The Master and Margarita - “Cowardice is the most terrible vice!” Cowardice is the worst vice

Man, like any living creature, is subject to fear. This is a completely normal phenomenon, which reflects the instinct of self-preservation. It’s just that there are circumstances in life that require a person to overcome this fear, that is, to suppress the primitive instinct in oneself. Such a task is not at all easy, so it is not surprising that people show cowardice. This is the concept we will consider today.

What does cowardice mean?

Cowardice is the behavior of a person in a certain situation when he refuses to make decisions or actively act due to fear or other phobias. Cowardice is undoubtedly motivated by fear, and this concept must be distinguished from caution or prudence. Once V. Rumyantsev noted that cowardice is an escape from possible danger without a preliminary adequate assessment of it.

In psychology, cowardice is considered a negative quality. weakness that prevents you from performing proper actions.

Understanding cowardice according to Theophrastus

The ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus said that cowardice is a mental weakness that does not allow a person to confront his fear. A cowardly person could easily mistake the cliffs for pirate ships or prepare to die as soon as the waves begin to rise. If a coward suddenly finds himself in a war, then, seeing how his comrades are dying, he will probably pretend that he forgot his weapon and return to camp. There the coward will hide the sword far away and pretend to search intensified. He will do anything to avoid fighting his enemies. Even if one of his comrades is wounded, he will take care of him, but when the warriors begin to return from the battlefield, without a doubt, the coward will run out to meet them, covered in the blood of his comrade and will talk about how he carried him out with his own hands. hell of a fight.

This is such a vivid example of cowardice that Theophrastus gives, trying to reveal the essence of this concept. But no matter now or thousands of years ago, human nature remains the same - cowards behave the same.

Cowardice and courage

The feeling of fear is known to all people. There has never been, is not and never will be a person who is not afraid of anything. But some people retreat in the face of danger, while others break themselves and go towards their fear. Such people are usually called courageous. But if a person does not do this, and after a while he is forced by those around him to take a certain action, then without a doubt, he will receive the nickname of a coward. The inability and unwillingness to cope with one’s fears will forever put a corresponding stigma on a person.

Conquering cowardice is not easy. To gain courage, to show courage - every person is potentially capable of such actions, but if cowardice is already firmly rooted in him, he becomes its helpless slave. Cowardice does everything not to show itself; it is an invisible shadow with enormous destructive power.

One can recall many examples of cowardice: a friend did not stand up for his comrade because he was afraid of a fight; a person does not change a hated job for fear of losing stability; or a soldier escaping from the battlefield. Cowardice has many faces, hiding behind the rules.

Dante's Inferno

Dante's guide to the underworld gives a classic description of cowards. On the very threshold of the Underworld, faceless souls crowded together; they were once people stricken with cowardice. These are indifferent onlookers at the feast of life, they knew neither glory nor shame, and the world does not need to remember them.

If a person, finding himself in a dangerous situation, thinks exclusively about escape, while ignoring the voice of reason, he is stricken with cowardice. Cowardice always chooses what is convenient and safe. Not solving a problem, but hiding from it - this is the basis on which the concept of cowardice is based.

Consequences

To hide from life's problems and decisions, cowardice finds release in entertainment. Hiding behind a series of endless parties and watching funny videos, cowardice constantly accumulates a number of unpleasant situations that require resolution. So what does cowardice lead to?

If it has already become a manifestation of personality, then we can say with confidence that such a person is not capable of courage or dedication. He becomes timid and fearful, and his conscience becomes silent forever. Only the insane do not feel fear. Avoiding danger is a smart thing to do, but running away from a specific problem is cowardice.

A coward will think ten thousand times before making a decision. His motto: “No matter what happens.” Following this principle, a person turns into a real egoist who does everything possible to hide from the threats of the outside world. Cowardice is closed in its loneliness, and the frightened ego, for which its own safety is most important, is ready to resort to any meanness. This is how betrayal is born. When paired with cowardice, anyone takes on an exaggerated appearance: a stupid person turns into an incorrigible dullard, a deceitful person becomes a slanderer. This is what cowardice leads to.

A terrible vice

Most cowardly people are cruel. They bully the weak, thereby trying to hide their “fearful illness” from the public. The coward splashes out the accumulated anger and resentment on the victim. Cowardice deprives a person of the ability to reason sensibly. Brutal murders that leave even seasoned criminologists in a cold sweat are most often committed under the influence of fear. That is why cowardice is the most terrible vice.

Because of his excessive fearfulness, a person can live his whole life without knowing what he was capable of. Everyone has the potential to be a courageous person, but by refusing to make decisions or take necessary actions, a person gradually turns into a pathetic coward. Fear is not a sin; it reveals human weaknesses, which can be quite successfully overcome, but cowardice is already a vice for which there is no excuse.

