One of the most important human vices is cowardice. The Master and Margarita - “Cowardice is the most terrible vice!”

DEBT THEORY

Cowardice is habitually condemned by society

Many people have heard M. Bulgakov’s phrase that cowardice is the most terrible vice Well, that's right. However, it is very bad when, under the pressure of such maxims, a conscientious person gives up on himself after a cowardly act.

Of course, the cats are already scratching at his soul, and in addition, society invisibly repeats to him: “You have reached the most terrible vice!”

But pay attention - after all, Bulgakov hardly condemned anyone. Rather, he simply stated a fact that was obvious to him. And I will allow myself to add to the famous phrase:

Cowardice is the worst of vices if you don’t fight it.

It is not cowardice itself that is immoral, but the unwillingness to resist it.

I repeat - for thousands of years, leaders of all stripes have cultivated cowardice in people using the most cruel means. She ingrained herself into our soul, she literally became a part of it! This is why, when we are threatened, we instinctively strive to obey.

Under these conditions, one cannot blame a person who succumbed to cowardice. It would be more correct to honor the one who was able to overcome it!

There is a striking episode in the Gospel when the Apostle Peter denied Christ. Just before this, he passionately convinced the teacher that he would never leave him. To which he will receive the answer: “... Truly I tell you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And so it happened - under the threat of being captured, Peter denied Christ three times - and then the rooster crowed. And Peter, gone, wept bitterly...

So, do we now consider Peter a scoundrel and a traitor? No. Having overcome his fear, he then became a successor to the work of his teacher - and at the end of his life he also accepted martyrdom.

And now I’ll give an excerpt from E. M. Remarque’s book “On western front no change,” which describes the shelling:

“A recruit lying scared to death next to us...

He covered his face with his hands. His helmet rolled to the side.

I pull it up and am going to put it on his head.

He looks up, pushes his helmet away and, like a child,

crawls his head under my armpit, pressing tightly to mine

breasts His narrow shoulders tremble...

Gradually he comes to his senses. Suddenly he turns red like a poppy,

Confusion is written on his face. He carefully touches his hand

pants and looks at me pitifully. I immediately realize what's going on:

he has gun disease. I try to console him:

- There is nothing to be ashamed of; It also happened not like you

shit in their pants when they first came under fire. Go behind the bush

take off your underpants and that's the end of it...

There is not a drop of blame or condemnation in this episode. Not only gods, but also people are wise, understanding the nature of cowardice and not making a judgment out of it. Cowardice is not bad in itself, but only when you refuse to fight it. In this case, we can safely equate cowardice and laziness of the soul...

Okay - but what should you do if you commit a shameful, cowardly act?

Paradoxically, the first thing to do is to perk up your spirit a little. Thousands and thousands of people are absolutely not ashamed of their cowardice - their weak consciousness is designed in such a way that it instantly displaces all unpleasant memories from their memory.

You are not like that. There is some kind of vigilant guard in your soul that does not allow you to relax. And this, on the one hand, is good. But on the other hand, you may soon simply overstrain yourself from endless reproaches of your conscience. Especially if you still don’t have enough strength to follow her voice...

I suggest you adopt debt theory . If at some point in your life you did not have the courage to act according to your conscience, write this action down as a liability. Be sure that fate, seeing the intention to get even with the debts of the past, will definitely provide the opportunity to do this

One of the most striking episodes in my life was when I did not stand up for a woman who was robbed on a bus. When we, tightly squeezed in the car, approached the stop, she became agitated and shouted: “Driver, don’t open the door! My wallet was stolen! I know who stole it - this one!” And she pointed to the big guy next to me, grinning and looking away to the side. And I stood right at the door and could well have said: “I’m ready to show my pockets. You do the same, or give me your wallet.” Moreover, I was pressed so tightly against the door that, if I wanted, I could prevent it from opening.

But... The bus pulled up to the stop, the driver, turning his face to the side, opened the door, the big guy immediately jumped out into the street - and was gone...

I was extremely ashamed to remember this episode, until I said to myself: “Simply tormenting the soul will not help the matter. They will only wear me down. Therefore, I write this episode down as a credit to myself. As soon as I witness such a situation again, I will be ready to intervene in it..."

Almost every one of us has allowed cowardly things in our lives, shameful acts. It is commendable to worry about this - but only if the worries lead to a specific positive result.

Cowardice comes only from a lack of...desire

R. Descartes

THEORY OF SMALL CASES

Fear has big eyes

What does this saying mean? Yes, a very simple idea - we tend to exaggerate the scale of the unknown. As Shakespeare said: “Real horrors are not so terrible as the horrors of imagination.”

The main tool for defeating cowardice is practice. If you are afraid of the dark, go into the darkness. If you are afraid of gopniks, reprimand them for swearing in a public place.

