The events described in the novel “The Master and Margarita” show how the choice that the main characters face can affect the fate of each of us. Bulgakov is trying to convey to the reader that the course of history is influenced by good, truth, freedom, and not by the usual power and evil, which are in eternal confrontation.
The image and characterization of Pontius Pilate in “The Master and Margarita” will help you understand what kind of person he really is, and how the crime he committed affected his future life, dooming him to eternal torment and repentance.
Pontius Pilate is the fifth Roman procurator of Judea, ruling the country from 26-36 AD.
Appearance of Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate's appearance was no different from an ordinary person, despite the fact that he was the procurator of Judea. Slavic features creep into the whole appearance. Yellowish skin tone. Always perfectly shaved with no signs of a week's stubble.
"On a yellowish shaved face."
There is almost no hair left on my head.
“I put the hood over my balding head.”
He suffers from daily migraines, which cause him a lot of discomfort, and he hates what he does. A city that has to be ruled and its inhabitants. Because of this, Pontius Pilate is constantly in an irritated state, often taking out his anger on the people around him.
His clothes are a white cloak.
"White cloak with bloody lining."
He walked:
"shuffling, cavalry gait"
which identified him as a military man. On the feet are ordinary sandals worn on bare feet. In his entire appearance one can feel strength and power, but what was going on in his soul was known only to him.
Procurator of Judea
In literature, Pontius Pilate appears before readers in the image of a cruel man. The procurator's contemporaries give the man a slightly different description: a stubborn, ruthless, tough, rude, aggressive “beast” who had no moral boundaries or barriers.
Pontius Pilate assumed the post of procurator of Judea at the behest of his own father-in-law. But, being a cruel man who hated Jews, the first thing he decided to do was show who was in charge in the Holy Land. Therefore, standards appeared here on which images of the emperor were placed.
Pontius Pilate and Jesus Christ
Religious laws turned out to be alien to Pilate. This led to a conflict that did not end after the story with the standards, but flared up even more due to the announcement of the construction of an aqueduct in Jerusalem.
The main act during his work as a prosecutor was the trial of Jesus Christ. This situation happened on the eve of the Jewish Passover. For the sake of searching for the truth, Pilate arrived in Jerusalem. They arrested Jesus on the night from Thursday to Friday, after which they brought the man to the Sanhedrin. The elders wanted to destroy the Savior, but the last word always belonged to the procurator of Judea.
The main goal of the Sanhedrin was to create an image of Christ as a man who posed a danger to the emperor. Anna was the first to speak at the trial, after which other members of the Sanhedrin conducted the interrogation. During the interrogation, Jesus presented arguments that destroyed the image created by the high priest. Christ talked about how he never hid his own life, faith and preaching.
Pontius Pilate and Jesus Christ
The priests suggested that Pontius Pilate accuse Jesus Christ of blasphemy and incitement to rebellion, but proof was required. Then perjury came to the aid of the accusers. The Savior, as the Jews called Jesus, did not utter a word in his defense. This caused even greater indignation on the part of the Sanhedrin.
The council sentenced Christ to death, but this decision was not final, since the final point in similar cases could only be set by the procurator. And then he appeared - Pontius Pilate, dressed in a snow-white cloak. This action was later called the “trial of Pilate.”
Jesus was brought to the procurator early in the morning. Now the fate of Christ depended entirely on the man in the cloak. The Gospel says that during the trial Jesus was repeatedly tortured, including the imposition of a crown of thorns and scourging. The prosecutor did not want to interfere in this complex matter, but there was no way to avoid a trial.
Pontius Pilate shows Jesus Christ to the crowd after being lashed
The collected evidence of Jesus' guilt seemed insufficient to Pilate, so three times the procurator refused the death penalty. But the Sanhedrin did not agree with this decision, so they provided a new version of the charge related to politics. Pilate received information that Christ considers himself the King of the Jews, and this is a dangerous crime, since it threatens the emperor.
This turned out to be not enough, since in the last conversation with Jesus Pontius realized that this man was not guilty at all, and the accusations were far-fetched. But at the end of the conversation, Christ announced his royal descent, noted in the genealogy. This was the last straw for Pilate, so the procurator sent Jesus to be scourged.
Death Sentence for Jesus Christ
At the same time, a servant approached Pontius with a message from his wife, who had a prophetic dream. According to the woman, Pilate should not punish the Righteous, otherwise he might suffer himself. But the sentence was carried out: Christ was beaten with whips with lead spikes, dressed in jester's outfits, and a crown of thorns was put on his head.
But even this did not stop people from being indignant. The public called on the prosecutor to impose a more serious sentence. Pontius Pilate could not disobey the people due to a certain amount of cowardice, so he decided to execute Jesus Christ. After this “crime,” the procurator underwent a hand washing procedure. This made it possible to record non-involvement in the murder.
Character
Pontius Pilate is essentially a deeply unhappy man. Despite the power he possessed, making the whole world around him tremble, he was a lonely, vulnerable man, hiding his true face under the mask of a despot. Pilate was educated and smart. He was fluent in three languages: Latin, Greek, Aramaic.
The procurator's faithful friend was the dog Banga.
