ENGLISH A LIT PAPER 2 (2023 IB)

Comparative essay on Woyzeck, Georg Büchner and Antigone, Sophocles

Woyzeck, created by German playwright Georg Büchner in the 19th century, and Antigone,
created by Sophocles, a mythological figure from Ancient Greece, are two powerful plays
that explore the themes of morality, justice, power, and societal norms. While both plays
have their unique aspects, they share similarities in the portrayal of the struggle of the
individual against the establishment, and how society's expectations can lead to tragedy.
Moreover, the differences in attitudes that the character faced around them influence the
ending of protagonists in both plays.

Both Sophocles and Buchner demonstrate the ways that dominant powers in a society
denigrate individuals by dehumanising to maintain their ideology and hierarchies of power.
Sophocles reveals the way in which Creon cleverly uses different ideological methods to
dehumanise and denigrate Antigone, preventing her from gaining freedom and justice.
Creon is seen dehumanising both Antigone and Ismene, her sister, calling them, “Two vipers
spitting venom at the throne.” The alliteration of ‘v’ and sibilance of ‘s’ in this metaphor
highlights Creon’s derogatory and accusatory perception and tone, which frames both as
poisonous snakes, dehumanising them as serpents who have betrayed the state even while
receiving its benefits. He then follows this with a metaphor where he compares Antigone’s
wildness to horses, since “even the wildest horses come to heel / When they’re reined and
bitted right.” Creon, through clever use of language, builds images of Antigone as an animal
to dehumanise her, allowing audiences to accept the punishment that he sets for Antigone
while establishing his own supremacy. Similarly, Buchner demonstrates the clear power
dynamics between the relationships of the established and poor members in society. This
can be seen when the doctor claims that he saw “Woyzeck: he pissed in the street, he
pissed against the wall like a dog. And I give him food and three groschen every day.” Not
only does the doctor use a simile to degrade and dehumanise Woyzeck but continues to
reaffirm his power and dominance in their relationship by boasting of his role in Woyzeck’s
survival. Later in the play, Buchner says through mountebank, “The monkey is a soldier…
The lowest step of the human social ladder,” and introduces a monkey that is dressed as a
soldier to symbolically mock Woyzeck’s social class within society. Overall, "Woyzeck" and
"Antigone" both explore the theme of dehumanisation and the consequences that result from
the oppression of individuals by those in power. Both plays demonstrate the devastating
effects of treating individuals as objects rather than human beings, and the importance of
recognising the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings.
The differences in attitudes of the people around Antigone and Woyzeck had a significant
impact on them when they faced oppression. Heamon, Antigone’s fiance, always stands by
the same side with Antigone although she is against his father, Creon. He supported
Antigone by stating “She was heroic! That’s what’s being said behind closed doors.” The
metaphor of “closed doors” represents the oppressive nature of Creon’s ideology, and how
he promotes it to contain and exclude all rival forms of thought. Moreover, Heamon insists
“She should be honoured - a woman who rebelled!” asserts that the individual who fights and
rebels to protect their right of freedom and personal justice deserves honour and respect for
they stand for true heroism. In contrast, Marie,Woyzeck’s wife, becomes increasingly aware
of the ways in which Woyzeck's poverty and social status have limited his opportunities in
life, and she begins to chafe against the constraints of their relationship. She expresses
frustration at the fact that Woyzeck is unable to provide for her and their child: "I don't want
to live like this anymore! I don't want to be poor and miserable! I want nice things, a nice
house, and nice clothes, and I want you to give them to me!" which suggests that Marie is
beginning to feel trapped in her relationship with Woyzeck, and is resentful of the fact that he
is unable to provide for her in the way that she desires. This frustration leads Marie to cheat
on Drum major and she tells him that 'I'm the proudest woman alive' which shows how she is
proud of the Drum Major's physique and the status this would provide her with. This irony
under the sentence conveys that Marie is not satisfied with her husband, Woyzeck, since
she praises the man she had only met a few times, drum major, but never ever says this to
Woyzeck. Haemon in "Antigone" and Marie in "Woyzeck" have differences in their attitudes
towards their respective protagonists, Haemon sees Antigone in a more positive light
whereas Maries was the opposite.

Due to their differences in social class and the support of those around them, Woyzeck and
Antigone reacted differently to this social oppression. Sophocles showcases the
perseverance of the individual who fights against the oppression and denigration they face
from dominant powers through the characterisation of Antigone, who continues to uphold her
beliefs while seeking justice, regardless of the punishments she may face. This is first seen
as Antigone disputes Creon’s state law, firmly claiming that she “disobeyed because the law
was not / The law of Zeus nor the law ordained / By Justice, Justice dwelling deep / Among
the gods of the dead”. The word “justice” supports Antigone’s denigration and mockery of
Creon’s inferior law, stating that his law does not follow the divine justice of the gods that
hold supremacy over him. On the other hand, Buchner uses his characters to brutally
degraded, publically humiliate and economically cripple Woyzeck, such self-deprecating
attitudes completely destroy Woyzeck and render him incapable of alleviating himself from
all his suffering. The economic challenges that cripple Woyzeck can be seen when Woyzeck
asks the captain, “He who has no money, how can he ever bring a child into this world in a
moral way?” The rhetorical question suggests Woyzeck’s suffering and misfortune is
inevitable due to his unsupportive environment and socio-economic status. In addition,
Woyzeck’s confrontation with the Doctor, where he only responds repeatedly with, “Yes Sir”,
is also awful to see, as the submissive tone reveals the incredibly unbalanced power
dynamics between Woyzeck and the Doctor’s relationship. Overall, the differences in social
class between Antigone and Woyzeck play a significant role in shaping the lives of their
respective plays. While Antigone's aristocratic background gives her a sense of entitlement
and pride as well as opportunity to stand strong in her beliefs, Woyzeck's low social status
exposes him to exploitation and marginalisation which leads to his downfall.

In conclusion, Antigone and Woyzeck shared certain degrees of how the dominant powers in
a society denigrate and crush individuals to spread and maintain their ideology and
hierarchies of power. However, these characters have different reactions by facing the
oppression of powerful social classes due to the social statues and the support around them
which contributed to their downfall.