Ha-Notsri was not guilty, Pontius Pilate understood at once. He tries to save the tramp's life. Pilate does not want to kill the unfortunate. But he could not change the opinion of the high priest. As a result, Yeshua was sentenced to death. After that, the procurator cannot forgive himself for such a decision and reproaches himself for it all his life.

Option 2

This is one of the most important images in Bulgakov's novel, and if we consider the part of the "novel in the novel" written by the Master, then one of the two main characters.

Formally, this is a negative character. But there is no need to judge the people themselves, but only their actions, because this is how Bulgakov approaches this. Yes, Pilate sends a righteous person to a martyr's (and shameful) death. And Pontius himself understands that he is completely wrong ... Everyone knows that Pilate would prefer to send a real criminal to a well-deserved execution, but this thug has to be released. And all because the churchmen feel that Yeshua's activities, speeches, and the very existence of Yeshua are more dangerous for their system. And here are the circumstances, the influence of these mischievous old men from the church, where trade flourishes. Plus the precarious position of the Roman henchman himself. Still, he makes a decision that is wrong for the higher meaning and for his own soul.

But for this he is punished by terrible loneliness. This image is immediately drawn from the last pages of the novel, when Pilate is found sitting on a chair for thousands of years, and next to him is his faithful dog - the only friend ... He suffers, thinks, regrets what he has done, waits ... And he deserves forgiveness.

I think that this image is worthy of sympathy. Such a man, this Pilate, as I see it, is a military man. That is, he is accustomed to discipline, to the fact that there is “black and white”, right and wrong. And that everything is clear! And here evil is pretending to be good... And something else had to be done that would destroy the system. I don’t think that the hero was afraid of losing his post, his income… He would have risked everything for this sincere and kind “healer.” After all, Pilate was already so imbued with the fact that Yeshua saved him from a terrible headache. Their conversations were so interesting for Pilate, he was so struck by the captive's words. He admired his calmness and steadfastness.

But people like Pilate cannot always be led astray from "their" path, even by love. A strong feeling can frighten them, just as any physical threat will not frighten them. For the sake of love, leave your studies, quit your career ... And what will your parents and colleagues say? In my opinion, Pilate feels responsible for everything, it seems to him that he cannot break the established order, with all his strength.

In any case, Pilate, in every sense a strong man, showed weakness.

Composition Characteristics and image of Pontius Pilate

Mikhail Bulgakov is from that cohort of writers who become famous after death.

Although during his lifetime he was given quite a lot of attention by the leadership of the USSR and personally by Comrade Stalin. Comrade Stalin did not like his novel, which became the culmination of his work. He began to bathe in world fame after their death. Many critics, including theologians, put it on a par with the Gospel. And they call the novel the gospel of Satan. In our essay, we will consider the confrontation between a sense of duty and cowardice, the burden of power and personal responsibility for the paths in life that we consciously choose.

In the center of the work is a dialogue, a dispute, an ideological struggle between the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, and the son of God, Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha-Nozri). The procurator, being a smart and experienced administrator, realized even before the end of the interrogation that Yeshua was not to blame for anything. Moreover, he understands that Yeshua is speaking the truth. But Pontius Pilate does not act according to truth and conscience, but proceeding from "state necessity". He got scared. He got scared. The fear of losing power turned the brave warrior, as he was in the past, into a coward who is indifferent to everything and cynical. And indifferent not only in relation to others. Simultaneously with the verdict on Yeshua, he also pronounced a verdict on himself. Only he, the son of God, could relieve terrible headaches. Only Yeshua could remove that terrible burden of sins that Pilate carried in his soul. The procurator was well aware that Ga-Notsri's acquittal would change his life drastically. This is what Pontius Pilate feared the most. Changes in the usual course of your life. New emotions, new knowledge, new deeds and new views. Bulgakov presented Yeshua as a messiah, not realizing himself as a messiah. But no matter how Bulgakov hid the whole image of Christ, he still saw the future. And he forgave everything. Because God is Love. And he accepted mortal torments for the salvation of the entire human race, including the salvation of Pontius Pilate. Bulgakov also forgave this sin of cowardice. And he made the Master shout: “Free! Free! He is waiting for you!"

Pontius Pilate made his choice and covered himself with historical shame. Jesus Christ made his choice and trampled down death by death. Each Christian, depending on the place of birth, is endowed with different types of rights and freedoms. But chief among them is the God-given freedom of choice. And how we use this priceless gift, for the benefit of everyone or only ourselves, determines our earthly and “heavenly” paths.

Option 4

Bulgakov's famous novel "The Master and Margarita" is attractive for its acting characters. The image of the procurator of Judea is significant, for Pontius Pilate is considered a controversial hero.

His service takes place in Yershalaim. The task of the character is to do justice, to punish criminals.