But, of course, do it wisely. If you go into the dark, then go into one where there are no swamps or sharp branches. After all, your task is to return alive, healthy and with the experience of victory over cowardice.

If you reprimand a gopnik, do it in a place where those around you can help you if something happens. Yes, and for the first time you should choose a cooler Gopnik - in case of a possible fight.

Starting with small steps, you will gradually feel the ground under your feet more and more confidently. And soon you will realize that you can make comments even drunk company in a train compartment - and instead of a fight, you are met with confused glances...

In general, it has long been said that you cannot overcome fear without going through the path that frightens you. Moreover, the more often you find yourself in extreme situations, the faster your body adapts to it. It's all about practice!

Human He fears only what he does not know; with knowledge all fear is conquered.

V. G. Belinsky

HOW SCARY THE HELL IS IT?

Often we do not dare to act only because we have been instilled with the idea of ​​​​the terrible consequences of the act...

Man is a lazy creature. Having found a more or less comfortable corner in life, we prefer to keep a low profile, so as not to lose even the illusion of well-being. Habit is a terrible thing.

Wife tolerates a drunken husband because she thinks it will be harder for her alone.

Employee tolerates a boorish boss because he’s not sure

will find an equally well-paid job

People tolerates power because it assumes that in the event

disobedience, she will apply the most severe measures of influence to him

So - pay attention: “thinks”, “not sure”, “assumes”... In general, we live by the principle of the immortal phrase: “No matter what happens!” It’s difficult for us to even decide to experiment - what will happen if I do...

So, let's carry it out anyway - for now in safe laboratory conditions. Take a pen, a piece of paper and write the name of the situation at the top. Now, in two columns below, write the pros and cons as a result of its change.

Work calmly, without rushing. Weigh all your options carefully. And it may well turn out that the prospect of being fired from your job is no longer so scary. Or that failure at a public speaking does not threaten disaster at all. Etc.

A separate issue is fights. To be honest, many of us give in to them. Therefore, start by carefully watching video recordings of fights, which, unfortunately, are offered in huge quantities on the Internet today. Then summarize: what characterizes fights? How do they go? What result awaits me if I get into a fight?

After this, you should carefully study expert advice about how to behave in a fight. After this, it’s a good idea to take a self-defense course without weapons - fortunately, there are a lot of them now. And so you will find that your confidence has now increased - to the point that you have mastered the icy ability to extinguish a fight before it starts.

Our the fears are half groundless and half simply shameful.

K. Bovey

IF YOU'RE AFRAID, DON'T DO IT, IF YOU DO, DON'T BE AFRAID

In conclusion, I want to say this again:

Dare to a brave deed Only those who feel the strength should do so. This does not mean that you can enter into a fight with hooligans only after learning kickboxing. But in in this case It is not physical preparation that is important, but mental strength.

History has repeatedly shown examples of how big men and big men retreated from a weaker enemy only because he was not going to give up. Desperate, focused resistance sometimes works wonders. But only internally mature people are capable of such resistance.

So don't rush the time. If you have taken a course towards courage, that’s already good. Work tirelessly and consistently towards your goal. Be prepared for failure. Think of them as training and conditioning. Get up from your knees and walk forward again.

And at one point there will come a calm inner feeling that you have already don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid of gopniks.

Don't be afraid to argue with your boss.

Don't be afraid to openly express your position on the forum.

Don't be afraid to live.

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When Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov wrote a novel about the Master, he hardly imagined that he was creating the most significant work Russian literature of the twentieth century. Today the work is deservedly included in the lists of the most books read world, while remaining the object of endless debate among literary scholars and philosophers.

And for website“The Master and Margarita” is simply a favorite story, full of mysteries and endless wisdom. What is needed most in our difficult times.

