In the novel M.A. Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita are two plots. The Moscow chapters depict contemporary to the writer reality of the thirties of the twentieth century. The novel was created in the era of a totalitarian state, during the period of Stalinist repressions. During this terrible time, people disappeared from their apartments without a trace and never returned there. Fear constrained people, and they were afraid to have their own opinion, to openly express their thoughts. Society was gripped by a mass psychosis of spy mania. Atheism has become part public policy, and denunciation was elevated to the rank of virtue. Evil and violence, meanness and betrayal triumphed. The humanist writer believed in the power of good and was confident that evil must be punished.

Therefore, in Moscow in the thirties, with the power of his imagination, he places the devil, who in the novel bears the name Woland. Bulgakov's Satan differs from the traditional image of the devil that exists in religious consciousness. He does not at all persuade people to sin, does not tempt them with temptations. He exposes existing vices and punishes sinners, bringing just retribution and thus serving the cause of good.

The second plot is presented as a master's novel about Pontius Pilate. To affirm eternal spiritual values, the writer turns to gospel images.

Christian motifs are associated with the images of Yeshua, Pontius Pilate, Levi Matthew and Judas.

Pontius Pilate appears on the pages of the novel in all the majesty of a man with enormous power - “in a white cloak with bloody lining, with a shuffling cavalry gait,” he goes out into the covered colonnade between the two wings of the palace of Herod the Great. The Roman governor is the fifth procurator of Judea. He has the right to sign death warrants. And at the same time, M. Bulgakov endows his hero with physical weakness - a painful headache - “hemicrania,” in which half his head hurts. He suffers terribly from an “invincible” disease for which there is no cure, no salvation. In such a painful state, Pontius Pilate begins the interrogation of the “person under investigation from Galilee.” The procurator must approve the death sentence of the Sanhedrin.

The image of Pontius Pilate in the novel is the most complex and contradictory. The name of this hero is associated with the problem of conscience, posed very acutely. Using the example of the image of an all-powerful procurator, the idea is affirmed that “cowardice is the most terrible vice.”

Pontius Pilate is a brave and courageous man, he bravely fought in battle “near Idistavizo, in the Valley of the Virgins.” “The infantry maniple fell into the bag, and if the cavalry tour had not cut in from the flank, and I commanded it, you, philosopher, would not have had to talk to the Rat Slayer,” he says to Yeshua. In battle, the procurator is not afraid of death and is ready to come to the rescue of his comrade. This man is endowed with enormous power, he approves death sentences, the lives of those convicted are in his hands. But, nevertheless, Pontius Pilate admits weakness and shows cowardice, condemning to death a man whose innocence he did not doubt for a minute.

To understand why the hegemon made such a decision, one should turn to the interrogation scene in Herod's palace. Great.

The interrogation episode can be divided into two parts. In the first part, Pontius Pilate decides to abolish the death penalty, since he sees nothing criminal in the actions of the wandering philosopher. Yeshua did not persuade the people to destroy the Yershalaim temple. He spoke figuratively, and the tax collector misunderstood and distorted the philosopher's thought. In the second part of the interrogation, Pontius Pilate stands in front of moral problem conscience, the problem of moral choice. On a piece of parchment, the procurator reads a denunciation against Yeshua. Judas of Kiriath asked a provocative question about state power. The wandering philosopher replied that all power is violence, that in the future there will be no power, but the kingdom of truth and justice will come.

The procurator is faced with a choice: not to sign the death warrant means breaking the law on lese majeste; To recognize Yeshua as guilty means to save oneself from punishment, but to condemn an ​​innocent person to death.

For Pontius Pilate, this is a painful choice: the voice of conscience tells him that the arrested person is not guilty. When the procurator read the denunciation, it seemed to him that the prisoner’s head floated away somewhere, and instead of it appeared the bald head of Herod with a rare-toothed golden crown. This vision symbolizes the choice that Pontius Pilate will make. He is trying to somehow save Yeshua by sending “signals” so that he renounces his words about the great Caesar, but the wandering philosopher is used to telling only the truth. The Roman procurator is not internally free, he is afraid of punishment and therefore insincere. “There has never been and never will be a greater and more beautiful power in the world than the power of Emperor Tiberius,” says Pilate and looks with hatred at the secretary and the convoy. He utters words that he does not believe in, fearing the denunciation of witnesses to his interrogation. Pontius Pilate made his choice by approving the death sentence, because he was not ready to take the place of a wandering philosopher, he showed cowardice and cowardice.

