Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2025
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Georg Büchner‘s Play Woyzeck: A Remarkable Examination of the Complexity of the Human Psyche
Mederle Alexandra Laura, Lecturer PhD Olaru-Poșiar Simona, Lecturer PhD Jumanca Romanița Adina Delia, Professor MD, PhD Borza Claudia
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study is to examine Georg Büchner’s play Woyzeck, a remarkable depiction of the complexity of the human psyche, as well as an in depth analysis of the effects of social oppression and progressive mental decline. Although the play was unfinished at the time of Büchner’s death in 1837, it offers a very contemporary depiction of pathology, exploring the physical and psychological decline of the main character. The play is considered one of the first literary works to explore a gradual, scientific history taking on a person’s psychological state. The triangle victim- aggressor- survivor offers the reader profound insights into the pathological of the human psyche, undergoing powerful oppression. This paper explores the morbid elements of the play, however highlighting the main character’s psychological struggle to try to survive the medical experiments performed on him, as well as the social conditions that led to his tragic death. Furthermore, in addition to his personal and medical themes, the paper explores the socio-economic factors that contribute to mental illness.
Keywords: experiment, character, mental illness, narrative, pathology