In his drama fragment, Georg Büchner works with many different themes and motifs. These range from scientific approaches and philosophical theories to social and military confrontations with the zeitgeist of the time.
Woyzeck as an example of desocialization
The title of the drama fragment indicates that the story is about Woyzeck’s fate. Büchner depicts the development of a person who materialistic, social and ssocial restrictions gradually loses his human existence and ends up committing a bloodthirsty murder.
The messenger from abroad as an impetus for action
The drum major appears here as «the messenger from abroad» – this term describes a form-determining compositional figure in dramas of German naturalism (literary trend that focuses on social observations and deals with current problems). The action has to be set in motion by someone. This «messenger from abroad» comes into an apparently immobile situation and triggers a certain imbalance.
The drum major turns Woyzeck’s family into such a imbalance fell – Marie wants to please him and gets involved in a dalliance with him. This has a devastating effect on Woyzeck. But there are also other factors that contribute to the development of the protagonist. As the revised versions progressed, the captain and the doctor became more and more important and determined as Woyzeck’s social and scientific powers desocialization.
Büchner describes a simple man with a military past who, as a plebeian, belongs to the lower social class. His character and actions are determined by dependencies shaped. He is morally humiliated by his boss, the captain, and abused for an experiment by the doctor – a representative of science. His lover Marie cheats on him with the drum major, who also ridicules him.
Woyzeck’s social position is shaped by Büchner’s philosophical and political views. He grew up in an educated home and experienced no strict separation between art and science. For him there were smooth transitions, since he was active as a writer himself while studying medicine, for example, and was ahead of his time with his progressive views.
Woyzeck lives in two dimensions. Marie and their son Christian appear in the private dimension – the social dimension is his dependency determined by the superiors. The protagonist tries to separate these two dimensions – but his lover Marie, for her part, lets the drum major, representing the social dimension, destroy the private one.
As a result, Woyzeck loses his balance and is driven to murder Marie. At the same time, he tries to distance himself from the morally reprehensible society, which he tragically succeeds in the end. Büchner shows a lot realistichow societal and social pressures can affect a vulnerable individual.
In the end, the tragic anti-hero is left alone and his further fate remains open.
Classic vs Realism
Woyzeck advances as a representative of social underclass in the foreground and wants to take revenge by wiping sin out of the world. He sees himself determined by his nature, which he repeatedly refers to in his actions. This is mainly in the confrontation with the captain clearly. In the drama fragment, representatives of the military have no higher education and are bored during non-conflict periods. They abuse their power on their subordinates.
The explanation for Woyzeck’s behavior is given by the protagonist himself. It seems to be very simple: everyone has a nature that controls their actions. This refers to the instincts of man. Virtue, on the other hand, is a luxury that only rich people can afford. This is a very interesting aspect, because with it the term «Virtue» a change of meaning.
Virtue as a privilege
Virtue is now a justification for interpersonal behavior. This gives the captain and the doctor the right to humiliate Woyzeck. Georg Büchner describes the ignorance of the upper class of society towards the living conditions of ordinary people. Nature stands in contrast to this – it promotes instinct in people. At the same time, it is expanded to include a social factor. The social constraints that affect Woyzeck’s behavior are a part of it that should not be underestimated.
This contrast between virtue and nature distinguishes realist dramas from classical dramas. Virtue is a central concept of enlightenment and the Weimar classic. Nature is already moving in the epoch of storm and stress in the foreground and determines the human being. Woyzeck is a clear representative of nature, which he sets against virtue. But it also shapes and de-socializes him – here the social factor, by which the concept of nature is expanded, plays an important role.
Explaining the individual literary currents here would go far beyond the scope of this article. Just have a look at our other articles on literary movements. There you will also get a deeper look into the individual terms.
The contrast between Woyzeck and the drum major is also made clear by love. She stands as Nature against the desire, which can apparently be reconciled with the prevailing social virtues. Woyzeck loves Marie, the drum major desires her physically. The theme of love seems to play an important role in the drama and is treated in many scenes.
Nature also drives Woyzeck to his murder. The voices he hears at times are inherent in his nature – they are a devastating influence on his mind and he feels subservient to them. His motivation and his statements also come from his nature and can almost be assigned to madness through visions and hallucinations.
Woyzeck Interpretation – The Most Important
- In the drama fragment Woyzeck, Büchner depicts the development of a person who gradually loses his human existence due to materialistic, societal and social limitations and finally commits a bloodthirsty murder.
- Woyzeck’s social position is shaped by Büchner’s philosophical and political views.
- Woyzeck lives in two dimensions. Marie and their son Christian appear in the private dimension – the social dimension is determined by his dependence on his superiors.
- Büchner shows very realistically how societal and social pressure can affect a weak individual.
- Virtue is a central concept of the Enlightenment and the Weimar Classic.
- Nature already came to the fore in the epoch of Sturm und Drang and determined man.
- Woyzeck is a clear representative of nature, which he sets against virtue. But it also shapes and de-socializes him – here the social factor, by which the concept of nature is expanded, plays an important role.
- Nature also drives Woyzeck to his murder.