The main thing can no longer be changed, and the procurator strives to change at least minor circumstances in order to drown out the pangs of conscience. Showing sympathy for the condemned man, he gives the order to kill Yeshua on the cross so that he does not suffer for a long time. He orders the murder of the informer Judas and the return of the money to the high priest. The procurator is trying to at least somehow make amends for his guilt, to assuage remorse.

An important role in the novel is played by the dream that the Roman procurator saw after the execution of Yeshua. In his dream, he walks accompanied by his dog Banga, the only creature to whom he feels affection. And next to him, along a transparent blue road, a wandering philosopher walks, and they argue about something complex and important, and neither of them can defeat the other. In a dream, the procurator convinces himself that there was no execution. He recalls the words spoken by Yeshua before his execution, which are conveyed by the head of the service, Afaniy: “... among human vices he considers cowardice to be one of the most important." In a dream, the procurator objects to the wandering philosopher: "... this is the most terrible vice!" He recalls his courage in battle: "... the current procurator of Judea was not a coward, but a former tribune in the legion , then, in the Valley of the Maidens, when the furious Germans almost killed the Giant Rat Slayer." In a dream, the procurator makes the right choice. Even in the morning he would not have ruined his career because of a man who committed a crime against Caesar. But at night he weighed everything and came to the conclusion that he agrees to destroy himself in order to save “a completely innocent, insane dreamer and doctor” from execution. It is shown here that the procurator repents of his cowardice. He understands that he has made a terrible mistake. But he is capable of feat and self-sacrifice. If it were possible to change everything or turn back time, Pontius Pilate would not have signed the death warrant. “We will always be together now,” says Ga-Nozri. This is about the very immortality that for some reason the procurator thought about when he read it. Judas's denunciation. The immortality of Yeshua lies in the fact that he remained faithful to the preaching of goodness and ascended to the cross for the sake of people. This is a feat of self-sacrifice. Pilate's immortality lies in the fact that he showed cowardice and, out of cowardice, signed the death warrant of an innocent man. No one would want such immortality. At the end of the novel, the procurator claims that “more than anything in the world he hates his immortality and unheard-of glory.” He says that he would willingly exchange his fate with the ragged vagabond Levi Matvey."

I. The unusual nature of the novel “The Master and Margarita”.

II. Cowardice is the basis of all human vices.

1. Woland lifts the “curtain” of time.

2. The Master is the servant of truth.

3. The fortitude of a wandering philosopher.

4. Pontius Pilate – representative of the authority of imperial Rome.

5. Strength and weakness of Margarita.

III. “The Master and Margarita” is a novel about the omnipotence of good.

The novel “The Master and Margarita” is the main work of M. Bulgakov. There is hardly a person, even good creative a writer who would claim to have found the keys to all the mysteries hidden in the novel. A. Akhmatova was one of the first to highly appreciate the novel “The Master and Margarita” and said about Bulgakov: “He is a genius.” One cannot but agree with this description of the writer.

M. Bulgakov in the novel “The Master and Margarita” raises questions about man and time, about the balance of light and darkness, about the mutual transition of good and evil. Among everything is the theme of human vices.

The words of the hero of the novel, Ga-Notsri, affirm the idea that one of the main human vices is cowardice. This idea can be seen throughout the novel. The all-seeing Woland, lifting the “curtain” of time for us, shows that the course of history does not change human nature: Judas, aloisia (traitors, informers) exist at all times. But the basis of betrayal is also, most likely, cowardice - a vice that has always existed, a vice that underlies many grave sins. Aren't traitors cowards? Aren't flatterers cowards? And if a person is lying, he is also afraid of something. Back in the eighteenth century, the French philosopher C. Helvetius argued that “after courage, there is nothing more beautiful than a confession of cowardice.”