• Who told you that there is no real, true, eternal love? May the liar's vile tongue be cut out!
• We are talking to you in different languages, as always, but the things we talk about don’t change.
• Evil lurks in men who avoid wine, games, the company of lovely women, and table conversation. Such people are either seriously ill or secretly hate those around them.
• There are no evil people in the world, there are only unhappy people.
• These women are difficult people!
• A person without a surprise inside, in his box, is uninteresting.
• Everything will be right, the world is built on this.
• Yes, man is mortal, but that would not be so bad. The bad thing is that he is sometimes suddenly mortal, that's the trick!
• It's nice to hear that you treat your cat so politely. For some reason they usually say “you” to cats, although not a single cat has ever drunk brotherhood with anyone.
• An unhappy person is cruel and callous. And all just because good people mutilated him.
• Do you judge by the suit? Never do this. You can make a mistake, and a very big one at that.
• Never ask for anything! Never and nothing, and especially among those who are stronger than you. They will offer and give everything themselves.
• He who loves must share the fate of the one he loves.
• For mercy... Would I allow myself to pour vodka for the lady? This is pure alcohol!
• The second freshness is nonsense! There is only one freshness - the first, and it is also the last. And if the sturgeon is second freshness, then this means that it is rotten!
• It is easy and pleasant to speak the truth.
• Why pursue in the footsteps of what is already over?
• - Dostoevsky died.
  - I protest, Dostoevsky is immortal!
• And fact is the most stubborn thing in the world.
• All theories are worth one another. Among them there is one according to which everyone will be given according to their faith. May it come true!
• What country's wine do you prefer at this time of day?
• My drama is that I live with someone I don’t love, but I consider it unworthy to ruin his life.
• - Cowardice is one of the most terrible human vices.
  - No, I dare to object to you. Cowardice is the most terrible human vice.
• Never be afraid of anything. This is unreasonable.
• The most terrible anger is the anger of powerlessness.
• What would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it?
• Understand that the tongue can hide the truth, but the eyes never can!
• People are like people. They love money, but this has always been the case... Humanity loves money, no matter what it is made of, whether leather, paper, bronze or gold. Well, they are frivolous... well, well... and mercy sometimes knocks on their hearts... ordinary people... in general, they resemble the old ones... Housing problem only ruined them.
• No matter what pessimists say, the earth is still absolutely beautiful, and under the moon it is simply unique.

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 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 became part of state 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 already 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 a 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 cancel death penalty, since he does not see anything 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, problem 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 the former tribune in the legion, then, in the Valley of the Virgins, when the furious Germans almost killed the Rat Slayer - the Giant.” In a dream, the procurator does right choice. Just this 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 agreed 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 realizes that he has made a terrible mistake. But he is capable of heroism 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. We are talking about the same immortality that for some reason the procurator thought about when he read Judas’s denunciation. The immortality of Yeshua lies in the fact that he remained faithful to preaching 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."

Cowardice is a concept that has a negative social assessment, implying a person’s lack of mental strength to carry out necessary actions or decisions, to maintain a strong position in situations of experiencing emotional fear and extreme incidents. Cowardice, as a personality quality, is not a concept synonymous with fear, since fear and horror serve as mechanisms of survival, orientation in the world around us, they are natural and natural, while a person maintains the direction of movement. Fear corrects actions, forces you to be more attentive, take more into account various features, perhaps change the strategy of achieving. Cowardice deprives the ability to perceive a situation objectively and stops all human activity. Usually, the forward movement of people with a predominance of cowardice is of a forced nature, because in many situations they stop not only their own forward movement, but also the movement of the entire team.

Everyone exhibits cowardice, but those in whom this trait becomes the leading one are called cowards. It is useless to fight such reactions with willpower; it is only possible to develop your own courage, as a quality opposite to cowardice.

What it is

The definition of cowardice in any sources implies an attitude towards this quality as a weakness, and a condemned, criminal weakness. This can be explained by the fact that under the influence of emotions a person is capable of any action, sometimes high degree cowardice can lead to serious crimes. It turns out that fear can indeed have a strong stimulating effect, but when there is a trait of cowardice in a person, it takes on destructive forms.

Next to the destructive forms of cowardice there is often betrayal, since, without internal fortitude to withstand external pressure, a person’s opinion will change to suit the circumstances with only one goal - to avoid personal negative consequences. Cowardice excludes personal responsibility and the ability to make judicious decisions about any actions; all human activity is subordinated to fear. It is especially worth noting that fear can arise from a real threat or imaginary problems, but is experienced by a person in the same way.

It is worth carefully distinguishing between cowardice and caution, attentiveness, accuracy - temporary retreat, waiting for an opportune moment have nothing to do with stopped activity, implying rather tactics. Cowardice does not want to look closely and look for solutions, it is not able to wait or show attentiveness - this is a strong instinctive feeling that sends a person running when a source approaches.

There is a wary and contemptuous attitude towards cowards in society, since one cannot expect reliability from a person. They are the first to escape, leaving the weak and helpless in trouble, they resort to lies and sabotage for the purpose of their own safety and benefit, it happens that because of the fear of revealing the secret, murders were committed. A coward is an unreliable person joint activities or worthwhile relationships. After all, the main ability is missing - processing internal fear.

In a normal development situation and with a harmonious personality, a person is able to process his own experiences, highlight the main values ​​on the basis of moral standards, ethical principles, and not instinctive immediate reactions. A coward has no limiting factors of internal principles, allowing instincts to guide behavior. Many believe that cowardice is the most terrible vice, lowering a person to the level of an animal, and comparisons from the animal kingdom are also not entirely flattering, since among lions, wolves, and elephants there is a tendency to protect their relatives, rather than cowardly flight.

