Biblical pages of the novel by M.A. Bulgakov

"Master and Margarita"

Lesson type: lesson-seminar using ICT.

Lesson objectives:

Introducing students to reading literature with philosophical content.

Work to develop the culture of speech, memory and outlook of students.

Develop students' teamwork skills.

Lesson objectives:

Introduce students to individual chapters of the novel by M.A. Bulgakov.

Identify the core idea and problematics of the novel through text analysis.

Teach students to think, think logically, and prove their point of view.

Analyze the image of the writer, get into his thoughts and feelings through watching a film, slides .

Lesson equipment:

" He is a genius"

"The Master and Margarita"

During the classes.

Teacher's word:

In the previous lesson, we began to get acquainted with the life and work of Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov, the difficult fate of his wonderful works. We also learned the history of the creation of his most popular novel, “The Master and Margarita,” and got acquainted with the first chapter of this work.

Today in class we will continue our conversation about the novel “The Master and Margarita” ».

The topic of our lesson today is “Biblical pages” in the novel by M.A. Bulgakov.

(Start viewing slides)

The novel “The Master and Margarita” is the main work of M. Bulgakov, the beloved child of his imagination, his literary feat. Indeed, during the times of Stalinist repressions and the dominance of sociological criticism, one could not expect a miracle. Therefore, Bulgakov, like his hero - the Master - did not believe in the possibility of seeing his novel published. But in our time it is one of the most read and beloved works.

As we have already noted, this is a multi-genre novel: satirical, philosophical, fantastic, love-lyrical, everyday, NOVEL - MYTH - this is how critics define the genre of this work.

The action of the novel lasts only 4 days (begins on Wednesday and ends on Sunday night, on Easter.) But in this short period of time the writer covers events that occur in three time frames. 1. Moscow of the 30s (Earthly World). 2) “Biblical world”. And 3) Eternity (the other world).

Time and space sometimes compress, sometimes expand, sometimes converge at one point, sometimes intersect, sometimes lose boundaries, that is, they are both concrete and conditional. Let's get acquainted with pages of the novel, where the philosophical side of the work and the main idea of ​​the novel are revealed. It is the philosophical questions raised by Bulgakov in this work that pull everything together. storylines books. And the first question:

“Who controls human life and the entire order on earth?” asks Woland. How does Ivan Bezdomny answer this question?

What arguments does Woland give to refute this?

And if a person’s life is really all woven from accidents, then can he vouch for tomorrow, for his future? What is the truth in this chaotic world? - The author poses these questions in the “gospel” chapters of the novel - a kind of ideological center of the novel.

3. So, what kind of person is Pontius Pilate? (we read the encyclopedic reference on the slide, talk about Chapter 2)

4. Who does Bulgakov mean under the name Yeshua Ha-Nozri?

(slide: encyclopedic reference about Jesus, story about Yeshua from Chapter 2 of the novel)

Let's try to compare the true biblical pages and the “gospel” pages of Bulgakov according to the scheme:

Name - who betrayed him,

Age, what execution he took,

Disciples of Christ (Yeshua) - after the execution?

Origin,

What are the similarities and differences? What does the author achieve by changing the story of Jesus?

5. Philosophy of Yeshua? (viewing an excerpt from V. Bortko’s film “The Master and Margarita” Scene of Yeshua’s interrogation by the Roman procurator.)

6. Pontius Pilate’s behavior during interrogation.

7. What philosophical question does he ask Yeshua? (What is TRUTH?) How does the wandering philosopher answer this?

8. Why does Pontius Pilate still approve the death sentence?

Ch. 25 - 26

What worries Pontius Pilate during the hours of execution?

10. Why was Pilate’s dream introduced into the narrative?

Pilate's life has long been at a dead end. Power and greatness did not make him happy. He is dead in soul. Only in a dream can he and is ready to ruin his career as the procurator of Judea, ready to save the innocent “mad dreamer and doctor” from execution. But in reality the procurator is adamant, and for him “there is no greater power than the power of Emperor Tiberius.”

11. How does the procurator of Judea justify his cowardice?

12. Why Bulgakov Does he consider cowardice to be the main vice of humanity?

13. The story of Judah of Kiriath?

14. How does Pontius Pilate want to make amends to Yeshua?

Ch. 32

15. At the end of the novel we learn about the fate of the Roman procurator. What is she like? (How does the Master end his novel? Why?)

