Books
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

see page history

Description edit see section history

The devil makes a personal appearance in Moscow accompanied by various demons, including a naked girl and a huge black cat. When he leaves, the asylums are full and the forces of law and order in disarray. Only the Master, a man devoted to truth, and Margarita, the woman he loves, can resist... read more

Characters/People edit see section history

  • The Master (Мастер): An author who has written a novel about the meeting of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua Ha-Nozri (Jesus of Nazareth). Put away in a psychiatric clinic, where Bezdomny meets him. Very little is known about this character's past other than he had no point in his life until he finally met Margarita.
  • Margarita (Маргарита): The Master's lover. Trapped in a passionless marriage; devoted herself to The Master, who she believes is dead. Does not appear until second half of the novel, where she serves as the hostess of Satan's Grand Ball on Walpurgis Night. She is named after Faust's Gretchen – whose real name is Margarita – as well as Marguerite de Valois. Marguerite was the main character in an opera, Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer which Bulgakov particularly enjoyed, and a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père, La Reine Margot. In these accounts the queen is portrayed as daring and passionate. The character was also inspired by Bulgakov's last two wives, the first of whom loved action and was physically daring, while the last was devoted to his work in the same way as Margarita is to the Master.
  • Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz (Михайл Александрович Берлиоз): Head of the literary bureaucracy MASSOLIT, sentenced by Woland to death for his atheistic sentiment. He bears the last name of the French composer, Hector Berlioz who wrote the opera the Damnation of Faust. Got hit by a streetcar, as Woland predicted - got his 'head being severed by women'.
  • Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyryov: A young, aspiring poet. His pen name Bezdomny means "homeless". Initially a willing tool of the MASSOLIT apparatus, he is transformed by the events of the novel. Witnesses Berlioz's death and nearly goes mad, but later meets The Master in asylum and decides to cease his atheistic poetry once and for all.
  • Stephan Bogdanovich Likhodeyev: Director of the Variety Theatre and Berlioz's roommate. Often called by diminutive name Styopa. For his dishonest deeds, was thrown to Yalta by Behemoth without anything in order to free apartments for Woland.
  • Grigory Danilovich Rimsky: Treasurer of the Variety Theatre. At one point, Rimsky is ambushed by Varenukha (who has been cursed with the dark form of a vampire by Woland's order). He barely escapes the encounter and he is forced to flee to the train station to get away. The night of Woland's performance is the same night that Rimsky and vampires meet.
  • Ivan Savelyevich Varenukha: House-manager of the Variety Theatre. He is turned into a creature of darkness but is forgiven by the end of Walpurgistnacht - restoring his humanity.
  • Natasha: Margarita's young maid, later turned into a witch.
  • Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy: Chairman of the House Committee at 302B Sadovaya Street (former residence of Berlioz). For his greed and trickery, was deceived by Koroviev and later arrested.
  • Woland (Воланд): A "foreign professor" who is "in Moscow to present a performance of 'black magic' and then expose its machinations". The exposure (as one could guess) never occurs, instead Woland exposes the greed and bourgeois behaviour of the spectators themselves. Satan in disguise.
  • Behemoth (кот Бегемот): An enormous (said to be as large as a hog) black cat, capable of standing on two legs and talking. He has a penchant for chess, vodka and pistols. In Russian, "Begemot (бегемот)". The word itself means hippopotamus in Russian as well as the Biblical creature. A demon in disguise, able to take human form for short time.
  • Koroviev/Fagotto (Коровьев / Фагот): A purported "ex-choirmaster"; this may imply that Koroviev was once a member of an angelic choir. Woland's assistant, capable of creating any illusions. Unlike Behemoth and Azazello, does not use violence at any point.
  • Azazello (Азазелло): A menacing, fanged and wall-eyed member of Woland's retinue, a messenger and assassin, may be one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse. Possible reference to Azazel. In the Old Testament apocryphal Book of Enoch 8:1-3, Azazel is the fallen angel who taught people to make weapons and jewelry, and taught women the "sinful art" of painting their faces. This explains Azazello giving Margarita the magical cream.
  • Hella (Гелла): Beautiful, redheaded succubus. Serves as maid to Woland and his retinue. Remarked as being "perfect, were it not for a purple scar on her neck" – the scar suggesting that she is also a vampiress.
  • Abadonna: The pale-faced, black-goggled angel of death.
  • Pontius Pilate (Понтий Пилат): The Roman Procurator of Judaea, a procurator in this case being a governor of a small province.
  • Yeshua Ha-Nozri (Иешуа Га-Ноцри): Wanderer, "mad philosopher", as Pilate calls him, whose name means Jesus of Nazareth, though some commentators dispute the "of Nazareth" interpretation.
  • Aphranius: Head Of the Roman Secret Service in Judaea.
  • Matthew Levi: A Levite and former tax collector. Follower of Yeshua.
  • Joseph Kaifa: The High Priest of Judaea.
  • Judas Iscariot (Иуда Искариот): Testified against Yeshua thus causing him to be sentenced to death; later killed on Pilate's orders.
  • Ivan Nikolaevich: Theater director
  • Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy: Chairman of a tenants' association in Moscow.
  • Arkady Apollonovich: Add a description of this character.
  • Archibald Archibaldovich
  • Maximilian Andreevich
  • Griboedov
  • Kuzmin
  • Styopa
  • Vassily Stepanovich
  • Praskovya Fyodorovna
  • Frieda
  • Margot: Nickname for Margarita
  • Stravinsky
  • Riukhin
  • Likhodeev
  • Stepan Bogdanovich
  • Poplavsky
  • Ivanushka
  • Sofya Pavlovna
  • Amvrosy
  • Mark
  • Caesar
  • Anna Frantsevna
  • Latunsky
  • Annushka
  • Anna Richardovna
  • Pavel Yosifovich
  • Andrei Fokich
  • Khustov
Show all 50 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “'Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil,'”
    Woland - to Bezdomny and Berlioz causing much confusion
  • “Штаны коту не полагаются, мессир, - с большим достоинством ответил кот, - уж не прикажете ли вы мне надеть и сапог? Кот в сапогах бывает только в сказках, мессир. Но видели ли вы когда-нибудь кого-нибудь на балу без галстуха? Я не намерен оказаться в комическом положении и рисковать тем, что меня вытолкают в шею!”
    Begemot
  • “Бритый кот - это действительно безобразие, тысячу раз согласен признать это.”
    Begemot
  • “-Королева... ухо вспухнет... Зачем же портить бал вспухшим ухом?.. Молчу, молчу... Считайте, что я не кот, а рыба, только оставьте ухо.”
    Begemot
  • “Приятно слышать, что вы так вежливо обращаетесь с котом. Котам обычно почему-то говорят ты, хотя ни один кот никогда ни с кем не пил брудершафта.”
    Begemot