For all his long years, the procurator, despite the fact that the work did not bring joy, retained such qualities that irrevocably helped in holding an honest trial. Pontius Pilate, as Mikhail Afanasyevich created him, is wise enough, moral concepts are not alien to him. Let the hero be surrounded by guards, the procurator, one way or another, is lonely at heart, there is no one nearby who can really realize the hardships of Pilate. The sovereign is capable of being frank only with a dog named Banga. Dogs really are man's best friend!

It is one thing, a certain circumstance can give a true and reliable characterization of a person. Only an act committed once can define you as a person.

Pontius Pilate, to whom the pilgrim Yeshua was brought to trial, acted cowardly.

Yeshua, with his skill to speak and think correctly, tried to explain to the prosecutor's office that he was not guilty of anything. The Stranger manages to touch the soul of Pontius Pilate, but at the last moment, when Yeshua had hope for salvation, the procurator of Judea changes his own mind. Why? It's all about the cowardice of the protagonist, because when a decision arises between maintaining status or doing justice, Pontius Pilate chooses the first, since power is more important to him. It is worth considering that Yeshua considered cowardice a terrible vice. And Bulgakov, the author of this unusual work, was not alien to the opinion of a wanderer. So, after the death of Yeshua, the procurator suffers severely, his conscience eats him every day.

As a result, Mikhail Afanasyevich makes it clear: one cowardly act in a person's life can lead to severe consequences, to terrible pangs of conscience, to emotional distress. You should not make a choice related to your own position, because power and domination are not eternal in this world, but conscience for what you have done, for not showing sympathy, for not doing justice, will torment you and constantly remind you of yourself. Therefore, it is so important not to be cowardly in difficult situations, to maintain self-control, otherwise it will be difficult to cope with the consequences, like the prosecutor's office to Pontius Pilate. The author tried to demonstrate a majestic person who, faced with a difficult choice, gives an answer in his favor. And such a hero is immediately presented in the eyes of readers as a cowardly person, conceited, incapable of compassion. However, do not forget that people should be given a second chance. And Bulgakov, as a religious person, does not turn out to be cruel. He helps the character, relieving violent torment.

Nature and man, in my opinion, are two concepts inseparable from each other. We are all part of a big world: amazing, charming, filled with life. Everyone has noticed more than once how the mood changes in accordance with changes in nature.

"Master and Margarita".

There are too many white spots in the biography of Pontius Pilate, so part of his life is still a mystery for researchers, which master historians are trying to unravel. Pontius Pilate comes from the equestrian class. This information has been provided by several sources.

There are sources that say that Pontius Pilate was born in the year 10. The city of Lugdune in Gaul became the patrimony of the future procurator. In the modern world, this settlement is the French Lyon. Researchers claim that "Pontius" is the name that was given at birth to a man, indicating the Roman family of Pontius.

Already in his adult years, the man ended up in the position of procurator of Judea, replacing Valery Grat in this post. This epochal event took place in 26 AD.

Procurator of Judea

In literature, Pontius Pilate appears to readers as a cruel man. The contemporaries of the procurator, on the other hand, give the man a slightly different characterization: a stubborn, ruthless, tough, rude, aggressive "beast" who had no moral boundaries and barriers.

Pontius Pilate entered the post of procurator of Judea at the behest of his own father-in-law. But, being a cruel person who hates Jews, the first thing he decided to do was show who was in charge in the Holy Land. Therefore, standards appeared here, on which images of the emperor were placed.

Religious laws were alien to Pilate. This led to a conflict that did not end after the story with the standards, but flared up even more because of the announcement of the construction of an aqueduct in Jerusalem.

The main act during his work as a prosecutor was the trial of Jesus Christ. This situation happened on the eve of the Jewish Passover. For the sake of searching for the truth, Pilate arrived in Jerusalem. They arrested Jesus on the night of Thursday to Friday, after which they brought the man to the Sanhedrin. The elders wanted to destroy the Savior, but the procurator of Judea always had the last word.

The main goal of the Sanhedrin was to create the image of Christ as a person who was a danger to the emperor. Anna was the first to speak at the trial, after which other members of the Sanhedrin arranged an interrogation. During the interrogation, Jesus gave arguments that destroyed the image created by the high priest. Christ talked about how he never hid his own life, faith and preaching.

The priests offered Pontius Pilate to accuse Jesus Christ of blasphemy and incitement to rebellion, but proof was required. Then false evidence came to the aid of the accusers. The Savior, as the Jews called Jesus, did not utter a word in his defense. This caused even more indignation on the part of the Sanhedrin.

The Council sentenced Christ to death, but this decision was not final, since the final point in similar cases could only be put by the procurator. And then he appeared - Pontius Pilate, dressed in a snow-white cloak. This action was later called "Pilate's court".

Jesus was brought before the procurator early in the morning. Now the fate of Christ depended entirely on the man in the cloak. The Gospel says that during the trial, Jesus was subjected to torture more than once, including the laying on of a crown of thorns and scourging. The procurator did not want to interfere in this difficult matter, but there were no opportunities to avoid a trial.

