ABSTRACT
Bchners Woyzeck is a tragedy that was written in 1836, but not published until 1879, nor performed until 1913. The script was left in unordered fragments at the author's death and so there is no definitive version of the play. Bchner based the drama on the actual murder case of a barber who stabbed his mistress in a fit of jealousy and was then sentenced to death. The playwright adds to the drama by showing that other psychic forces are at work on Woyzeck, leading him to distraction as he commits a crime he does not want to commit. Woyzeck, though a good man, is used and manipulated by everyone in the play. His sense of identity and self whittles away to nothing. Marie, his common-law wife, plays a vital part in Woyzecks downfall. The play radically influenced both naturalist and expressionist drama. These are both very private moments, more full of musings than declarative speeches.
