Yeshua’s characterization is of great interest because of its humanization of the figure of Jesus. Bulgakov emphasizes the historical Jesus rather than the biblical image (Yeshua repeatedly says that the Gospels do not represent accurately what he said and did), but the author portrays a man of extraordinary insight and prescience. Only at the end of the novel is it made clear that Yeshua is a transcendental figure. Pilate cannot help but respond to him, when Yeshua treats the procurator as a man with a headache rather than as the awesome official holding all Jerusalem in his grip.

Yeshua’s assumption is that all men are good men, a view demonstrably untrue: The novel shows examples in Jerusalem and Moscow of people who have lost their humanity through persistent misuse of power or through over-reaching self-interest. Yeshua feels pity for those who cannot be the good people he is convinced that they essentially are. The distinguishing characteristic of this very human Jesus, who feels fear and pain like anyone, is the courage not to violate his conscience.

This courage links him with the Master. In the corrupt Moscow society, in which Woland catches everyone violating what he or she knows to be right, the image of Yeshua’s accepting death rather than submission to a violent state is a powerful one. It is Yeshua who is able at the end of the novel to forgive the man who has condemned him. A biblical as the characterization of Yeshua is, the moral influence of Jesus is nevertheless brilliantly communicated in his simple actions and words. He belongs to the transcendental group, though so human in his depiction. At the end, he and Pilate continue their conversation. The polar figures of state and conscience are left in dialogue: “Perhaps they can work something out.”

The characters represent a mixture of those transcending time and the history-bound residents of twentieth century Moscow. Woland and his attendants are transcendental figures taking on local form to explore human evils in contemporary terms. By tempting citizens (as the Devil’s conventional task), Woland establishes the encroachment of the very values that the Soviet state has declared outlived. The interest of the character lies in the Faustian epigraph which introduces the novel: “‘Say at last—who art thou?’/ ‘That power I serve/ Which wills forever evil/ Yet does forever good.’”

Woland appears at first like the seedy devil in Ivan Karamazov’s nightmare in Fyodor Dostoevski’s The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880). He grows in stature, as the novel progresses, becoming a figure as impressive and ambiguous as John Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost (1667, 1674). Woland is the means by which moral order is asserted on earth, a sort of agent for good who works by exposing evil. He is linked with death, and just as, in the medieval mystery play, God sends Satan to call Everyman to account, Woland calls the venal Muscovites to account and brings rest if not absolution to the heroes. The disorder that he allows his assistants to create is irrelevant to his main purpose, serving the transcendental function that implies a kind of order which the state does not admit. Woland’s aristocracy arises from his own creative function: He is himself an artist, in tune with truth like all real artists. It is the falsity of Soviet institutions and the desertion of the search for truth that he punishes. He judges weak human beings as Yeshua will not.

The Master is an author who has written a book about Pontius Pilate. "I no longer have a name," he tells Ivan...

Ivan Nikolayich Ponyryov is a young, twenty-three-year-old poet, who writes under the pen name Bezdomny, which means "homeless" in Russian. This character is present in the first chapter of the novel and the last, as well as appearing intermittently throughout the story. When the novel begins, Ivan is meeting with Berlioz, a magazine editor, at Patriarch's Ponds. They are discussing the historical accuracy of Jesus when Woland, who is the devil, interrupts their conversation and tells them the story of the crucifixion as he witnessed it. He goes on to foretell the bizarre circumstances of Berlioz's death. When Berlioz dies in this exact same way a few minutes later, Ivan chases Woland and his accomplices across town, bursting through apartments and diving into the river. When he ends up at the headquarters of the writers' organization in his underwear, Ivan is arrested and sent to the mental ward. At the asylum, the Master is in a neighboring room; he is able to visit Ivan at night because he has stolen a set of keys that open the doors on their floor of the hospital. The Master explains that Ivan actually did encounter the devil, and he goes on to recount his own life story to the poet. Before he is released from the clinic, Ivan decides to stop writing poetry. By the end of the story, years after the events that make up the bulk of the book, Ivan has become an historian, but continues to be plagued by strange visions every time the moon is full.

Margarita Nikolayevna, the devoted lover of the Master, is a pivotal character whose transformation into a witch symbolizes her empowerment. Initially offering comfort during the Master's despair over his novel, she witnesses his arrest and institutionalization. Later, she is chosen to host the devil's ball, embracing her witchcraft abilities with enthusiasm. Her newfound powers grant her invisibility and flight, allowing her to navigate Moscow's corrupt society.

Margarita's compassion and loyalty distinguish her. In Bulgakov's irony-laden narrative, she becomes a Faustian figure, striking a bargain with the devil to aid her beloved. Her actions transcend personal desires as she sacrifices her wish for another's well-being during the devil's ball. Ultimately, Margarita's deep empathy and resilience elevate her to the status of a mater dolorosa, reminiscent of the Virgin Mary, embodying suffering and sacrifice. Her journey highlights the novel's themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption.

