In Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, The Master and Margarita, many types of sin and corruption are exemplified in both Moscow and Yershalaim: people are rude and abrupt with others without reason, accepts bribes, acts and speaks hypocritically, spies on and betrays others, and so on. In Moscow, every person who commits these sins is punished by Woland, the arbiter of punishment. The enormous amount of attention paid in particular to the sin of cowardice and its consequences allows us to state that Bulgakov considers cowardice to be the worst vice of all. Cowardice is certainly the worst of the sins committed by the characters in Bulgakov's novel; however, it is only cowardice at the expense of others that Bulgakov judges and punishes most severely, and committing this sin does not mean that absolution cannot be achieved. It is therefore difficult to define it as an "absolute" sin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Two very important characters are presented in The Master and Margaret as the antithesis of the cowardice that reigns in both Moscow and Yershalaim: Margaret and Yeshua. When looking at the cowardice of the other characters, it is important to examine Margarita and Yeshua first; they provide the models of good behavior against which Bulgakov measures cowardly characters. In the Moscow part of the story, Margarita is an example of complete courage in the face of extreme difficulties. If cowardice is tolerance of an evil system out of fear for one's personal well-being, then Margarita challenges it at every step. Although she is married to a very important man (who is also kind, honest and handsome), has an entire floor of a house to herself, her own garden, a lot of money and never has to work, she walks away from everything freely . (Bulgakov 187) She is of royal blood (Bulgakov 215), and this type of behavior is what gives her this distinction: other people, wanting to maintain their status and get more for themselves, lie and cheat for desirable things which Margarita willingly desires. he gives up. She refuses to conform to the system that says she should be ecstatic with her position in life and instead gives up that position to get what her heart desires. In pursuit of that desire she doesn't shy away from anything, not even Satan's dance, becoming a witch, bloodbaths, or following the devil. She is merciful to Frieda (Bulgakov 241) and devoted to the Master, for whom she offers (and essentially does) sell her soul. (Bulgakov 190) His counterpart in courage in Yershalaim is Yeshua. Perhaps even more than Margarita, she is the antithesis of cowardice. He lives out his final minutes crucified on a stake where he is blistered by the sun, tortured by flies, and suffering tremendous pain – and, most important of all, he risked this situation for his own beliefs, subjecting himself to the torture of crucifixion. I'd love that. (Bulgakov 150) He refuses to adhere to what society demands of him; even when Pilate gives Yeshua the chance to lie about what he said about Caesar, Yeshua refuses and admits what he did. (Bulgakov 22) Most importantly, the power that sustains him through all of this is never even postulated as divine. In the chapters in which Yeshua is interrogated and tortured, there are no miracles, no triumphant entries into Yershalaim, no disciples (just a scruffy tax collector), and no mention of the resurrection. Bulgakov brings Yeshua's level of courage to a level that all men and women should be able to achieve. He is courageous without the benefit of divinity or crowds and defends his unshakable sense of truth with only his strength of spirit to support him. There are threecharacters or types of people who can be contrasted with Margarita and Yeshua, both in Moscow and in Yershalaim: the critics and members of Massolit, Pilate and the Master. Critics, and Massolit members like Berlioz, are examples of the kind of cowardice that Bulgakov condemns: out of fear of losing their position and lifestyle, and out of fear of being condemned, these people believe one thing but spout the 'other, to the detriment of those around them. Latunsky and the critics who condemn the Master and essentially ruin his life secretly admire what he wrote; the publisher is clearly impressed with the Master, asking why he has never been heard of and where he comes from, but says the novel cannot be published. (Bulgakov 119) Critics don't say what they want to say – that the Master's novel was good – because they are afraid of the consequences. (Bulgakov 121) Other guys, like Berlioz, say things they don't believe: Berlioz makes arguments that are unforgivably ignorant for a man of his education, but he does so because he needs to toe the party line. (Bulgakov 223) It is clear what Bulgakov thinks of the cowardice of these characters when he compares their revelry in Gribodeyev to Satan's ball. The celebrations are eerily similar: at midnight the band plays and plays loudly and dissonantly, people dance wildly and with abandon, someone shouts “Hallelujah.” (Bulgakov 49-50, 224-5) Even the quote: “O gods, my gods, poison, give me poison” is reminiscent of the most cowardly character of all, Pilate. (Bulgakov 50) Those present at Satan's ball are criminals and evildoers, the members of Massolit in Gribodeev are compared to them. They possess material goods because they have capitulated and decided to live within the confines of a system that demands the sacrifice of conscious and moral truth; they choose to live, because of their fear and cowardice, a life of petty interests, materialism, greed, envy, betrayal, competition and corruption. Massolit has his parallel in Yershalaim with Pilate, although his cowardice is even more extreme, judging by his punishment. He embodies, perhaps, the most dangerous type of cowardice: that which desires good but betrays it by failing to oppose evil. Just as divinity is absent from Yeshua so that his goodness is more pronounced, so any influence such as that of Woland in Pilate's interrogation and condemnation of Yeshua is absent. Although Woland claims to have been there, the reader never sees or feels his presence; therefore, Pilate's betrayal is the result of his choices. (Bulgakov 34) The Prosecutor is left face to face with Yeshua, depriving him of any justification for his actions. Pilate has sympathy and compassion; he does not want to destroy Yeshua at all, and is in fact ready to save Yeshua and hide him in his house. (Bulgakov 21) However, this sympathy is not in vain. Pilate wants, more than to help Yeshua, to maintain his position and not to anger those in power. He fears Caesar's power, making sure to speak loudly of Caesar's greatness and refusing to release Yeshua once he learns that Yeshua disrespected Caesar. (Bulgakov 22-3) He is very afraid of informants and of losing his career and position in life. (Bulgakov 24) He makes one last feeble attempt to help Yeshua, but gives up before Kaifa and, knowing the terrible crime he is committing against his conscience and sense of truth, agrees to Yeshua's execution. (Bulgakov 28) His cowardice forces him to spit in the face of his own knowledge of good and evil, and he becomes nothing more than a tool for ill will. His terrible sin is seen in the punishment: even after the storm erases the traces of the execution, Bulgakov extends to eternity.