16. So who is it anyway? main character V The Master's novel ? Why?

17. Let’s try to find unique counterparts to the heroes of the Yershalaim pages among the heroes living in Moscow in the 30s and the heroes of the other world. (Yeshua - Master, Judas - Aloysius, Pontius Pilate - Woland). Explain these correspondences.

So, the “biblical” pages of M. Bulgakov’s novel help us figure out main idea novel : Human destiny is determined by the continuous search for truth. And Bulgakov’s novel is precisely about man’s responsibility for all the good and evil that happens on earth, for his own choice life paths, leading either to truth and freedom, or to slavery, betrayal and inhumanity. It was for these philosophical conclusions that M. Bulgakov received high praise from A. Akhmatova: “He is a Genius”

Now let's see how attentive you were in class. Try to answer the questions of a short test based on the “Yershalaim” pages of the novel. And later solve the crossword puzzle. (working with ICT)

Homework : « Satirical image Moscow

30s" (chap. 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18, 28)

MBOU Lyceum No. 10 Bible chapters in the novel “The Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov The work was completed by Lyudmila Granovskaya, student of 11 “A” class

Bulgakov's novel is largely based on the comprehension and re-interpretation of evangelical and biblical ideas and plots. During the period of writing the novel, Bulgakov studied not only the text of the Gospels, but also numerous historical sources about Judea at the beginning of the era, Hebrew, and non-canonical interpretations. The author deliberately deviates from the gospel plot, offering his own vision of biblical motives.

The most controversial image from a biblical point of view is the image of Yeshua. The central motifs of the novel are connected with it: the motif of freedom, suffering and death, execution, forgiveness, mercy. These motifs receive a new, Bulgakovian embodiment in the novel, sometimes very far from the traditional biblical tradition. The first serious difference between the biblical motif of the Savior and Bulgakov’s interpretation is that Yeshua in the novel does not declare his messianic destiny, and does not in any way define his divine essence, while the biblical Jesus says: “I am the Son of God,” “I and Father is one"

There is only one episode in the novel reminiscent of the gospel miracles performed by Jesus. "What is truth?" - Pontius Pilate asks Yeshua. This question, in a slightly different tone, is also found in the Gospel. Yeshua answers this question: “The truth, first of all, is that you have a headache... But your torment will now end, your headache will pass.” The healing of Pontius Pilate is the only healing and the only miracle performed by Yeshua. Consequently, Bulgakov’s Yeshua is not a god-man, and a man, at times weak, even pitiful, extremely lonely, but great in his spirit and all-conquering kindness. He does not preach all Christian dogmas, but only ideas of good that are significant for Christianity, but do not constitute the entire Christian teaching. One cannot hear from him about the future Kingdom. God, about the Salvation of sinners, about the afterlife reward for the righteous and sinners. Bulgakov’s earthly Savior, and seeks goodness here on the sinful earth. Gospel Jesus, Yeshua has only one student, Levi Matvey, since Bulgakov believes that one person in a generation who has accepted a certain idea is enough for this idea to live for centuries. Biblical motifs in the image of Yeshua have undergone serious refraction.

Recreating gospel events is one of the most important traditions of world and Russian literature. What is unique about the interpretation of the Gospel events in M. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”? First of all, M. Bulgakov turns to these events in times when faith in God is not only questioned, but mass unbelief becomes the law of life of the state Question Answer

By returning all these events and speaking about them as an undoubted reality, the writer goes against his time and knows perfectly well what this entails. But the biblical chapters of the novel are vital as a reminder of the first, initial mistake - not recognizing Truth and Good. Biblical chapters can be classified as parable novels. Events are presented objectively and dispassionately. There are absolutely no direct appeals from the author to the reader. There is no expression of the author's assessment of the behavior of the characters. True, there is no morality, but it, apparently, is not needed, because the moral accents in these chapters are placed very clearly.

In the master's novel there are three main characters: Yeshua, Pontius Pilate, Judas. Yeshua is the bearer of moral truth, inaccessible to people. In M. Bulgakov, Judas, unlike the gospel tradition, is not a disciple or follower of Yeshua.

