"Master and Margarita"
The novel has several plot lines. One of them tells about the adventures of demonic characters in Moscow. These heroes are very colorful and original. One of these mystical characters is Azazello.
“The Master and Margarita” is a novel set in the thirties. Even then, the housing issue became one of the most painful for residents of the capital. In addition, the desire to own someone else's property is far from the only human vice inherent in mere mortals. There is also greed, greed, envy and, finally, cowardice. It is impossible to rid humanity of all these shortcomings. But from time to time, individual representatives should be taught a lesson. This is what the heroes of Bulgakov’s novel did: Behemoth, Bassoon, Azazello.
“The Master and Margarita” is a work that has received close attention from literary critics for several decades. Each of the characters contains an allusion to a real person or a mythical or biblical character. What do critics say about Azazello's image?
Who is Azazello
Let's start with the fact that before writing his work, Mikhail Bulgakov read a lot of literature, including the Bible and the Old Testament. It was from there that the writer took the image of Azazello. In the Bible he is mentioned under the name Azazell and is considered a fallen angel who corrupted people and taught them many obscene and ungodly things. It is mentioned there that it was he who taught women to apply makeup and decorate their bodies with jewelry, or rather, he gave such an idea, while he instilled in men thoughts about war and showed the art of weapons. He simply seduced people, made many atheists, taught the art of lying and, of course, debauchery. Azazell was that fallen angel who did not fear God at all, for which he was eventually deprived of his wings and sent to hell.
Fallen Angel
Azazel is a character from a biblical story. An Old Testament legend says that one of the angels once opposed God's will, for which he was sent to the underworld. But first he was deprived of his main heavenly attribute: wings. The fallen angel settled down in hell and became popular. Writers and poets have turned to his image throughout almost the entire history of mankind.
Bulgakov somewhat modified the appearance of this character, and most importantly, changed his name in the Italian manner. Azazello in the novel “The Master and Margarita,” as befits an inhabitant of darkness, is terrible, insidious and cruel. What role does this character play in Woland’s retinue?
The true face of Azazello
At the end of the novel you can see who Azazello really is. In the light of the moon, it is clear that the appearance of this hero has undergone significant changes. One might say cardinal.
The face became deathly pale. The crooked eyes disappeared. The disgusting fang has disappeared somewhere. The eyes became absolutely the same coal color and empty. Looking at them, it seems that you are falling into an abyss. The steel shine of the armor illuminated the path for the riders. His cloak is black, like that of Woland, his master and master.
He became himself. Demon killer. Who he really was and what he so carefully hid under a mask.
Unpleasant character
The devil's helpers, despite their tricks, evoke sympathy. The hippopotamus jokes constantly. Although Koroviev has a trashy voice and a vile appearance, he makes you smile. Azazello, unlike his “colleagues,” is laconic and lacks charm. His role in the retinue is to do the dirty work. For the first time he appears directly from the mirror in Styopa Likhodeev's apartment. Azazello has a bowler hat on his head. His hair has a fiery red tint. The frightening appearance is complemented by fangs.
Azazello speaks in a nasal, unpleasant voice. And from his very first appearance on the pages of Bulgakov’s novel, he expresses his readiness to use physical or mystical force. Intimidate, destroy - this is the extent of Azazello’s responsibilities. And even the death of the main characters of the novel comes precisely from his hands.
The essence of his work is in his retinue
The essence of work in the retinue was to carry out various kinds of assignments. Most often associated with murder, violence, robbery. Killing a person is a piece of cake for him. A dangerous killer with a revolver behind his back.
“I do not recommend anyone to meet him, even if he does not have any revolver in his hands...”
He has excellent weapon control that is the envy of any sniper. Hit exactly on target without missing.
Scrupulous in organizational matters. Precision and accuracy in everything. Energetic, able to act clearly according to plan, without making the slightest mistake.
Azazel in art
Mentions of the yellow-eyed demon in literature and modern cinema occur frequently. The first thing a person thinks about when he hears the name Azazel is the character Azazello from Bulgakov’s work. In the novel, he also appears as a demon and a provocateur of manifestations of anger and lust in humans.
The work of the same name by the writer Boris Akunin enjoyed undoubted popularity several years ago and to this day. According to the book, behind this name is the image of the main character. Here the reference goes to the role of the fallen angel in mythology.
The name and image of Azazel is used in comics and cartoons. In the popular TV series Supernatural, the demon character is present in the first two seasons.
Mythology
In many parables and tales, Azazel appears under different guises. His usual occupation is to sow deception and depravity on Earth. It encourages lies and provokes anger in people. This demon lives in the legends of different peoples. So who is it? Azazel is the one who leads the army of the underworld and carries its banners. In other sources on Judaism, a fallen angel is a demonized patron of livestock. This demon is called upon to awaken anger and hatred in a man. For women, its manifestation brings flashes of vanity. Brings discord into the home. Azazel is credited with the functionality of an incubus according to some sources.
