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Scene 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Woyzeck, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Human Nature
Secrecy, Paranoia, and Betrayal
Poverty and Suffering
Character vs. Circumstance
Summary
Analysis
At the fair, an old man sings a song about how everyone must die. Woyzeck and Marie enter. “When the fools talk sense then they fool us all,” notes Marie, acknowledging the old man. She and Woyzeck walk to the barker, who is standing in front of a stall beside his wife, who is wearing pants, and a monkey dressed in a suit. The barker calls out to the audience to behold the monkey, who can walk upright, wear a coat and pants, and carry a sword: he is a soldier, though that’s not so impressive, as soldiers are “the lowest form of humanity.” Then the barker announces that a sideshow is about to begin inside the tent, and Woyzeck and Marie head inside to watch.
The old man’s song further develops the play’s focus on suffering and hardship as fundamental characteristics of life—and especially for people living in poverty, like Marie and Woyzeck. A barker is a carnival or fair employee who attracts guests to exhibits or attractions. The barker’s description of soldiers as “the lowest form of humanity” sheds light on Woyzeck’s low rank on the social hierarchy. Woyzeck’s society regards his work as so menial and unimportant that even a monkey could do it.
Themes
The drum major and sergeant enter the tent behind Marie and Woyzeck. The drum major gestures toward Marie and notes how attractive she is. The sergeant agrees: “you could foal a cavalry regiment out of her,” he notes. The men praise Marie’s beautiful dark hair and eyes: “Like looking down a well,” notes the drum major. He urges the sergeant to hurry so they can catch up to her.
The drum major’s and sergeant’s objectifying remarks about Marie have sexist and classist undertones. They view Marie, a lower-class woman, as little more than a breeding machine. The sergeant’s remark that “you could foal a cavalry regiment out of her” likens Marie to an animal. The drum major’s description of Marie’s eyes as “a well” introduces one of the play’s main symbols, eyes. In addition to describing the dark quality of Marie’s eyes, the drum major’s comment also points to their secretive quality. He is suggesting that Marie is unreadable or mysterious.
Themes