Pontius Pilate is the central figure in the Yershalaim layer. The master says that he is writing a novel about Pilate. Pilate immediately sensed Yeshua's human uniqueness, but the traditions and morals of imperial Rome ultimately prevail, and he, in accordance with the Gospel canon, sends Yeshua to the cross. But M. Bulgakov refuses the canonical understanding of this situation; Pilate has a tragic face, torn between personal aspirations and political necessity, between humanity and power. M. Bulgakov clearly shows the feeling of tragic hopelessness and horror of what he did that fill Pilate’s soul. From this moment on, Pilate’s true life becomes a dream: the procurator walks along the lunar path with Yeshua, talking, and the execution is a pure misunderstanding, and their dialogue is endless. But in reality, the execution has not been canceled, and Pilate’s torment is also inevitable.

Novel "The Master and Margarita" - complex work. And although much has already been written and said about the novel, each of its readers is destined to discover and understand in their own way the artistic and philosophical values ​​hidden in its depths. Pilate's torment ends only after Yeshua's assurance that there was no execution. Yeshua grants forgiveness to Pilate and peace to the master who wrote the novel about Pilate. This is the outcome of the tragedy, but it occurs not in time, but in eternity.

What inspired Bulgakov to write the novel of his life, The Master and Margarita, remains a mystery. In the part that talks about the trial and execution of Jesus Christ, the author does not adhere to dogma christian church. This is not necessary, because this is a work of fiction, and the appeal to biblical legends and traditions only enhances the disclosure of the main theme of the novel.

Bulgakov's Yeshua is not a Jew, he is not 33, but 27 years old, he knows many languages, he is a philosopher, psychologist, and a wise traveler-preacher. And there is only one disciple in Yeshua - the former tax collector Levi Matthew, who interprets Yeshua's sermons in his own way. When asked by Pontius Pilate how Yeshua spoke sedition against the great Caesar, the arrested man honestly answered:

"It was like this. Judas showed interest in my thoughts, treated me, asked me to express my view on state power, said that any power is violence against people and that the time will come when there will be no power either by Caesar or by any other power, man will move into the kingdom of truth and justice, where no power is needed at all."

These words of Yeshua became decisive for Pontius Pilate and put an end to his hesitation. The cowardly Pontius Pilate recognized only the authority of Caesar. He was scared to even listen to such words from a mere mortal. It is from this situation that one of the main ideas of the novel follows: “the worst vice is cowardice.”

Pontius Pilate could not understand one simple truth arrested Yeshua: all people are kind and everything must be done to help a person show his kindness, for only goodness can change the world. The procurator even asked Yeshua again, or the executioner Shchurolup too a kind person? To which he answered in the affirmative: “If I talked to him, I think he would change...”. Pontius Pilate decided that Yeshua was crazy, and his fate was decided.

The picture of the execution of Yeshua is tragic in the novel. The only student of the doomed man also climbed Bald Mountain that way. He suffered from the fact that he could not help. He regretted that, due to his illness, he could not accompany Yeshua to the city, where the teacher was captured by the procurator’s servants. The disciple was obsessed with the idea of ​​killing Yeshua in order to save him from torment and suffering. How nice it would be to jump up to the cart, he thought, and stab someone doomed to martyrdom in the back with a knife: “Yeshua! I free you and leave with you! I, Matvey, are your faithful and only disciple!”

However, what should have happened happened. Yeshua was suspended from a pole and was slowly dying, losing consciousness. The executioner gave him a wet sponge with drops of water on his spear, and then poked Yeshua’s limp body with that spear. When the rain began and the executioners fled, Levi cut the bonds and took down first the teacher and then the dead bodies of the two robbers from the pillar. Several minutes passed, and only two bodies and three pillars remained on the top of the hill. The downpour continued, but there was no trace left of Levi and his teacher on the hill.

The last time Levi appears in a tunic and sandals is during a meeting with Woland: “I come to you, the spirit of evil and lord of shadows,” said tax collector Levi Matvey. “He sent me. He read the master’s work and asks you to take the master from himself and rewarded him with peace of mind." When Woland asked why they didn’t take the Master to themselves, Levi replied: “He didn’t deserve light, he deserved peace.” Great symbolism is contained in the fact that the author of the manuscript about Yeshua and Pontius Pilate deserves peace. For the Master, peace is the reward both for suffering and for the search for the meaning of life. Peace for the master is a great spiritual harmony between man and the world, it is a dream of heaven on earth, of the kingdom of truth and goodness.

