Analysis of Koroviev's (Fagot's) Character in Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita"

Essay by dudkaHigh School, 11th gradeA+, January 2006

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Koroviev, alias Fagot, is one of the minor characters in Michael Bulgakov's book Master and Margarita. Being part of Woland's band, Koroviev is the superior one of the devil's subordinates. In the novel, Moscow citizens see this character as the "interpreter" (Bulgakov, 107) and the secretary of the famous foreign artist and the "specialist in black magic" (15) Professor Woland. Koroviev is also said to be the former regent of a church choir, "ex-choirmaster" (48). However, in reality this person is no one but a demon and a knight, right hand of the devil himself. Fagot's main purpose, function is to help Woland, or what's more interesting the author himself, to expose the substance of negative phenomena in human society, to show it to everyone.

In the beginning of the novel we first meet Koroviev in form of Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz's hallucination, which he sees while sitting on the bench in the Patriarchs' Ponds Park.

According to Mikhail's first impression, Koroviev was a see-through strange citizen, "with a jeering expression on his physiognomy" (4). However, when Berlioz meets him next time, we see that he materializes and is "not made of air" (48) any more. Fagot points the way to turnstile to the editor, in fact showing him the way to his death. So even from the first pages of the book we see Koroviev as someone who helps to execute the sentence of the devil, to punish people for their sins and vices. One of those people is Berlioz, who is doomed to death because he presumptuously denied the existence of God and Devil. There was nothing sacred for this man, therefore he should be punished and Koroviev shows him the way. After Berlioz's death we find Koroviev sitting in the bench with the Professor...