Pilate in the novel-within-the-novel uneasily represents earthly power and demonstrates the despair that the earthly power without commitment to amoral order brings. Pilate’s headaches; his dependence on his dog for loyalty and affection; his hatred of Jerusalem, the city that he is condemned to rule; the cowardice which makes him unable to follow his own insights; and his guilt all help to mitigate the image of the elegant and cruel ruler who sends Yeshua to his death. Pilate has memories of his own past cruelties to haunt him, and he is a lonely, suffering man. Only Yeshua can reach through to the soul of the man. Pilate therefore tries to save Yeshua, who is too innocent politically to take the procurator’s hints. When the document is presented showing the prophet’s unwillingness to support Caesar, Pilate “has no choice” and must allow the Sanhedrin to have him. He cannot challenge the system that has produced him; political circumstance makes him unable to tell the Sanhedrin to withdraw the spurious charges against Yeshua. Yet “the greatest crime is cowardice,” and when rulers are not free to prevent injustice, they must learn from figures such as Yeshua.

Korovyov, one of Woland's associates, claims to be his interpreter. He first appears at Patriarch's Ponds, near the scene of Berlioz's demise, and is depicted as a lanky man in pincenez glasses, a jockey cap, and a plaid suit. Korovyov orchestrates a bribery trap for Bosoi and subsequently alerts the authorities, showcasing his role in exposing corruption.

As Woland's group prepares to leave Moscow, it is revealed that Korovyov is a knight, punished for an "ill-timed joke" by serving Woland in his current guise. His character reflects the novel's themes of redemption and the consequences of one's actions.

Azazello serves as the fiercest and most menacing figure among Woland's retinue, known for his readiness to engage in physical confrontations rather than merely playing pranks. He is portrayed as a short, broad-shouldered man, disfigured, with a bowler hat and striking red hair. His face is likened to "a crash," with a protruding fang adding to his intimidating appearance. Despite his rough exterior, Azazello is tasked with recruiting Margarita to host the devil's ball, a role that makes him uneasy due to his lack of charm around women; he believes another servant would be better suited for this task. He gives Margarita the cream that transforms her into a witch. At the novel's conclusion, Azazello's true nature is disclosed as "the demon of the waterless desert."

Behemoth stands out as one of the novel's most iconic figures, a gargantuan black cat with anthropomorphic traits that include paying for trolley rides, drinking brandy, and wielding firearms. During the Variety Theater's black magic show, Behemoth decapitates the master of ceremonies and later engages in a shootout with police at 302B Sadovaya Street. Despite the chaos, no one is harmed, thanks to Behemoth's supernatural prowess.

Behemoth further demonstrates his anarchic tendencies by setting ablaze both the apartment and Griboyedov House, MASSOLIT's headquarters. Ultimately, Behemoth is revealed to be "a slim youth, a page demon, the greatest jester there had ever been." His antics underscore the novel's themes of chaos and the subversion of Soviet order.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz is a significant figure in Moscow's literary scene, serving as the editor of a prestigious magazine and a key member of MASSOLIT. The novel opens with Berlioz discussing the existence of Jesus with Ivan in a park, a conversation interrupted by Woland's tale of Pontius Pilate. Woland prophesies that Berlioz will not reach his meeting and will instead be decapitated by a woman, a fate that unfolds when Berlioz slips under a trolley driven by a woman, resulting in his beheading.

Later, at the devil's ball, Berlioz's severed head is presented on a platter, conscious of its surroundings. His character serves as an example of the novel's critique of atheistic amorality and the consequences of ignoring moral order.

Levi Matvei serves as Yeshua's sole follower in the novel, diverging from traditional New Testament accounts. He obsessively documents Yeshua's teachings, often inaccurately, prompting Yeshua to plead for the destruction of these writings. Despite inaccuracies, Levi plays a crucial role in conveying Yeshua's desire for the Master to find "peace." His devotion underscores the novel's exploration of faith and the transmission of truth.

Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoi, whose surname means "barefooted," is the chairman of the tenants' association at 302B Sadovaya Street, where Berlioz and Likhodeyev reside. After signing a one-week lease with Woland, Bosoi accepts a bribe and conceals it in an air duct, only for Woland to expose the deceit, leading to Bosoi's arrest. His character serves as a critique of corruption and moral compromise within Soviet society.

Stepan Bogdanovich Likhodeyev, manager of the Variety Theater, awakens after a night of excessive drinking to discover he has inadvertently signed Woland for a week-long engagement at the theater. His character illustrates the novel's critique of negligence and the farcical nature of Soviet bureaucracy.

Grigory Danilovich Rimsky, the theater's treasurer, encounters the ghost of Varenukha during Woland's performance but manages to escape to the train station. Rimsky's experience underscores the novel's exploration of fear and the supernatural's intrusion into mundane life.

Natasha is Margarita's maid who becomes a witch after witnessing her mistress's transformation. Inspired, she applies the magical cream and undergoes a similar metamorphosis, embracing her new identity. Natasha's transformation highlights the theme of empowerment through the supernatural.

Nikolai Ivanovich, a neighbor of Margarita's, applies the same magical cream that transforms Margarita into a witch, only to be turned into a hog instead. His transformation serves as a humorous commentary on the unpredictable nature of magic and its consequences.

It is appropriate to consider Griboyedov a sort of collective character in the novel. The building for the support and entertainment of the literary establishment in Moscow summarizes the value system to which the major characters are opposed: greed, bourgeois luxurious living, toadying, lying, stupidity, jealousy, self-interest, cowardice, disloyalty, atheistic amorality. Bulgakov puts into the image of the arts community everything that the octopus in the Master’s fearful dream implies about state control of the arts and the self-satisfied vulgarity resulting from the power of the mediocre over the gifted. When the building burns at the end of the book, the villain is defeated as surely as in any melodrama.