Biblical stories in M. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”

Bulgakov's novel is largely based on the comprehension and re-interpretation of evangelical and biblical ideas and plots.

During the period of writing the novel, Bulgakov studied not only the text of the Gospels, but also numerous historical sources about Judea at the beginning of the era, Hebrew, and non-canonical interpretations. The author deliberately deviates from the gospel plot, offering his own vision of biblical motives.

The most controversial image from a biblical point of view is the image of Yeshua. The central motifs of the novel are connected with it: the motif of freedom, suffering and death, execution, forgiveness, mercy. These motifs receive a new, Bulgakovian embodiment in the novel, sometimes very far from the traditional biblical tradition.

Yeshua literally means Savior; Ha-Nozri means “from Nazareth”, Nazareth is a city in Galilee in which Saint Joseph lived and where the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary about the birth of the Son of God took place. Jesus, Mary and Joseph returned here after their stay in Egypt. Jesus spent his entire childhood and adolescence here. Thus, Bulgakov delves deeply into biblical interpretation.

The first serious difference between the biblical motif of the Savior and Bulgakov’s interpretation is that Yeshua in the novel does not declare his messianic destiny, and does not in any way define his divine essence, while the biblical Jesus says, for example, in a conversation with the Pharisees, that he is not simply the Messiah, and also the Son of God: “I and the Father are one.” But some lines of the novel associated with the image of Yeshua have a direct correlation with the Bible, for example: “...near him a column of dust caught fire.” Perhaps this description is intended to be associated with the thirteenth chapter of the Biblical book called “Exodus,” which tells about the exit of the Jews from Egyptian captivity, when God moved before them in the form of a cloud or a pillar of fire: “The Lord walked before them by day in a pillar of cloud, showing them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, giving them light, so that they might go both by day and by night. Then this place in the novel serves as the only indication of the divine essence of Yeshua.

There is only one episode in the novel that recalls the gospel miracles performed by Jesus. "What is truth?" - Pontius Pilate asks Yeshua. This question, in a slightly different tone, is also found in the Gospel of John: “Pilate said to him: “So, are you a king?” Jesus answered: “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world, to testify to the truth; everyone who is from the truth listens to my voice." In Bulgakov's novel, Yeshua answers this question: "The truth, first of all, is that you have a headache... But your torment will now end, your headache will pass..." The healing of Pontius Pilate is the only healing and the only miracle performed by Yeshua 5.

Jesus had disciples. Only one Levi, Matthew, followed Yeshua. Some researchers believe that the prototype of Matthew Levi was the biblical Apostle Matthew, who wrote the first Gospel. Before Matthew became a disciple of Jesus, he was a publican, that is, a tax collector, like Matthew Levi. It is known that Jesus, accompanied by his disciples, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And when in the novel Pilate asks Yeshua whether it is true that he “entered the city through the Susa Gate riding on a donkey,” he replies that he “doesn’t even have a donkey.” He came to Yershalaim exactly through the Susa Gate, but on foot, accompanied by only Levi Matthew, and no one shouted anything to him, since no one knew him in Yershalaim then.

Yeshua was only slightly acquainted with Judas from Kiriath, who betrayed him, and Judas from Kerioth was a disciple of Jesus. Obviously. That Bulgakov was not so worried about these relationships, he was much more interested in the question of the relationship between Yeshua Ha-Nozri and Pontius Pilate.

During the trial of Jesus, false witnesses confessed before the Sanhedrin: “...we heard him say: “I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will erect another, not made with hands.” Bulgakov makes an attempt to make his hero a prophet. Yeshua utters the following phrase: “I , hegemon, said that the temple of the old faith would collapse and a new temple of truth would be created..."

A serious difference between Bulgakov's hero and the biblical Jesus Christ is that Jesus does not avoid conflicts. “The essence and tone of his speeches,” says S.S. Averintsev, “are exceptional: the listener must either believe or become an enemy... Hence the inevitability of a tragic end.” And the words and actions of Yeshua Ha-Nozri are completely devoid of aggressiveness. The credo of his life lies in these words: “It is easy and pleasant to speak the truth.” The truth for Yeshua is that all people are good, but there are unhappy ones among them. He preaches Love, and Jesus appears as the Messiah who affirms the Truth.

