The devil is a common literary icon. This enemy of God has generally been considered an unflinching representation of evil, a figure designed to deceive and torment both his arch-enemy and readers. Whether making pacts with mortals to sell their souls or rallying armies against Heaven, literary depictions of the devil have largely dealt with religious themes, most often concluding with a crescendo of God's heroic defeat on the evil or the tragic "fall" of Satan. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, however, complicates the role and characterization of the devil, a foreign "professor of magic" visiting Soviet Russia and clearly identified as Satan on earth, who unleashes his innate evil upon the other characters. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Although the character of Woland played by Bulgokov is the devil in himself, it is the purpose of this evil role that can offer readers a new reading of the text. This article will try to analyze three main characters of the novel according to Gnostic parameters: Woland, Yeshua and Margarita. In this way, Woland can be read as a counterpart to God: a figure representative of the dualistic quality of darkness. With this understanding, Woland is the dark of the character of Yeshua Ha-Notsri's "lightness". In a Gnostic system defined by oppositions rather than connotations, Woland becomes an instrument, much like Yeshua, to serve a higher purpose. The ultimate aim of this article will demonstrate that, although Woland may be the "devil", a Gnostic interpretation of the text will allow readers to step away from the typical horned enemy and towards a role more characterized as "co-conspirator:" a character who walks the fine line of a literary (and Gnostic) balancing act, and even an apologist for the existence of the spiritual realm. To interpret Woland along Gnostic lines, it is crucial to identify the general Gnostic elements that prevail in Bulgakov's text. While there are a variety of Gnostic sects, there are key elements that remain common to each. Once identified, readers can clearly see this ideology at work in The Master and Margarita Gnostic Cosmology”, “The most important characteristic of Gnostic thought is the radical dualism that governs the relationship with God and the word, and, correspondingly, with man and the world” (Denova 1). Woland himself is the messenger of this Gnostic theme of dualism in the novel, describing the necessity of "good" and "evil" as simple poles and antipoles, stating: "What would your good do if there were no evil, and what Would it be good for you if there were no evil?". What would the earth be like if the shadows disappeared from it? After all, shadows are cast by objects and people. There is a shadow of my sword. But there are also the shadows of trees and living beings. Would you like to strip the earth of all trees and all living things to satisfy your fantasy of enjoying the naked light? You are a fool” (Bulgakov ¬¬“The fate of the Master and Margarita is decided”). As Woland himself says, one cannot know light without first recognizing shadows; these two dualistic forces are cooperative and co-dependent. As a result of this inherent dualism, there is a clear separation between the physical and spiritual worlds: the spiritual is seen as a realm of light and the physical as a realm of darkness. Furthermore, the Gnostic universe works to focus on the clear separation of man from God himself. This God“transmundane” is physically and figuratively hidden from those who live in the physical world, completely unknowable by natural concepts; it cannot be discovered without “revelation”. In the Gnostic vision, man is composed of body, soul and spirit. The body, therefore, is part of the physical world. It is important to point out, however, that the soul of man is presumed to contain the pneuma (spirit), also called the divine spark. This spark, a piece of the divine realm that has “fallen” and become trapped in the physical realm, arrives to play an important role in Bulgakov's novel. Along with the idea that the common goal of Gnosticism is to “release” this spark in its place. Denova describes this spark as a latent spiritual element present in all men. However, this divine spark can only be awakened and liberated through knowledge (gnosis). He who attains this knowledge of the divine that is present within himself is said to be “saved” and, in so doing, releases his divine “inner self” into the realm of light, from where it originally fell. This bizarre process is easier said than done. Remembering that man is ignorant until he undergoes a revelation, there obviously must be a focus in this process. Enter: Woland and Yeshua. Even the vague outlines of this Gnostic cosmology shed light on the allegory of Woland [the devil; darkness] and Yeshua [the light-bringer; Jesus Christ] as images of Gnostic