In his novel, Bulgakov argues that man is responsible for improving the world in which he lives. The position of non-participation is not acceptable. Can the Master be called a hero? Most likely not. The master failed to remain a fighter to the end. The Master is not a hero, he is only a servant of truth. The Master cannot be a hero, since he chickened out and abandoned his book. He is broken by the adversity that befell him, but he also broke himself. Then, when I escaped from reality to the Stravinsky clinic, when I convinced myself that “there is no need to make big plans.” He doomed himself to inaction of the spirit. He is not a creator, he is only a Master, and therefore he is granted only “peace”.

Yeshua is a wandering young philosopher who came to Yershalaim to preach his teaching. Yeshua physically weak person, but at the same time he is a personality, he is a man of thought. He is higher than the Master. Both the teachings of Yeshua and the work of the Master are unique moral and artistic centers. The masters, unlike Yeshua, were nevertheless broken by the difficult trials they endured and forced to abandon creativity. He chickened out, burned the manuscripts and took refuge in a mental hospital. Opportunity for creative life A master finds only in the other world. Yeshua is weak physically, but strong spiritually. Under no circumstances does he renounce his views. Yeshua believes that a person can be changed for the better with good. It is very difficult to be kind, so it is easy to replace goodness with all sorts of surrogates, which often happens. But if a person does not chicken out and does not give up his views, then such goodness is omnipotent. The “tramp”, the “weak man” managed to turn the life of Pontius Pilate, the “almighty ruler” upside down.

Pontius Pilate is the representative of the authority of imperial Rome in Judea. Rich life experience Ga-Nozri helps him understand this man. Pontius Pilate does not want to ruin the life of Yeshua, he tries to persuade him to compromise, and when this fails, he wants to persuade the high priest Kaifa to have mercy on Ha-Notsri on the occasion of the Easter holiday. Pontius Pilate shows pity, compassion, and fear towards Yeshua. It is fear that ultimately determines the choice of Pontius Pilate. This fear is born of dependence on the state, the need to follow its interests. For M. Bulgakov, Pontius Pilate is not just a coward, an apostate, but he is also a victim. By apostatizing from Yeshua, he destroys both himself and his soul. Even after physical death, he is doomed to mental suffering, from which only Yeshua can save him.

Margarita – weak woman. But she is taller than the Master. Indeed, in the name of her love and faith in the talent of her lover, she overcomes fear and her own weakness, and even overcomes circumstances. Yes, Margarita is not ideal person: having become a witch, she destroys the house of writers, participates in Satan's ball with the greatest sinners of all times and peoples. But she didn't chicken out. Margarita fights for her love to the end. It is not for nothing that Bulgakov calls for love and mercy to be the basis of human relations.

In the novel “The Master and Margarita,” according to A. Z. Vulis, there is a philosophy of retribution: what you deserve, you get. The biggest vice - cowardice - will certainly entail retribution: torment of the soul and conscience. Even in The White Guard, M. Bulgakov warned: “Never run like a rat into the unknown from danger.”