Consequently, Bulgakov's Yeshua is not a god-man, but a man, at times weak, even pathetic, extremely lonely, but great in his spirit and all-conquering kindness. He does not preach all Christian dogmas, but only ideas of good that are significant for Christianity, but do not constitute the entire Christian teaching. You cannot hear from him about the future Kingdom of God, about the Salvation of sinners, about reward after death for the righteous and the sinners. Bulgakovsky is the Savior of the earth, and is looking for good here on the sinful earth. Unlike the Gospel Jesus, Yeshua has only one disciple, Matthew Levi, since Bulgakov believes that one person in a generation who has accepted a certain idea is enough for this idea to live for centuries. Biblical motifs in the image of Yeshua have undergone serious refraction.

The Bible significantly influenced the development of all literature. The Christian faith already received many adherents in the world by the end of the 1st century. Christian communities were founded in many European countries. Later, they were founded in Asia Minor, North Africa, and over time Christ's teaching spread throughout the world. The Bible became the most popular book and significantly influenced the development of world literature. It was translated into many languages, and stories from Holy Scripture became the basis for many works. Of the Old Testament heroes, King Solomon was very popular. His wisdom is glorified in many works, and mythical wealth has become the theme of the works of many artists, including the writer Hagardt, whose works have become especially popular in our time. IN original works Russian authors put the wisdom of the Bible in the foreground. Already the first works testify to the awareness of Russians about the Holy Letter. Chronicler Nestor, who wrote “The Tale of Bygone Years,” next to the complete picture historical events included theological treatises, lives of saints, stories, legends, historical retellings, teachings, speeches, which became not only illustrations for the chronicle, but also added greater significance to his work, they said that human history sacred.

Biblical motifs in Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita

Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” is a special work in which the writer managed to fuse together myth and reality, satirical everyday life and romantic plot, dispassion of an objective image and irony, sarcasm. How is the motif of eternal human values ​​traced in the novel? What forces shape the destinies of people and the historical process itself? What underlies human behavior: a coincidence of circumstances, a series of accidents, predestination or adherence to chosen ideals and ideas? Already at the very beginning of the work, these questions are posed to us.

The plot of the novel is an argument between two writers, Mikhail Berlioz and Ivan Bezdomny, with a stranger they met on the Patriarch's Ponds. To the heroes’ maxim about the impossibility of the existence of God, Woland objects: if there is no God, who controls human life and “the whole order on earth”? It seems that Ivan Bezdomny was able to answer this question: “The man himself controls.” But further development The plot refutes this thesis, emphasizes the relativity of human knowledge, man’s dependence on a thousand accidents (remember, for example, the absurd death of Berlioz under the wheels of a tram). And if a person’s life is really all woven from accidents, then can he vouch for tomorrow, for his future, or be responsible for others? What is the truth in this chaotic world? Are there any immutable moral categories, or are they fluid, changeable, and a person is driven by the fear of power and death, the thirst for power and wealth? These questions are posed by the author of the novel in the “gospel” chapters; a kind of ideological center of the work, which are chapters from the Master’s novel. The Master's novel is a work about a person's moral responsibility for his actions. Pontius Pilate's rich life experience helps him understand Yeshua as a person. The Roman procurator has no desire to ruin the life of the wandering philosopher; he tries to persuade Yeshua to compromise, and when this fails, to persuade the high priest Kaifa to pardon Ha-Notsri on the occasion of the Easter holiday.

Observing the author's remarks to Pontius Pilate's remarks, we discover in him human complicity with Yeshua, pity, and compassion. And at the same time fear. It is he, born of dependence on the state, the need to follow its interests, and not the truth, that ultimately determines the choice of Pontius Pilate. For Bulgakov, Pontius Pilate, in contrast to the tradition established in the history of Christianity, is not just a coward, a Pharisee, an apostate. His image is dramatic: he is both an accuser and a victim. By apostatizing from Yeshua, he destroys himself, his soul. That is why, driven into a corner by the need to put the wandering philosopher to death, he says to himself: “Dead!”, and then: “Dead!” He perishes along with Yeshua, perishes as a free person. The theme of moral apostasy in the novel is associated with the theme of redemption. Pontius Pilate, punished by the memory of mankind for his apostasy, languishes in solitude for twelve thousand moons. The writer projects the choice of the Roman procurator for eternity, for the entire course of world history. The concrete-temporal dispute between Pontius Pilate and Yeshua about truth and goodness turns into a timeless conflict. It reflects the eternal confrontation between the ideal and the real, the universal and the socio-political.