intermediaries for these opposing kingdoms, with Woland being the main agent of the "dirty work" on earth. Therefore, while Woland exploits unenlightened people in the physical realm, Yeshua does the opposite in the Master's novel: he brings the spiritual into the physical world and the knowledge that comes from it. Bulgakov's Yeshua character fits the exact description of what the Gnostic savior is: "He is a messenger from the world of light who penetrates barriers... awakens the spirit from its earthly slumber and imparts saving knowledge 'from' external'" (Denova 2). Moreover, according to this definition, Woland's character is also not simply the devil on earth, but a symbol of humanity that exists "from the outside". According to AC Wright's article, “Satan in Moscow: An Approach to the Master and Margarita,” “Woland regards darkness as the other side of light, which he does not oppose: there is no indication that he wants to counter the designs of God or even bring about the damnation of man” (Wright 1163). This argument that Woland is not actually a “cursed devil,” but rather a co-conspirator type figure can easily be interpreted by many of his. physical acts throughout the novel. In particular cases, Woland's primary goal is to demonstrate the existence of the external realm, and just as he lashes out at Berlioz for proclaiming that God does not exist at the beginning of the novel, readers they can witness a symbolic parallel incident: his magic show, for example, in the introduction of his magic, George Bengalsky states to the audience: "Well, as I was saying, you are about to see a very famous artist from abroad, M'. sieur Woland, with a session of black magic". Of course we know, don't we...' Bengalsky smiled confidently, 'that in reality there is no such thing. It's all superstition, or rather Master Woland, who is a master of the art of conjuring, as you will see from the most interesting part of his act in which he reveals the mysteries of his technique" (Bulgakov "Black Magic Revealed").These lines they contain enormous Gnostic symbolism that reinforces this kind of reading of Woland. First, Bengalsky's statement that Woland is a professor “from abroad” is exactly what the Gnostic Woland is: a visitor from the spiritual realm. Furthermore, it is significant that Bengalskyinsists so emphatically, just as Berlioz mentions Christ in the opening pages, that Woland's magic simply does not exist and that Woland will actually reveal the mysteries of a deception technique. However, Woland uses his magic act to do the opposite, refusing to show the "technique" of his technique and instead performing all-too-realistic acts, physically decapitating a man and refusing to explain the "trick" to the audience. Woland's entire magical act can be seen as a microcosm for his goal of being on Earth. As in the magic act, Woland does not want to harm people (as Bengalsky also regains his head); it exists simply to shed “light” on the existence of the realm beyond. If his “black magic” is indeed real, then, by implication, its counterpart is equally valid and legitimate. In a Gnostic world, Yeshua is indeed the savior who directly opposes Woland, as he represents the spiritual kingdom. and provides knowledge of His divine saving quality. Yet he is a savior in a different form: it is he who brings a way to obtain this spiritual knowledge and thus “unveils” the eyes in the darkness; his mere presence in life does not make him a savior. This fact is represented symbolically: the Master's text itself is null without readers having the opportunity to search for the information contained within it. As readers can see, Yeshua's mere presence is not enough to achieve salvation. For example, Levi Matvei, a devout follower of Yeshua, constantly transcribes Yeshua's words, but when Pilate asks to see the scroll, Levi cannot make sense of the words written on it. It is Pilate himself who needs to be “awakened” through Yeshua's words: Yeshua himself, as evidenced by Pilate's original role in his crucifixion, is not sufficient to guarantee salvation. The fact that Yeshua is not easily recognized and interpreted while on Earth is also a testament to this uniquely Gnostic “mysterious savior.” As Bulgakov writes as Yeshua proceeds up the hill to his crucifixion amid the crowd, "There was a man, but few could see him" ("The Final Adventure of Koroviev and Behemoth"). Again, this draws attention not to the man Jesus, who is not relevant in the grand Gnostic scheme, but to the knowledge of the afterlife that he brings to those who are receptive to the message. The fact that Levi is writing down nonsense when he attempts to write down the words of Yeshua and that few could actually see that Yeshua fits perfectly into the plan of the savior according to the Gnostic Secret Book of John. John says, “There's no way to say, 'What's his quality?' or "What is its quantity?" for no one can know it. He is not someone among other beings, rather he is far superior” (Ehrman 147). Although Bulgakov's description above describes the physically crowded conditions of the scene, these lines can still be interpreted through alternative meanings, especially when readers know that this unrecognizable Gnostic savior is so typical of the cult. “The supernatural realm, for Bulgakov, goes beyond man's exhaustive knowledge; man can only approach it through metaphors, analogies, symbols…” (Wright 1063) adds Wright. This notion helps explain why so few can understand what appear to be the novel's ridiculous plot threads, and also why these characters, especially their words, have such symbolic rather than literal meaning. Although Yeshua came to show the existence of the spiritual kingdom to people in the darkness, but, like Pilate, people must use these words to "free themselves" from the darkness. Following the thesis that Woland and Yeshua are Gnostic symbols for thelight and darkness, Woland and Yeshua can no longer be seen simply as “God against the devil”, but rather as opposing but equal forces. Thus, Woland's pure existence is yet another example of the existence of the spiritual realm: he demonstrates through his darkness that an opposing force exists in Yeshua. He may be the “devil,” but he certainly isn't meant to disprove the existence of God; indeed, it reaffirms it. This argument is expressed most poignantly in Woland's words as he argues with Berlioz about the existence of God. "Look, professor," said Berlioz with a forced smile, "With all due respect to you as a scholar, we have on this point a different attitude, "It's not a question of having an attitude," replied the strange professor. "It existed, that's all." "But you have to have proof. …', Berlioz began. 'There is no need for proof,' replied the professor' (Bulgakov “Never Talk to Strangers”). In no other scene is Woland's mission so explicitly stated. He is more interested in providing the “shadow” to the light of the divine, rather than twisting it. Wright's article once again agrees with Woland's positioning as this figure in the Gnostic argument and Woland's presence is crucial to the recognition of the spiritual realm. He states: Essentially, man is seeking freedom from the tyranny of knowing only what is good, a process that leads to Gnosticism and the cult of an evil power as liberation from such tyranny... Once man is free to know good and evil, the concept of the devil seems destined to expand to take care of man's desire for such knowledge: there is no escape from the logic of this process, neither in popular tradition nor in The Master and Margaret . (Wright 1165). According to this interpretation, the “devil” is not simply an enemy of God; rather, it is an anchor in showing that God is indeed present. As Woland stated, how can one know one without the other? Since God is absent in the physical realm of Gnosticism, Woland, along with Yeshua, must be agents and representations of the spiritual realm beyond. Consequently, “any perspective that denies the ontological reality of the supernatural is therefore pathetically inadequate to explain the reality of the human condition.” And even the devil himself will tell the readers (online article). This definition, then, is Woland's primary function: one that has a much nobler purpose than simply being an evil deceiver. To also show this “opposite and equal” dualistic representation of Woland and Yeshua, let's take the examples where Woland and Yeshua seem to contain an equal amount of knowledge, knowledge that other characters cannot contain or understand. The numerous lines in which characters are asked to explain events, responding with "Only the devil knows", although a popular figure of speech, are ironic and actually quite literal. These reactions, which always occur in Woland's presence, are repeated repeatedly throughout the novel, on more than ten separate occasions. This continued assertion that the devil actually “knows” shows that, like Yeshua, Woland also possesses omniscient knowledge. When Berlioz is hit by a train, for example, at the beginning of the novel, Woland shouts: "Shall I immediately send a telegram to your uncle in Kiev?" shocking Berlioz, who cannot understand how Woland possessed this knowledge of his family members. Although a small event compared to later events in the novel, this scene shows his character's otherworldly foresight. Although Woland is in the physical world evil and “ignorant”, he always knows more than the characters in it. Looking at Yeshua and Woland as mere figures on separate poles requires further reasoning. It can be deduced that theWoland's depiction of darkness also puts him much more in touch with the physical realm throughout the novel, since, as the Gnostics postulate, the entire world is