It is stunning in its depth and comprehensiveness. Satirical chapters in which Woland's retinue fools the Moscow inhabitants are mixed in the novel with lyrical chapters dedicated to the Master and Margarita. The fantastic in the novel peeks out from behind the everyday, evil spirits walk the streets of Moscow, the beautiful Margarita turns into a witch, and the administrator of the Variety Show becomes a vampire. The composition of “The Master and Margarita” is also unusual: the book consists of two novels: the actual novel about tragic fate The Master and four chapters from the Master's novel about Pontius Pilate.
The “Yershalaim” chapters represent the substantive and philosophical center of the novel. The novel about Pilate refers the reader to the text of Holy Scripture, but at the same time creatively rethinks the Gospel. There are important differences between his hero Yeshua Ha-Nozri and the Jesus of the Gospels: Yeshua has no followers except the former tax collector Levi Matthew, a man "with a goat's parchment" who records Ha-Nozri's speeches, but "writes it down incorrectly." Yeshua, when interrogated by Pilate, denies that he entered the city on a donkey, and the crowd greeted him with shouts. The crowd most likely beat up the wandering philosopher - he comes to interrogation with his face already disfigured. Moreover, Yeshua is not the main character of the Master’s novel, although his preaching of love and truth is undoubtedly important for the philosophy of the novel. The main character of the “Yershalaim” chapters is the fifth procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate.
The main moral issues of the novel are associated with the image of Pontius Pilate, such as the problem of conscience and power, cowardice and mercy. A meeting with Yeshua changes the procurator's life forever. In the interrogation scene, he is almost motionless, but the external staticity further emphasizes his excitement, the dynamism and freedom of his thoughts, the intense internal struggle with the principles and laws familiar to him. Pilate understands that the “wandering philosopher” is innocent, he passionately wants to talk with him longer. He sees in Yeshua an intelligent and truthful interlocutor, is carried away by the conversation with him, for a moment forgetting that he is conducting an interrogation, and Pilate’s secretary drops the parchment in horror, hearing the conversation of two free people. The revolution in Pilate's soul is symbolized by the swallow that flies into the hall during the conversation between the procurator and Yeshua; her fast and easy flight symbolizes freedom, in particular freedom of conscience. It was during her flight that the decision to justify the “wandering philosopher” arises in Pilate’s head. When the “law of lese majeste” intervenes in the matter, Pilate “with a wild gaze” sees off the same swallow, realizing the illusory nature of his freedom.
Pilate's internal torment occurs because his power, practically unlimited in Judea, is now becoming his weak point. Cowardly and vile laws, like the law of insulting Caesar, order him to sentence the philosopher to execution. But his heart, his conscience tells him about Yeshua’s innocence. The concept of conscience is closely connected in the novel with the concept of power. Pilate cannot sacrifice his career in order to save the “fool” Yeshua. So it turns out that the outwardly omnipotent procurator, who inspires horror in his servants, turns out to be powerless when it comes to the laws of conscience, and not the state. Pilate is afraid to protect Yeshua. A scary ghost the image of the Roman emperor appears before the procurator in the semi-darkness of the palace: “...on his bald head sat a rare-toothed crown; there was a round ulcer on the forehead, corroding the skin and covered with ointment; a sunken, toothless mouth with a drooping, capricious lower lip.” For the sake of such an emperor, Pilate has to condemn Yeshua. The procurator feels almost physical torment when, standing on the platform, he announces the beginning of the execution of criminals, everyone except Bar-Rabban: “A green fire flared up under his eyelids, his brain caught fire...”. It seems to him that everything around him has died, after which he himself experiences real spiritual death: “... it seemed to him that the sun, ringing, burst above him and filled his ears with fire. Roars, squeals, groans, laughter and whistles raged in this fire.”
After the execution of the criminals took place, Pilate learns from the faithful Afranius that during the execution Ha-Nozri was laconic and said only that “among human vices, he considers cowardice to be one of the most important.” The procurator understands that Yeshua read his last sermon for him; his excitement is revealed by a “suddenly cracked voice.” The Horseman Golden Spear cannot be called a coward - several years ago he saved the giant Ratkiller by rushing to his aid in the midst of the Germans. But spiritual cowardice, fear for one’s position in society, fear of public ridicule and the wrath of the Roman emperor are stronger than fear in battle. Too late, Pilate overcomes his fear. He dreams that he is walking next to the philosopher on a moonbeam, arguing, and they “do not agree with each other on anything,” which makes their argument especially interesting. And when the philosopher tells Pilate that cowardice is one of the most terrible vices, the procurator objects to him: “this is the most terrible vice.” In a dream, the procurator realizes that he now agrees to “ruin his career” for the sake of “an innocent, crazy dreamer and doctor.”
Having called cowardice “the most terrible vice,” the procurator decides his fate. Punishment for Pontius Pilate becomes immortality and “unheard-of glory.” And 2000 years later, people will still remember and repeat his name as the name of the man who condemned the “wandering philosopher” to execution. And the procurator himself sits on a stone platform and sleeps for about two thousand years, and only on a full moon is he tormented by insomnia. His dog Bunga shares his punishment for "an eternity." As Woland will explain this to Margarita: “... whoever loves must share the fate of the one he loves.”
According to the Master's novel, Pilate tries to atone for Yeshua by ordering the death of Judas. But murder, even under the guise of just revenge, contradicts Yeshua’s entire life philosophy. Perhaps Pilate’s thousand-year punishment is connected not only with his betrayal of Ha-Nozri, but also with the fact that he “did not listen to the end” of the philosopher, did not fully understand him.
At the end of the novel, the Master lets his hero run along the moonbeam to Yeshua, who, according to Woland, read the novel.
How is the motive of cowardice transformed in the “Moscow” chapters of the novel? One can hardly accuse the Master of cowardice, who burned his novel, abandoned everything and voluntarily went to a mental hospital. This is a tragedy of fatigue, unwillingness to live and create. “I have nowhere to escape,” the Master answers Ivan, who suggested that it would be easy to escape from the hospital, possessing, like the Master, a bunch of all the hospital keys. Perhaps Moscow writers can be accused of cowardice, because the literary situation in Moscow in the 30s of the 20th century was such that a writer could only create things pleasing to the state, or not write at all. But this motive appears in the novel only as a hint, a guess of the Master. He admits to Ivan that he critical articles in his address it was clear that “the authors of these articles are not saying what they want to say, and that their rage is caused precisely by this.”
Thus, the motive of cowardice is embodied mainly in the novel about Pontius Pilate. The fact that the Master's novel evokes associations with the biblical text gives the novel a universal significance and imbues it with cultural and historical associations. The novel's problematics endlessly expand, incorporating all human experience, forcing every reader to think about why cowardice turns out to be “the worst vice.”

