Woyzeck
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Woyzeck
Georg Buchner wrote the stage play Woyzeck and, unfortunately, did not live to see its completion. In turn, many translators, editors and authors came up and completed this play. In Germany, this play has been performed many countless times, and it is known by almost everyone. The popularity of the stage play among many theater lovers made it be turned into a film, and it premiered in the year 1979. It was directed by Werner Herzog, a director from Germany and is today still popular as before. The first scene of the play introduces one to the life of military personnel as they carry on their daily routines. One of the two men speaks up, and this is when one knows that poverty is an issue that affects a lot of people.
Woyzeck is then introduced and characterized as a barber working in the military. He is also the protagonist as well as the main character. His life is full of poverty and furthermore, he has a child born out of wedlock. According to Woyzeck, not having money has caused him many problems in his life. It seems that suffering and poverty go hand in hand according to Buchner. In the play, those who are poor are not accorded any sympathy, as rather they are viewed as unfortunate cases. It is a pity that the poor have to suffer, yet they are the ones who are extremely hardworking, as compared to rich people. The poor are not lazy and do not pretend; thus, they are assumed to be untainted as well as belonging to a class that is pure.
Poor people do not always have admirable qualities and are favored by others as they have weak points. Other times, they are known to be animalistic and unrefined, and this is due to their roles in society (McInnes, 1991). According to Woyzeck, his life would have been better if he had riches but, unfortunately, this was not possible to achieve. Poverty has made Woyzeck believe that he is similar to Jesus Christ. Despite being extremely poor, Jesus Christ made outstanding achievements in life. He came from a poor background whereby, his father was a mere carpenter. It seems that poverty has made him have a close relationship with God, and this is a positive aspect of poverty. Most poor people turn to religion as it acts as a source of comfort to them.
Poverty has its own cons and suffering is one such example witnessed by Woyzeck. The latter suffered emotionally and physically, and he attributed this to his economic state. Furthermore, it is due to poverty that Woyzeck finally met his ruin. The experiments that were carried out by the doctor were unethical, as well as dangerous. These facts did not deter Woyzeck from taking part in the experiment, yet he was aware of the consequences. Unfortunately, poverty and the thirst to acquire it made him lose his sanity. Material things are vital to every human who wants to survive and one can do anything just to obtain it. Since Woyzeck is aware that he needs to survive, he lets society take care of him (McInnes, 1991). He does this without thinking about the dangers that exist as well as any relief that can be offered to him.
There are many instances that Woyzeck refers to himself as a poor person. This means that he is fully aware of his status in society and how it affects his life. Woyzeck claims that when poor people die, they will still be in the same position even in heaven. This statement leads one to assume that poor people have no hope in life as they are always thinking about their status. Poverty leads to insanity as this has been witnessed by Woyzeck’s behavior. Upon finding out about Marie’s affair, he acts in an insane manner as he murders her (Woyzeck, 1979). His mental and physical capabilities are not normal, and this is due to poverty. It seems that poverty makes people not to have focus concerning their lives. He is aware about the consequences of committing murder, but this does not deter him from committing the crime.
Poverty meant that Woyzeck could not afford a decent meal as he regularly took a diet which only consisted of peas. In order for human beings to have perfect mental health, their dietary needs have to be met. Woyzeck kept on having hallucinations, and this is because he often did not eat. Moreover, his stress levels were high and thus another cause of his problems. It dawns on Woyzeck that poor people do not have a meaningful future; rather they are destined to suffer in misery. Furthermore, there are treasures of life, which await only the rich. For him only problems and this is due to his low status. The social condition which Woyzeck is subjected to would not be the same if he had wealth. Poor people are often ridiculed by those who have money or authority. The latter use any means possible to ensure that they benefit at the expense of the poor man. In conclusion, it is indeed true that Woyzeck is suffering because he does not have money.
References
McInnes, Edward. (1991). Bucher. “Woyzeck”. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, French and German Publications.
Woyzeck. (1979). Starring Kinski, Klaus, Matters, Eva. Et Al. DVD.