actually in darkness. Woland's dual connection from the spiritual and physical realms can be read in one of his descriptions. “His right eye, with a spark of gold in the depths, pierced anyone he turned to to the depths of the soul; and the left, empty and black like the narrow eye of a needle” (Bulgakov “The Master is Freed”). These lines are a perfect representation of Woland not as evil or even beneath the “good” character of Yeshua, but as a necessary object to understand what, as he stated before, good is. Woland is in darkness (or physical reality) but possesses the illuminating truth of the spiritual realm that Yeshua possesses. On the other pole, Yeshua's function in the novel must be to provide the “light” that Woland opposes. Pilate's final words in the novel also clarify an important Gnostic characterization of Jesus. Throughout the Master's novel, readers witness Pilate's internal struggle over how he should handle Yeshua and the consequences of his crucifixion. Readers can clearly see that Pilate was haunted by his decision to kill the man who, as Pilate begins to realize, perhaps wasn't even a man after all. Pilate constantly states: “Even at night, in the moonlight, I have no rest” (Bulgakov “The Master is Delivered”) indicating that even in the darkness of the physical world, Pilate is not, in fact, ignorant. He was awakened by Yeshua's message in the Master's text. Furthermore, almost simultaneously when Pilate is declared to have acquired the light and the subsequent knowledge that comes from it, he utters a statement that is truly Gnostic in its roots regarding the execution of Yeshua. Gnostics have a very unique definition of the death of Jesus. While traditional Catholics declare that Jesus' death on the cross was truly the act of a dying man, Gnostics appropriately separate the man Jesus from the “divine spirit” of Christ. Therefore, according to this view, while spectators of the crucifixion physically saw Jesus as man die, Christ, the true spirit, did not, and was instead released into his home in the spiritual realm. As a result, crucifixion is often considered a “deception” of the eye – there is no bodily death and subsequent resurrection – there is a clear separation between body and soul. Pilate's final recognition of Yeshua's true knowledge is perhaps one of the most persuasive elements of The Master and Margaret to be found in a Gnostic argument. As Pilate set out along that path of light, he walked with Banga and the wandering philosopher beside him. … They completely disagreed, which made their discussion even more compelling and interminable. The execution, of course, had been a pure misunderstanding: after all, this very man, with his ridiculous philosophy that all men are good, was walking right next to him, so he was alive. Indeed, the mere thought of executing such a man was absurd. There had been no execution! It had never happened! This thought comforted him as he walked along the path in the moonlight (Bulgakov 278). Pilate's statement shows his knowledge of Yeshua's true purpose. The person Yeshua is irrelevant when compared to the knowledge Pilate gained of the divine realm and, literally, Yeshua led Pilate along the “path of light.” Pilate's "restless" spark could now be released. Through Yeshua, he was able to fulfill every Gnostic's goal of turning away from the physical world and reuniting with the light. The words of the Master: “you are free! He's waiting for you!” not just complete the book, but completePilate's journey along the moonlit path to the light of the divine, a path that Pilate had attempted to travel since Yeshua's death. In contrast, Woland asks the critical question of why the Master should also not “go towards the light” as Pilate had done. Unlike Pilate's awakening to the existence of the spiritual realm, the Master is said to have “not gained light, only peace.” This concept illustrates once again that divine knowledge of the light of the spiritual realm is not something that simply exists, it is something that all people do not obtain simply by remaining, as the Master did, completely in the “darkness” of the physical universe. . The Master's close relationship with Woland shows that he was not fully “awakened” from the darkness and therefore did not “gain” the light. Woland here works to tear the physical realm from their illusion. His evil acts do not serve to deceive and victimize, but exist to demonstrate the existence of the opposite. The Master ultimately fails; he sees only Woland's world. As Gnosticism teaches, access to the kingdom of light is the last of man's aspirations, but it must be conquered, and to do so requires great efforts in life. As evidenced by his attempt to burn his text of knowledge, the Master failed because he gave up. Up to this point, Bulgakov's text provides significant clues for a Gnostic reading of the characters of