Everything that Bulgakov experienced in his life, both happy and difficult - he gave all his main thoughts and discoveries, all his soul and all his talent to the novel “The Master and Margarita”. Bulgakov wrote “The Master and Margarita” as a historically and psychologically reliable book about his time and people, and therefore the novel became a unique human document of that remarkable era. Bulgakov presents many problems on the pages of the novel. Bulgakov puts forward the idea that everyone is given what they deserve, what you believed in is what you get. In this regard, he also touches on the problem of human cowardice. The author considers cowardice to be the greatest sin in life. This is shown through the image of Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the procurator in Yershalaim.

One of those whom he judged is Yeshua. The author develops the theme of cowardice through the eternal theme of the unjust trial of Christ. Pontius Pilate lives by his own laws: he knows that the world is divided into those who rule and those who obey them, that the formula “the slave submits to the master” is unshakable. And suddenly a person appears who thinks differently. Pontius Pilate understood perfectly well that Yeshua did not commit nothing for which he needs to be executed. But for an acquittal, the opinion of the procurator was not enough. He personified the power, the opinion of many, and in order to be found innocent, Yeshua had to accept the laws of the crowd. In order to resist the crowd, a large one is needed. Inner strength and courage. Yeshua possessed such qualities, boldly and fearlessly expressing his point of view. life philosophy: «... evil people no, there are unhappy people in the world.” Pilate was just as unhappy. For Yeshua, the opinion of the crowd means nothing; even being in such a dangerous situation for himself, he strives to help others. Pilate was immediately convinced of Ga-Notsrp's innocence. Moreover, Yeshua was able to relieve the severe headache that tormented the procurator. But Pilate did not listen to his “inner” voice, the voice of conscience, but followed the lead of the crowd. The procurator tried to save the stubborn “prophet” from imminent execution, but he resolutely did not want to give up his “truth.” It turns out that the all-powerful ruler is also dependent on the opinions of others, the opinions of the crowd. Because of the fear of denunciation, the fear of ruining his own career, Pilate goes against his convictions, the voice of humanity and conscience. And Pontius Pilate shouts so that everyone can hear: “Criminal!” Yeshua is executed. Pilate is not afraid for his life - nothing threatens her - but for his career. And when he has to decide whether to risk his career or send to death the person who managed to conquer him with his mind, amazing power his word, something else unusual, he prefers the latter. Cowardice is the main problem of Pontius Pilate. “Cowardice is undoubtedly one of the most terrible vices,” Pontius Pilate hears the words of Yeshua in a dream. “No, philosopher, I object to you: this is the most terrible vice!” - the author of the book suddenly intervenes and speaks in his full voice. Bulgakov condemns cowardice without mercy or condescension, because he knows: people who have set evil as their goal - there are, in essence, few of them - are not as dangerous as those who seem ready to advance good, but are cowardly and cowardly. Fear turns good and personally brave people into blind instruments of evil will. The procurator realizes that he has committed treason and tries to justify himself to himself, deceiving himself that his actions were correct and the only possible. Pontius Pilate was punished with immortality for his cowardice. It turns out that his immortality is a punishment. It is a punishment for the choices a person makes in their life. Pilate made his choice. And the biggest problem is that his actions were guided by petty fears. He sat on his stone chair on the mountains for two thousand years and saw the same dream for two thousand years - he couldn’t imagine a more terrible torment, especially since this dream was his most secret dream. He claims that he did not agree on something then, on the fourteenth month of Nisan, and wants to go back to correct everything. Pilate's eternal existence cannot be called life; it is a painful state that will never end. The author still gives Pilate the opportunity to be released. Life began when the Master folded his hands into a megaphone and shouted: “Free!” After much torment and suffering, Pilate is finally forgiven.