First Sentence edit see section history

At the hour of the hot spring sunset two citizens appeared at the Patriarch's Ponds. В час жаркого весеннего заката на Патриарших прудах появилось двое граждан.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Part One:
1. Never Talk to Strangers
2. Pontius Pilate
3. The Seventh Proof
4. The Chase
5. The Incident at Griboyedov
6. Schizophrenia, as Predicted
7. The Evil Apartment
8. The Dual Between the Professor and the Poet
9. Korovyov's Tricks
10. News from Yalta
11. Ivan is Split in Two
12. Black Magic and Its Expose
13. Enter the Hero
14. Praise be to the Rooster
15. Nikanor Ivnovich's Dream
16. The Execution
17. An Upsetting Day
18. Unlucky Visitors

Part Two:
19. Margarita
20. Azazello's Cream
21. Flight
22. By Candlelight
23. Satan's Grand Ball
24. The Liberation of the Master
25. How the Procurator Tried to Save Judas of Kerioth
26. The Burial
27. The End of Apartment No. 50
28. The Final Adventures of Korovyov and Behemoth
29. The Fate of the Master and Margarita Is Decided
30. Time to go! Time to go!
31. On Sparrow Hills
32. Absolution and Eternal Refuge
Epilogue

Glossary edit see section history

  • Bezdomny: Ivan Nikolaievich Bezdomny's name literally translates as: Homeless or Without House.
  • Behemoth: Cat Behemoth's name literally translates as: Hippopotamus.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 36 of 8 in Vrhunci stoletja. (edition-based publisher list)
This is book 130 of 196 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Possession, and followed by The Handmaid's Tale.

This is book 9 of 10 in Classics and Contemporaries. (edition-based publisher list)

Preceded by Бегущая по Волнам / Рассказы (She Who Runs on the Waves / Short Stories).

This book is in Hopeless Romantic. (community list)
This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)
This book is in Penguin Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
This is book 94 of 99 in Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Origins of Totalitarianism, and followed by The Rosy Crucifixion: Sexus, Plexus, Nexus (The New Traveller's Companion).

This is book 22 of 96 in The Art of Manliness' Essential Man’s Library. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Lord of the Flies, and followed by Bluebeard.

This book is in Penguin's Top 100 Classics. (authoritative list)
This is book 42 of 113 in Book Smart Reading List. (community list)

Preceded by Continental Drift, and followed by In Cold Blood.

This is book 63 of 96 in Waterstone's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, and followed by Tales of the City.

This is book 400 of 1272 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)

Preceded by One Hundred Years of Solitude, and followed by Pilgrimage.

This book is in School Library (Школьная Библиотека). (edition-based publisher list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Mikhail Bulgakov (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Ion Covaci (Translator)
  2. Ion Vartic (Afterword)
  3. Erik Egeberg (Translator)
  4. Janez Gradišnik (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: Russian
Publisher: Posev
Country: Russia
Publication Date: 1967
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 219

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PG3476.B78
  • Dewey: 891.7342

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

  • Wikipedia: The Master and Margarita
  • Wikipedia: "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stone. Song lyrics influenced by the book.

Movie Connections edit see section history

  • Pilate and Others (IMDb): "Pilatus und andere - Ein Film für Karfreitag", a 1972 German drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1967 novel The Master and Margarita (focuses on the parts of the novel set in biblical Jerusalem)
  • The Master and Margaret (IMDb): a 1972 Italian-Yugoslav film directed by Aleksandar Petrović.
  • The Master and Margarita (IMDb): a 2005 Russian television production of Telekanal Rossiya (10 episodes in total)

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history

   
  • Faust
  • The Grand Inquisitor

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Conducting the Reference Interview

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Anna Karenina

We’re hiding the errata and books influenced by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.