Cowardice helps a person avoid solving important social and life problems. Procrastination, constant entertainment events, aimless pastime are tools of activity, the use of which organizes a cowardly avoidance of confrontation with unpleasant but demanding moments.

The Problem of Human Cowardice

The problem of such a manifestation as cowardice has a long history of philosophical and military disputes; this issue was raised by Socrates. Unfortunately, there is no single clear understanding, what constitutes cowardice, despite a fairly clear definition of this word. Now in every single social group there is an understanding of which of them is a coward and this is not due to the substitution of concepts, just for some it is the one who does not quickly make a decision, for others it is a mother who did not stand up for her son, and for others it is a traitor to the homeland. Various categories values ​​and the general cultural level of society also determine cowards.

In wartime, the attitude towards cowards was quite harsh - they could be executed or imprisoned for life. The meaning of this was to protect the bulk of the population, because in war conditions instability internal forces one person can cost millions of lives and the freedom of an entire nation. Less severe punishments, but definitely present, exist in every society and at any time - this is a necessity that ensures the protection of all individuals. This is an artificial mechanism developed over millennia, aimed at the survival of the species. Punishment for cowardice exists on all continents, regardless of whether the nation is highly technological in its development or is a tribe deprived of contact with civilization.

Cowardice is exceptional human problem, since this is absent in the manifestation of the animal world. The mechanism regulating the existence of the species forces animals, when danger approaches, to first notify their relatives, despite attracting attention to themselves and risking their lives.

The more opportunities a person receives for a separate existence, the higher the likelihood of developing cowardice in society. No one cares about the general well-being, since it does not reflect on the individual, and the point is solely in maintaining one’s position. This trend makes the concept of cowardice more blurred, but does not cancel the public’s contemptuous attitude towards manifestations of mental weakness. Initially, deserters and military traitors were called cowards, those who did not want to go hunting and risk their lives to feed the tribe, that is, cowards are those who directly threaten the lives of many people at once. This memory of the inadmissibility of cowardly behavior is fixed at the genetic level, only the manifestations of this quality become completely different in modern society.

Increasing emphasis in Peaceful time is done on the moral side of the process of cowardice, that is, this is no longer a lack of active action, but an avoidance of conversation, an inability to accept responsibility, a radical change in life. Even a simple meeting can reveal a coward, for example, by the fact that he will not come to it, having learned that important things will be discussed. Personal immaturity becomes the reason for an increasing manifestation of moral cowardice in a person - people abandon children, abandon families for fear of responsibility, critical errors or skip a promising job for fear of further increased responsibility.

The problem of human cowardice remains relevant and is changing along with social restructuring of the main social models of interaction and the immediate real civil situation. We cannot take as a starting point those examples that spoke of cowardice several centuries ago, because perhaps now there are simply no conditions for manifestation, but others have appeared and there is a need to create new criteria.

Examples

A coward manifests himself as passivity, and any active actions are aimed solely at avoiding some other, required, but perceived as dangerous. Vivid and unforgivable examples of cowardly behavior appear in wartime, when a fully capable person shirks service. It could also be desertion from the battlefield, self-inflicted wounds to be sent to the hospital as quickly as possible, or surrender of one’s fellow soldiers to the enemy in exchange for promises to save lives.

In crisis situations, cowardice is manifested by a person’s lack of participation in resolving a common matter or misfortune. Thus, a coward may refer to sudden weakness during a fire, or suddenly remember unfinished business at home, when a friend needs help in protecting himself from offenders.

Refusal to take risks can be either a manifestation of prudence or cowardice - the main thing is to take into account the context of the situation. If a person is paralyzed by fear and refuses to jump on a rope from a bridge, then this may be a completely logical decision. But refusing to jump with a parachute from a burning plane is not justified by preserving life or a decision dictated by common sense; moreover, a person who refuses to jump is delaying the queue and endangering others.

A coward will not go to his superiors to clarify problems related to payment, for fear of losing his job. The guy will not stand up for his girlfriend, fearing a fight with boors or antisocial groups. A friend will not express words of support to his friend in the presence of large number judgmental people or even one significant person.

Everyone has weaknesses on which a person’s behavior depends. In any case, there is a betrayal of some universal or social values for the sake of fears and one’s own illusory well-being. The illusion lies in the fact that by constantly running away from problems, a coward not only does not solve the situation in favor of change, but also contributes to its aggravation.

It is stunning in its depth and comprehensiveness. Satirical chapters in which Woland's retinue fools Moscow townsfolk are mixed into 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 static character further emphasizes his excitement, dynamism and freedom of thought, tense 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 between the 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 stems from the fact that his power, practically unlimited in Judea, now becomes 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: “...a rare-toothed crown sat on his bald head; 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 the 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.”
Calling 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 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.”