Everything that Bulgakov experienced in his life, both happy and difficult - he gave all his main thoughts and discoveries, all his soul and all his talent to the novel “The Master and Margarita”. Bulgakov wrote “The Master and Margarita” as a historically and psychologically reliable book about his time and people, and therefore the novel became a unique human document of that remarkable era. Bulgakov presents many problems on the pages of the novel. Bulgakov puts forward the idea that everyone is given what they deserve, what you believed in is what you get. In this regard, he also touches on the problem of human cowardice. The author considers cowardice to be the greatest sin in life. This is shown through the image of Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the procurator in Yershalaim. One of those whom he judged is Yeshua Ha-Nozrp. The author develops the theme of cowardice through the eternal theme of the unjust trial of Christ. Pontius Pilate lives by his own laws: he knows that the world is divided into those who rule and those who obey them, that the formula “the slave submits to the master” is unshakable. And suddenly a person appears who thinks differently. Pontius Pilate understood perfectly well that Yeshua did not commit nothing for which he needs to be executed. But for an acquittal, the opinion of the procurator was not enough. He personified the power, the opinion of many, and in order to be found innocent, Yeshua had to accept the laws of the crowd. In order to resist the crowd, a large one is needed. Inner strength and courage. Yeshua possessed such qualities, boldly and fearlessly expressing his point of view. Yeshua has his own philosophy of life: “... there are no evil people in the world, there are unhappy people.” Pilate was so unhappy. For Yeshua, the opinion of the crowd means nothing. does not mean that even in such a dangerous situation for himself, Pilate was immediately convinced of Ga-Nosrp’s innocence. Moreover, Yeshua was able to relieve the severe headache that tormented the procurator. But Pilate did not listen to his “inner” voice, the voice of conscience, but followed the lead of the crowd. The procurator tried to save the stubborn “prophet” from imminent execution, but he resolutely did not want to give up his “truth.” It turns out that the all-powerful ruler is also dependent on the opinions of others, the opinions of the crowd. Because of the fear of denunciation, the fear of ruining his own career, Pilate goes against his convictions, the voice of humanity and conscience. And Pontius Pilate shouts so that everyone can hear: “Criminal!” Yeshua is executed. Pilate is not afraid for his life - nothing threatens her - but for his career. And when he has to decide whether to risk his career or send to death a person who managed to conquer him with his intelligence, the amazing power of his word, or something else unusual, he prefers the latter. Cowardice is the main problem of Pontius Pilate. “Cowardice is undoubtedly one of the most terrible vices,” Pontius Pilate hears the words of Yeshua in a dream. “No, philosopher, I object to you: this is the most terrible vice!” - the author of the book suddenly intervenes and speaks in his full voice. Bulgakov condemns cowardice without mercy or condescension, because he knows: people who have set evil as their goal - there are, in essence, few of them - are not as dangerous as those who seem ready to advance good, but are cowardly and cowardly. Fear turns good and personally brave people into blind instruments of evil will. The procurator realizes that he has committed treason and tries to justify himself to himself, deceiving himself that his actions were correct and the only possible. Pontius Pilate was punished with immortality for his cowardice. It turns out that his immortality is a punishment. It is a punishment for the choices a person makes in their life. Pilate made his choice. And the biggest problem is that his actions were guided by petty fears. He sat on his stone chair on the mountains for two thousand years and saw the same dream for two thousand years - he couldn’t imagine a more terrible torment, especially since this dream was his most secret dream. He claims that he did not agree on something then, on the fourteenth month of Nisan, and wants to go back to correct everything. Pilate's eternal existence cannot be called life; it is a painful state that will never end. The author still gives Pilate the opportunity to be released. Life began when the Master folded his hands into a megaphone and shouted: “Free!” After much torment and suffering, Pilate is finally forgiven.