Franz Woyzeck, a conscripted fusilier, leads a life burdened by poverty and simplicity. His meager joy stems from his relationship with Marie and their young son. To supplement his insufficient army pay, he resorts to performing various jobs around the camp and the nearby garrison town.

Life as the Captain's Barber

In his youth, Woyzeck trained as a barber's apprentice, and now he often shaves the Captain. The Captain, an ironic man, enjoys discussing time and eternity, concepts Woyzeck struggles to grasp. Occasionally, the Captain teases him about his lack of morals due to having a child outside of wedlock. Woyzeck insists that if he were a gentleman in fine attire, he too could be virtuous, believing that virtue is reserved for the educated and privileged, not for the likes of him.

The Doctor's Experiments

An eccentric Doctor employs Woyzeck in bizarre medical experiments, paying him a pittance to subsist on peas and hold his urine for specified periods. When Woyzeck clumsily shares his thoughts on nature and life, the Doctor is amused, seeing Woyzeck’s ramblings as intriguing. The Doctor predicts Woyzeck's inevitable descent into madness.

Visions and Suspicions

Woyzeck and his comrade Andres venture into the countryside to gather wood for the Captain. During this task, Woyzeck erupts into wild tales about freemasons tunneling beneath the ground, causing the earth to tremble beneath him. He claims these secretive symbols appeared to him in dreams, and he fears their retribution. Alarmed by Woyzeck's vivid descriptions of the Last Judgment against a sunset backdrop, Andres urges caution. Back at home, Woyzeck shares his vision with Marie, inadvertently ignoring their son, which upsets her. That afternoon, a striking Drum Major catches Marie’s attention, leaving her pondering Woyzeck’s peculiarities. Marie, more attuned to emotions than ideas, finds Woyzeck’s strange musings troubling.

A Fateful Encounter

At a fair, Woyzeck and Marie attend an exhibit, unaware that the Drum Major and a Sergeant follow them inside. A showman displays a horse capable of counting and identifying objects, and when he requests a watch, the Sergeant offers his. Marie climbs a bench beside the Drum Major to get a better view, sparking the beginning of their liaison. Later, Woyzeck notices Marie's new earrings, which she claims to have found. Woyzeck comments on his own misfortune of never finding anything in pairs. While he’s occupied with duties, the Drum Major visits Marie, and she, full of passion, succumbs to his advances.

Hints and Realizations

Unaware of Marie's infidelity, Woyzeck soon encounters the Captain and Doctor on the street. The Captain slyly alludes to beards, hinting that if Woyzeck hurries home, he might find traces of a bearded lover on Marie’s lips. Woyzeck turns pale and anxious, capturing the Doctor’s clinical interest. Claiming good intentions, the Captain compels Woyzeck to return home, where he scrutinizes Marie's face but finds no evidence of betrayal. His penetrating gaze disturbs Marie, who defiantly implies she has another suitor but dares Woyzeck to act. Unable to reconcile Marie's beauty with her perceived cruelty, Woyzeck leaves and inadvertently becomes a source of amusement in the Doctor’s courtyard.

Descent into Madness

On Sunday, Woyzeck’s restlessness intensifies in the barracks, knowing Marie and the Drum Major are attending a dance. Though Andres tries to intervene, Woyzeck insists on confronting the truth for himself. Seeing Marie and her lover dance through an open window, Andres eventually persuades him to leave, while Karl, a bystander, ominously mentions the scent of blood.

A Fatal Decision

Haunted by music and visions of a knife, Woyzeck is sleepless, confiding in Andres. The following day, he confronts the Drum Major at...