Woland and Yeshua; yet the most powerful figure in the novel, which almost certainly gives it a Gnostic translation, is that of Margaret. One of the most important figures of Gnosticism, and almost exclusively unique to this sect, is the figure of Mary Magdalene. Gnostics believe that it was to Mary that Jesus revealed his “hidden” teachings, as she was the most important woman in the Jesus ministry movement: custodian of a vast amount of divine knowledge. This parallel is overwhelming in Bulgakov's novel. Since the heart of the novel's "teachings" lies in the text of the Master's book, it is no coincidence that Margarita, the woman who saved the Master's burned book, is also the "guardian" of Yeshua's divine teachings. Therefore, just as both Yeshua and Woland are necessary for knowledge of the spiritual realm to enter the world of Moscow, there must also exist a vehicle for receiving such inside information: Maragarita is the only person outside of Woland who has access to the text of the Master. .On a physical level, the very relationship between the Master and Margaret and Jesus and Mary Magdalene is quite similar. Although the historical Mary Magdalene has been falsely labeled a prostitute, Jesus of Nazareth met the woman cleansing her of sins, as she came to him as a despised member of society. The Master's description of his first meeting with Margarita is very reminiscent, as he also refers to Margarita's isolation by stating: “She carried with her some of those foul yellow flowers. … She had a suffering look and I was less struck by her beauty than by the extraordinary loneliness in her eyes” (Bulgakov “Enter the Hero”). As the Master continues the story of how he and Margaret fell in love, the parallels with Mary Magdalene are once again quite significant. Although there is little basis for the theory that Jesus of Nazareth was actually married to Mary Magdalene, the Gnostic gospels labeled her as Jesus' "companion" and "favorite apostle" and even claimed that Jesus kissed Mary on the mouth . This singular relationship is characterized in the Gospel of Philip: He loved her more than all the disciples and often kissed her on the mouth. The rest of the disciples […]. They said to him, “Why do you love her more than all of us?” The Savior, answering, said to them: «Why do I not love you as she does? When a blind man and a sighted man are together in the darkness,they are not different from each other. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness” (Ehrman 187). The Gospel of Philip sheds light not simply on the physical relationship between Jesus and Mary, but on Mary's role in transmitting the secret knowledge that the Gnostic gospels are focused on. Although the Master is not a savior, merely a "transporter" of the gnosis brought through Yeshua through his novel, it is nevertheless appropriate that Margarita draws parallels with Mary Magdalene in this relationship. Likewise, the Master and Margaret are agents in transmitting this knowledge in Bulgakov's novel. This argument, which makes Mary Magdalene and Margaret "vessels" of gnosis, is also strengthened by the verses of his gospel (also never published in the book). canonical and deemed heretical by the church) which specifically state that she possessed information to which no other apostle had access. According to the Gospel of Mary, tell us the words of the Savior that you remember and know, but we do not know them nor have we heard them. Mary answered and said: What is hidden from you I will declare to you. And he began to speak these words to them: I, he said, saw the Lord in a vision and said to him: Lord, I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me: Blessed are you who did not falter at the sight of me. Because where the mind is, there is the treasure (Ehrman 284). Although most of the Gospel of Mary has been lost, it is significant that Jesus was said to have actually proclaimed to Mary information hidden from others, and that Mary, through her The Gospel and contact with the apostles were the instrument for spreading these truth. In The Master and Margaret, Margaret reads the charred remains of the Master's story of Yeshua and Pilate. Alone in the Master's house, she is the only person in the novel who knows and can save this information. Noting these parallels, Wright's essay explains that it is not simply the existence of the manuscript that is relevant, but knowing what to do with the words in it. “What happens today has already happened before, an idea remains from generation to generation, no matter who expresses it. The Master's life work is his novel, which burns and which is saved largely thanks to Margarita. The “life work” of Christ is recorded (in its essence if not in detail) by Matthu Levi in ​​a scroll… But manuscripts do not burn. Neither the life-work of the Master nor that of Christ is destroyed” (Wright 