Who is Bulgakov's Yeshua? How is he different from the Jesus of the Gospels? Bulgakov tells the legend of Christ in his own way. The image of the hero is surprisingly tangible, it grows out of realistic details, his character is vitally convincing - he is an ordinary mortal man, insightful and naive, wise and simple-minded. At the same time, it is also the embodiment of a pure idea, the highest prototype of man and humanity. Yeshua is defenseless, physically weak, but spiritually strong - he is the herald of new human ideals. Neither fear nor punishment can force him to change the idea of ​​goodness and mercy. Even when faced with the threat of death, he does not give up on his ideas and ideals. Yeshua Bulgakov essentially had no direct literary prototypes, “elder brothers,” since until the twentieth century there was a certain unspoken prohibition: attempts to portray Jesus could be regarded as blasphemy. Only Dostoevsky in the novel “The Brothers Karamazov” creates his image for the first time in Russian literature. But his Christ is silent, almost incorporeal, not at all from the earthly world. Images of people of Christian spirit and holiness were found in literature in the 19th century: the Prophet of Lermontov, the heroes of Dostoevsky (Prince Myshkin, Elder Zosima, Alyosha Karamazov).

In the densely populated world of Bulgakov's novel, there is not only Yeshua - the prototype of Christ, but also Satan - Woland with his retinue, whose image is characterized by its multidimensionality: he is both a character and an idea, he is both real (the author endows the image with many life details), and represents , at the same time, a creature of another - fantastic, otherworldly - world. He is omnipresent: he has control over space and time, he could be present during the interrogation of Yeshua by Pontius Pilate, have breakfast with the philosopher Kant, and know many outstanding people of the past. It turns out interesting fact: none of characters in the novel, except for the Master and Margarita, does not recognize Satan in Woland, since a simple man in the street does not allow the existence of something inexplicable from the point of view of common sense. Although Faland's name German served to designate the devil, the image of Bulgakov cannot be reduced only to this medieval concept. Woland absorbed many features of other spirits of evil: Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Asmodeus. Most of all, Woland is associated with Goethe's Mephistopheles. Their “spiritual kinship” is already established by the epigraph to the novel itself. But, unlike Mephistopheles, Bulgakov’s character does not sow evil for no reason and is not a spirit of temptation. Some of Woland's traits (fearless omniscience, proud loneliness) bring him closer to Lermontov's Demon. At the same time, such a devil as Bulgakov portrayed him has not yet existed in world literature. It is impossible to evaluate it unambiguously.

For example, I see in Woland, first of all, the spirit of irony, conceit and denial. The world is open to Bulgakov’s all-seeing hero without blush or makeup. Woland's ironic view of life is close to the author. He examines man and humanity from a certain distance - cultural, temporal - trying to identify what is imperfect in them. With this view, life appears as a struggle between opposing and mutually exclusive principles. In this regard, any judgment about the world turns out to be one-sided, because good is one-sided, but if the line is crossed, it is no longer good, and truth, raised to an absolute, turns into its opposite. Woland is involved in the very movement of life, in which the condition for its continuation is denial. With the help of his retinue he ridicules and destroys, with the help of his retinue, everything that has deviated from goodness, has lied, become corrupted, become morally impoverished, and lost its high ideal. The Prince of Darkness conducts his eternal experiment, again and again testing the deeds of people, their world history, verifying what is true should exist forever, and what must perish, burn in the cleansing flame. Woland defines the measure of evil, vice, and self-interest by the measure of truth, beauty, and selfless goodness. He restores the balance between good and evil and thereby serves good. That is why houses of debauchery are burning in Moscow, and the Master’s manuscript is not subject to any flame.

Bulgakov tells us: people have forgotten why they came to this land. People have forgotten about duty, they have squandered their warmth in the everyday bustle, they have ceased to distinguish between good and evil, and Woland persistently invites some of them to look into their souls to see if there is even a drop of kindness and mercy left there.