“...your dog, apparently the only creature to which you are attached...”
They were inseparable, trusting each other endlessly. His life is empty and meager. There is a place in it for only one thing - service.
Those around him considered him angry and unsociable.
“...in Yershalaim everyone whispers about me that I am a ferocious creature, and this is absolutely true...”
He was cruel to people. They avoided him, trying not to provoke in him the attacks of anger characteristic of him due to constant migraines. Arrogance gave him a menacing, stern appearance. Brave in life, in his dealings with Yeshua he behaved like a coward. Despising everyone, he hated himself, his position and the inability to change anything.
Description in the work
Bulgakov in The Master and Margarita describes Pontius Pilate as a gloomy and stern man who hates the aroma of rose oil and suffers from severe headaches - hemicrania, or migraines. By the time he meets the wandering philosopher Yeshua Ha-Nozri, whose case the Sanhedrin sends for consideration by the procurator, the latter is exhausted by illness to such an extent that he begins to think about suicide. In addition, the hegemon looks broken, lonely and deeply unhappy. The only living creature to which he is truly attached is a dog named Bunga, whom the prefect is accustomed to calling in difficult moments.
Communication with Ha-Notsri makes a strong impression on Pilate - to such an extent that the procurator even intends to take the philosopher to his own residence, located in Caesarea Stratonova, in order to be able to talk with him at any time. However, having learned that Yeshua is accused of a state crime, the hegemon does not dare to go against Caesar and approves the death sentence imposed by the Sanhedrin.
True, Pontius subsequently tries to intercede with the high priest on behalf of the one whom he himself calls a harmless holy fool, but his words have no effect - the religious authority of Judea is unshakable in its intention to get rid of the preacher. As a result, instead of Ga-Notsri, the rebel and murderer Var-Rabban is released, while the philosopher accepts death on the cross.
What happened to Pontius Pilate after the execution of Yeshua
Another working moment in the life of Pontius Pilate played a key role that left its mark on the novel as a whole. The execution of prisoners is a common thing for the prosecutor. He was used to taking it for granted, not considering those arrested as people and not being interested in their fates. During the interrogation of Yeshua, he is convinced that the person in front of him is innocent of the crime charged. In addition, he was the only one who could relieve him of his constantly drilling headache. This is how another personality trait was revealed in him – compassion.
With the power given to him, he could not overturn the sentence and release the guy. The only thing he could do to help him was to make sure that the condemned were killed immediately, without suffering. Pontius Pilate could not resist the pressure of circumstances and committed evil. After this act, he will repent of his deed for “twelve thousand moons” in time. Remorse deprived him of normal sleep. At night, in fits and starts, he dreams of the same dream, where he walks along a lunar road.
The image of Pontius Pilate in the novel “The Master and Margarita”
The legendary work of M.A. Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" is fraught with many secrets and mysticism. The structure of the novel itself is also unusual. In addition to the main storyline, the writer created a secondary one, the events of which did not take place in reality, but in the novel of the main character. Thus, Bulgakov’s work became a “novel within a novel” and incorporated many amazing images, one of which is the image of Pontius Pilate.
Pontius Pilate is the procurator of Judea. The hero is of rich origin, occupies a very respectable position, according to which he has power over all the inhabitants of Judea, as well as the army. Pontius Pilate is rich in money and power, but deep down in his soul he is deeply unhappy. He passionately hates his service and does not see joy in every day he lives.
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Hiding his misfortune from himself and others, Pontius Pilate becomes an evil, cruel and arrogant ruler. His face is always menacing, the hero makes decisions about the execution of people completely calmly, without sadness or worry about the fate of each of the accused. Despite his greatness and stateliness, Pontius Pilate is very lonely. Believing that a person endowed with power can only have enemies, he does not make any close connections. Perhaps the only creature to which the hero feels affection is his dog Bunga.
Not only was Pontius Pilate’s psychological state bad, but also his physical state. While in the hated service, leading an empty and meaningless life, being completely alone, Pontius Pilate suffers from severe migraines, which only makes him more furious while performing his official duty.
One day, the life of the procurator changes somewhat when Yeshua becomes a defendant in the horde. The philosophical thoughts of Yeshua, unjustly accused of a crime, occupy Pontius Pilate so much that he begins a long conversation with the defendant “as equals.” The procurator's megraine passes, his endless anger goes away. Soon the hero realizes that Yeshua is not guilty of the crime. Pontius Pilate is faced with a choice: to give Yeshua freedom at the cost of his own well-being or to sentence him to death.
Unfortunately, the procurator was unable to overcome the craving for careerism in himself and cancel the death sentence of Yeshua, despite the fullness of his power. The procurator realized that he was doing wrong too late, and even with a strong desire he was unable to save Yeshua from punishment.
After the verdict, Pontius Pilate experiences pangs of conscience. For choosing to execute Yeshua, the procurator receives immortality and suffers for many millennia of life. But, in the end, by the will of the Master, Satan rewards Pontius Pilate with peace.
The image of Pontius Pilate carries a huge semantic load. It is through him that the themes of conscience, good and evil, and the problem of choice pass through. Such a bright and important character cannot be ignored.