1169). Therefore, armed with the knowledge contained in the Master's novel, readers can witness Margarita's repeated exposure to the spiritual realm represented by Woland throughout Bulgakov's novel. Her absolute and unshakable confidence in Woland's ability to allow her contact with this other realm is a testament to this; yet Margarita's case is complicated. Having both knowledge of Yeshua from the Master's text and knowledge of Woland, Margarita repeatedly decides to cooperate with Woland, albeit for a good cause. The narrator's first lines in describing Margarita reveal his inclination to believe in the spiritual realm represented physically by Woland and textually through Yeshua in the Master's novel. “Gods, gods! What did this woman need? This woman, in whose eyes there always shone a little enigmatic spark? This witch with just a shadow in one eye… I don't know” (Bulgakov “Margarita”). Bulgakov's insistence that Margaret's divine "spark" was lit, but also in calling her a "witch", is evidence that Margaret was indeed on the path to gnosis in her fundamental knowledge of the existence of both darkness and light of the world. spiritual realm, which as the Gnostics argue, is the main basis in the final choice offollow the path to the light. A further example where Margarita is dangerously close to choosing the path to the light after experiencing the darkness to which Woland exposes her is again stated symbolically. Since Woland's description earlier used the metaphor of a needle in the brain to classify darkness, Margarita experiences the opposite of this in the lines, "the nagging pain in the temple, which had tormented her all evening... is disappeared as if someone had pulled a needle out of her brain” (Bulgakov “Margarita”). As a vehicle of gnosis, like Mary Magdalene, Margaret is not as ignorant as her Soviet counterparts: she clearly knows the spiritual, but her deep interactions and dependence on Woland show that Margarita, to complete her mission of reuniting with the Master and his book, perhaps, was forced to divulge it in the darkness. However, with the conclusion of the novel, Margarita's goal was achieved. Like Mary Magdalene, he exclusively saved the Master's script and the knowledge within it, serving as a connection between the two realms: a unique individual who had experience of both darkness and light. Yet, perhaps just like Mary Magdalene, Margaret cannot be brought to light; while Jesus left Mary on Earth armed with his teachings, Margaret also remained far from the light of the spiritual realm. Being a bearer of saving information, she herself cannot be saved directly by it. The ending of the novel can be interpreted in various ways. However, there is an interesting change in that Matthew Levi, speaking “from Him,” since “[he] is His apostle” is working directly in collaboration with Woland. Levi states: "'He has read the writings of the Master... and asks you to take the Master with you and reward him by granting him peace.'" When Woland asks why Levi would not simply want to bring the Master with him into the light, he replies that "He did not gain light, he earned rest... He asks you to also take the woman who loved him and who suffered for him" (Bulgakov "The fate of the Master and Margarita is Decided"). Margaret, [and the Master], like Mary Magdalene's suffering in her condemnation for spreading the words of Jesus, completed her role in aiding Pilate's eventual gnosis by saving and completing the Master's text; yet to do so he had to go through the darkness. Once again giving readers an ambiguous interpretation that mixes Margarita's personal journey between darkness and light, at the end of the novel Margarita both shout "The great Woland!" thanking him for saving her to reunite with the Master and his script, but at the same time clinging to the saving knowledge in the Master's book as they are forced from their building. Almost simultaneously with Woland's praise, Margarita intervenes to the Master: "But the novel, the novel!... take the novel with you wherever you go!" The Master responds. “'I remember everything by heart, ... Don't worry, I will never forget anything again'” (Bulgakov “On Sparrow Hills”). Here it seems that both the Master and Margarita are fully aware of the spiritual realm in the Master's text, but they are too intertwined with Woland to choose a path: their path was chosen for them. By relying on Woland to reunite with the Master and finish her text, Margaret in a sense sacrificed herself to the darkness to release the light of Yeshua and the story of Pilate that lies within herself. The explicit denial of the Master and Margaret on the path to spiritual enlightenment occurs in lines: “Should I follow him [along the path to the light]?” the Master asks Woland. Woland responds by telling the Master: “No. Why try to pursue what is complete?” Woland's words