Characters

Contemporary Russians

The Master

An author who had written a novel about the meeting of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua Ha-Nozri (Jesus of Nazareth). Put away in a psychiatric clinic, where Bezdomny meets him. Very little is known about this character's past other than that he had no point in his life until he finally met Margarita.

Margarita

The Master's lover. Trapped in a passionless marriage; devoted herself to The Master, who she believes is dead. Does not appear until the second half of the novel, where she serves as the hostess of Satan's Grand Ball on Walpurgis Night. She is named after Goethe's Faust's Gretchen – whose real name is Margarita – as well as Marguerite de Valois. Marguerite was the main character in an opera, Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer which Bulgakov particularly enjoyed, and a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père, La Reine Margot. In these accounts the queen is portrayed as daring and passionate. The character was also inspired by Bulgakov's last two wives, the first of whom loved action and was physically daring, while the last was devoted to his work in the same way as Margarita is to the Master.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz

Head of the literary bureaucracy MASSOLIT, sentenced by Woland to death for his atheistic sentiment. He bears the last name of the French composer, Hector Berlioz who wrote the opera the Damnation of Faust. Fell under a streetcar and, as Woland predicted, got his head severed by a young Soviet woman (the streetcar operator).

Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyryov (Bezdomny)

A young, aspiring poet. His pen name Bezdomny means "homeless". Initially a willing tool of the MASSOLIT apparatus, he is transformed by the events of the novel. Witnesses Berlioz's death and nearly goes mad, but later meets The Master in asylum and decides to stop writing poetry once and for all.

Stephan Bogdanovich Likhodeyev

Director of the Variety Theatre and Berlioz's roommate. Often called by diminutive name Styopa. For his dishonorable deeds was thrown to Yalta by Behemoth wearing not much more than his underwear freeing up the apartment for Woland and his retinue.

Grigory Danilovich Rimsky

Treasurer of the Variety Theatre. On the night of Woland's performance Rimsky is ambushed by Varenukha (who has been turned into a vampire by Woland's gang) and Hella. He barely escapes the encounter and flees to the train station to get out of the city.

Ivan Savelyevich Varenukha

House-manager of the Variety Theatre. He is turned into a creature of darkness but is forgiven by the end of Walpurgisnacht - restoring his humanity.

Natasha

Margarita's young maid, later turned into a witch.

Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy

Chairman of the House Committee at 302B Sadovaya Street (former residence of Berlioz). For his greed and trickery, was deceived by Koroviev and later arrested.

Woland and his retinue

Woland

A "foreign professor" who is "in Moscow to present a performance of 'black magic' and then expose its machinations". The exposure (as one could guess) never occurs, instead Woland exposes the greed and bourgeois behaviour of the spectators themselves. Satan in disguise.

Behemoth

An enormous (said to be as large as a hog) black cat, capable of standing on two legs and talking. He has a penchant for chess, vodka and pistols. In Russian, "Begemot". The word itself means hippopotamus in Russian as well as the Biblical creature. A demon in disguise, able to take human form for short time.

Koroviev/Fagotto

A purported "ex-choirmaster"; this may imply that Koroviev was once a member of an angelic choir. Woland's assistant, capable of creating any illusions. Unlike Behemoth and Azazello, does not use violence at any point.

Azazello

A menacing, fanged and wall-eyed member of Woland's retinue, a messenger and assassin, may be one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse. Possible reference to Azazel. In the Old Testament apocryphal Book of Enoch 8:1-3, Azazel is the fallen angel who taught people to make weapons and jewelry, and taught women the "sinful art" of painting their faces. This explains Azazello giving Margarita the magical cream.

Hella

Beautiful, redheaded succubus. Serves as maid to Woland and his retinue. Remarked as being "perfect, were it not for a purple scar on her neck" – the scar suggesting that she is also a vampiress.

Abadonna

The pale-faced, black-goggled angel of death.

Characters from The Master's novel

Pontius Pilate

The Roman Procurator of Judaea, a procurator in this case being a governor of a small province.

Yeshua Ha-Nozri

Wanderer, "mad philosopher", as Pilate calls him, whose name means Jesus the Christian in Hebrew, or alternatively "Jesus of Nazareth", though some commentators dispute the "of Nazareth" interpretation.

Aphranius

Head Of the Roman Secret Service in Judaea.

Levi Matvei

A Levite, former tax collector, follower of Yeshua, and author of the Gospel of St. Matthew. Although introduced as a semi-fictionalized character in the Master's novel, towards the end of The Master and Margarita the "real" Matthew makes a personal appearance in Moscow to deliver a message from Yeshua to Woland.

Joseph Kaifa

The High Priest of Judaea

Judah of Kiriaf

The Biblical informant. Sets up Yeshua to be arrested, tried, and sentenced to death for his words against the rule of the Roman Emperor and is paid off by Kaifa for it. Kaifa is interested in Yeshua's death in order to "protect" the status quo religion and his own status as the High Priest from the influence of Yeshua's preachings and followers. Judah is later killed on Pilate's orders for his role in Yeshua's death.