Option 2
Roman M.A. Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" was published after the death of the author, who worked on it throughout his entire creative life. The novel intersects two storylines. The work is filled with mystical events and images.
One of these images is the character Azazello. Perhaps the author named his hero by analogy with the biblical image of an angel who transgressed the laws of God. The name of the fallen angel is Azazel. In the novel, Azazello plays the role of an associate of Satan. He is in the service of Woland. And, like his Old Testament prototype, he is ready to do all the “dirty” work to please his master.
Azazello's unsightly appearance changes depending on need. The unprepossessing figure and flaws in the face are complemented by lameness. The hero likes to drink a lot. He does not part with cigars either. Azazello dresses simply and casually in everyday life. But, like any seducer, he is capable of transformation. This is reflected primarily in clothing. The hero replaces his favorite tights with an impeccable suit. The suit is complemented by a tie and patent leather shoes.
The role of a seducer is necessary for him to perform his main function. Azazello is a cruel and ruthless creature who knows how to handle all types of bladed weapons and firearms. In the work, numerous scenes of violence are performed by this very hero. He needs the ability to transform in order to lull the victim’s vigilance and lure him into a trap. Using all available means, Azazello can be seductive. It was Margarita who considered him a seducer when she first met the hero on the streets of Moscow.
The hero had one more quality. He had the ability to transform and completely transform. He can cook food and greet guests. Can invent a miraculous cream and lipstick for Margarita. Or maybe just turn into medical personnel. But the real face of the hero can only be seen at the very end of the novel. His bottomless eyes lost the thorn that covered one eye. The fang that disfigured his face disappeared without a trace. The face is deathly pale. And now he more and more resembled his Old Testament prototype. He looked like a fallen angel turned demon should look.
Other works: ← The image and characterization of Pontius Pilate in the novel The Master and Margarita ↑ The Master and Margarita Characteristics and image of Hippopotamus in the novel The Master and Margarita →
Appearance
The appearance of the hero, described in the novel, has a mythical, fairy-tale appearance, and most importantly, it is quite memorable for the reader. Azazello had fairly broad shoulders, had claws on his hands, a very unpleasant note of nasality could be heard in his voice, and had a limping gait. Also a distinctive feature of his image was a thorn on his left eye. He was “...short, flaming red, with a fang, in starched underwear, in a good-quality striped suit, in patent leather shoes and with a bowler hat on his head. The tie was bright...” His whole appearance radiated disgust and caused completely unpleasant sensations. Bulgakov made his character as memorable as possible; his unsightly, ugly and disproportionate figure was created by the author in order to distinguish the demon from the other characters in the work: Behemoth and Koroviev.
What fate is prepared for the demon by God?
Seeing what atrocities were happening on earth, the Almighty sent four of his archangels for the rebellious Azazel. They were instructed to remove the fallen cherub, as well as the demons with him, and punish everyone in the most severe manner.
Each of the tempters was sent to hell. A different fate was foreseen for Azazel: he remained in the human world, but was imprisoned in the Dudail desert. Here the demon, covered in impenetrable darkness, must remain until the Day of Judgment, with the arrival of which he will be thrown into the eternal fire.
The image of Azazel - a fallen angel among other nations and his appearance
It is believed that Azazel has a very human appearance, unlike, for example, the demon Baal. Thus, he was traditionally depicted as an old man with a beard and goat horns, who always walked with a black crowned goat. Other, more ancient Canaanite legends identified Azazel with a huge worm living in the depths of the desert sands.
Speaking about the beliefs of other peoples, Azazel has many similarities with the Egyptian god Set. He was also the patron of the desert, in ancient times - the defender of the power of the pharaohs, and later - the enemy of other Egyptian gods and one of the main personifications of evil. In addition, both Azazel among the Jews and Set among the Egyptians patronized various foreign peoples who, in their opinion, were located far beyond the deserts.
In addition, according to the tradition established in Judaism and Christianity, Azazel was at one time defeated by the angel Raphael. The Archangel threw him into a dark pit in the middle of the desert and crushed him with a huge stone. Azazel himself is only waiting for the moment when he can see the light again. And this moment will come, according to legend, during the Last Judgment, when the traitor angel will be destroyed in a cleansing flame. Among Muslims, the name of this demon is synonymous with Iblis - the main traitor who refused to bow to Adam, for which he was overthrown by Allah.
The interpretation of the image of this demon by the famous Bulgakov also deserves special attention. The name “Azazello”, transformed into Spanish, as well as his status as the patron of the waterless desert, clearly indicate that this character is an ancient Jewish demon. All his attributes - mirrors, iron weapons, steel armor - were also mentioned in legends and cultural traditions in one way or another. In “The Master and Margarita” Azazello still appears in two guises - seducer and murderer.