The collected evidence of Jesus' guilt seemed insufficient to Pilate, so the procurator denied the death penalty three times. But the Sanhedrin did not agree with this decision, so they provided a new version of the accusation related to politics. Pilate was informed that Christ considers himself the King of the Jews, and this is a dangerous crime, as it threatens the emperor.

This was not enough, because in the last conversation with Jesus, Pontius realized that there was no fault for this person, and the accusations were far-fetched. But at the end of the conversation, Christ announced the royal origin, noted in the genealogy. This was the last straw for Pilate, so the procurator sent Jesus to be scourged.

At the same time, a servant addressed Pontius with a message from his wife, who had a prophetic dream. According to the woman, Pilate should not endure the punishment of the Righteous, otherwise he could suffer himself. But the verdict was carried out: Christ was beaten with scourges with lead spikes, dressed up in clownish outfits, and a wreath of thorns was put on his head.

But even this did not stop people from indignation. The public urged the procurator to pass a more serious sentence. Pontius Pilate could not disobey the people because of a certain amount of cowardice, so he decided to execute Jesus Christ. After this "crime", the procurator underwent a procedure for washing his hands. This made it possible to fix non-involvement in the committed murder.

Personal life

Historical references confirm that Pontius Pilate was married to Claudia Procula. The wife of the famous procurator was the illegitimate daughter of the emperor Tiberius, respectively, the granddaughter of the ruler.

Many years later, Claudia came to Christianity. After his death, Procula was canonized as a saint. Every year, the wife of Pontius Pilate is honored on November 9th.

Death

The execution of Jesus Christ did not pass without a trace for Pontius Pilate. The procurator was forced to leave the Holy Land and go to Gaul. This is the only reliable information about the last stage of a man's life. Historians believe that Pontius Pilate's conscience did not allow him to continue to live in peace, so the procurator committed suicide.

Other sources say that after exiling to Gaul, Nero signed a decree on the need to punish the ex-procurator. The man was to be executed. No man can resist the emperor. According to other sources, Pilate died as a result of suicide, after which the body of Pontius was found in the river. It happened on one of the high mountain lakes of the Alps.

Image in culture

In culture, the image of Pontius Pilate is used regularly. But the most striking is still considered the work of Mikhail Bulgakov "Master and Margarita". Here Pontius Pilate is the main villain who destroyed Jesus Christ. The author tells in one of the parts of the novel about the meeting of Yeshua Ga-Notsri, who preached good, and the procurator.

The position of Pilate meant that Pontius was required to do justice to the accused. But the pressure of society did not always allow it to remain so. Once the procurator wanted to punish Judas, who had betrayed Yeshua. But this caused a storm of emotions not among the people, but in the soul of Pontius Pilate. Doubts torn apart the procurator.

The book "The Master and Margarita" has long been "disassembled" into quotes that appear on social networks. The author raised to the surface those same eternal questions about good and evil, justice and betrayal.

The novel "The Master and Margarita" received several adaptations. The first film was presented to the public in 1972. After 17 years, the audience got acquainted with a new vision of Bulgakov's book, presented by the director. The television series, which was released on Russian screens already in 2005, gained great popularity. Pontius Pilate in this novel on TV was played by a famous Soviet actor.

Memory

• 1898 - "The Game of Passion"
• 1916 - "Christ"
• 1927 - "King of kings"
• 1942 - "Jesus of Nazareth"
• 1953 - "The Shroud"
• 1956 - "Pontius Pilate"
• 1972 - "Pilate and others"
• 1988 - "The Last Temptation of Christ"
• 1999 - "Jesus"
• 2004 - "The Passion of the Christ"
• 2005 - Master and Margarita
• 2010 - "Ben-Hur"

Pontius Pilate is the procurator of Judea, a character in M. A. Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, a real historical figure. A characteristic detail in the appearance of the hero is a white cloak with a bloody lining, which symbolizes the connection of holiness with blood. One of the most important moral and psychological problems in the novel is connected with this hero - this is a criminal weakness that led to the execution of an innocent person.

Being a misanthrope and a pessimist, the procurator was attached only to his dog Bange and constantly suffered from severe migraines. However, Yeshua Ha-Nozri managed to heal him for a while, which made him convinced not only of the innocence of the prisoner, but also of his miraculous power. If not for one circumstance, Pontius Pilate was ready to sign an acquittal to the accused and send him to Kemaria Stratonov, where the residence of the procurator was located.

Compared with the historical prototype, Bulgakov's hero was much ennobled. So, for example, the subtext did not indicate his greed and love for bribery, because of which the procurator was later removed from his post. According to medieval legend, the name of the hero comes from the names of his parents - Pila (miller's daughter) and At (star-gazer king). In Yershalaim, it was customary to call him nothing more than hegemon.