Everything that Bulgakov experienced in his life, both happy and difficult - he gave all his main thoughts and discoveries, all his soul and all his talent to the novel “The Master and Margarita”. Bulgakov wrote “The Master and Margarita” as a historically and psychologically reliable book about his time and people, and therefore the novel became a unique human document of that remarkable era. Bulgakov presents many problems on the pages of the novel. Bulgakov puts forward the idea that everyone is given what they deserve, what you believed in is what you get. In this regard, he also touches on the problem of human cowardice. The author considers cowardice to be the greatest sin in life. This is shown through the image of Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the procurator in Yershalaim. One of those whom he judged is Yeshua Ha-Nozrp. The author develops the theme of cowardice through the eternal theme of the unjust trial of Christ. Pontius Pilate lives by his own laws: he knows that the world is divided into those who rule and those who obey them, that the formula “the slave submits to the master” is unshakable. And suddenly a person appears who thinks differently. Pontius Pilate understood perfectly well that Yeshua did not commit nothing for which he needed to be executed. But for an acquittal, the opinion of the procurator was not enough. He personified power, the opinion of many, and in order to be found innocent, Yeshua had to accept the laws of the crowd. In order to resist the crowd, a large Inner strength and courage. Yeshua possessed such qualities, boldly and fearlessly expressing his point of view. Yeshua had his own philosophy of life: “... there are no evil people in the world, there are unhappy people." Pilate was so unhappy. For Yeshua, the opinion of the crowd means nothing does not mean that he, even being in such a dangerous situation for himself, strives to help others. Pilate was immediately convinced of Ga-Nosrp’s innocence. Moreover, Yeshua was able to relieve the severe headache that tormented the procurator. But Pilate did not listen to his “inner” voice, the voice of conscience, but followed the lead of the crowd. The procurator tried to save the stubborn “prophet” from imminent execution, but he resolutely did not want to give up his “truth.” It turns out that the all-powerful ruler is also dependent on the opinions of others, the opinions of the crowd. Because of the fear of denunciation, the fear of ruining his own career, Pilate goes against his convictions, the voice of humanity and conscience. And Pontius Pilate shouts so that everyone can hear: “Criminal!” Yeshua is executed. Pilate is not afraid for his life - nothing threatens her - but for his career. And when he has to decide whether to risk his career or send to death a person who managed to conquer him with his intelligence, the amazing power of his word, or something else unusual, he prefers the latter. Cowardice is the main problem of Pontius Pilate. “Cowardice is undoubtedly one of the most terrible vices,” Pontius Pilate hears Yeshua’s words in a dream. “No, philosopher, I object to you: this is the most terrible vice!” - the author of the book suddenly intervenes and speaks in his full voice. Bulgakov condemns cowardice without mercy or condescension, because he knows: people who have set evil as their goal - there are, in essence, few of them - are not as dangerous as those who seem ready to advance good, but are cowardly and cowardly. Fear turns good and personally brave people into blind instruments of evil will. The procurator realizes that he has committed treason and tries to justify himself to himself, deceiving himself that his actions were correct and the only possible. Pontius Pilate was punished with immortality for his cowardice. It turns out that his immortality is a punishment. It is a punishment for the choices a person makes in their life. Pilate made his choice. And the biggest problem is that his actions were guided by petty fears. He sat on his stone chair on the mountains for two thousand years and saw the same dream for two thousand years - he couldn’t imagine a more terrible torment, especially since this dream is his most secret dream. He claims that he did not agree on something then, on the fourteenth month of Nisan, and wants to go back to correct everything. Pilate's eternal existence cannot be called life; it is a painful state that will never end. The author nevertheless gives Pilate the opportunity to be released. Life began when the Master folded his hands into a megaphone and shouted: “Free!” After much torment and suffering, Pilate is finally forgiven.

It is stunning in its depth and comprehensiveness. Satirical chapters in which Woland's retinue fools the Moscow inhabitants are mixed in 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 the tragic fate of 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 staticity further emphasizes his excitement, the dynamism and freedom of his thoughts, the intense 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 of 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 occurs because his power, practically unlimited in Judea, is now becoming 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. The image of the Roman emperor appears before the procurator in the semi-darkness of the palace like a terrible ghost: “...on his bald head sat a rare-toothed crown; 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.”
Having called 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 from the critical articles addressed to him it was clear that “the authors of these articles are not saying what they want to say, and that this is what causes their rage.”
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.”

In 2005, when this legendary film was released, I was 13 years old. At such an early age you understand very little and realize it deeply enough to understand it completely. After all, it is true what they say that the work "Master and Margarita" is understood differently at different ages. This happened to me too. 10 years have passed - and I watch the same film, only with different eyes.

There are no evil people in the world, there are only unhappy people

At first it seemed to me that "Master and Margarita" is a work about love with a dash of history. After all, for the sake of love, Margarita decided to go through this difficult path, which ultimately gave her a second chance to be happy next to her loved one. But in reality, everything is much deeper. The novel shows how a meeting with Woland changes people's destinies. It remains a mystery, for example, would Ivan Bezdomny have ended up in a psychiatric hospital if he had not met a mysterious foreign consultant at Patriarch's Ponds?

Today at the Patriarch's Ponds you met Satan

Now about the film itself.

It seems to me that the 2005 film is without exaggeration the most brilliant work domestic cinema. Vladimir Bortko is the greatest talented producer who managed to convey the entire atmosphere with which the novel is saturated. And, of course, it is worth noting the composer Igor Kornelyuk - his music is magnificent. I listen to it avidly!

The cast played an important role. What a pity that some of the actors are no longer alive. Personally, I really miss my favorite Kirill Lavrov and Vladislav Galkin in modern films

We will always be together now. Once there’s one, that means there’s another one too... If they remember me, they’ll immediately remember you too...

I was also always very impressed by Oleg Basilashvili’s acting. He acted amazingly in this film!

Never be afraid of anything. This is unreasonable.

Sergei Bezrukov, also very talented, “hit the right note.” But the only negative is that it seems to me that he is a little overweight for Yeshua. But this is my subjective opinion.

– Cowardice is one of the most terrible human vices.
– I dare to object to you. Cowardice is the most terrible human vice.

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

When Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov wrote a novel about the Master, he hardly imagined that he was creating the most significant work of Russian literature of the twentieth century. Today, the work is deservedly included in the lists of the most read books in the 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 true, faithful, eternal love in the world? May the liar's vile tongue be cut out!
We speak different languages, as always, but the things we talk about do not 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, cats are usually called “you,” 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 can never!
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... The housing issue only spoiled them.
No matter what pessimists say, the earth is still absolutely beautiful, and under the moon it is simply unique.