Commentary of the play "Amadeus"

"The play 'Amadeus' is mainly concerned

with the destructive nature of jealousy"

This passage is all too true, both in Peter Shaffer's 'Amadeus' and in life in general. However the play is also concerned with the destructive nature of ignorance and naivety. Salieri is jealous not just of Mozart's talent, but of the fact that God gave the talent to "Mozart ... spiteful, sniggering, conceited, infantine Mozart". He is envious of the vessel of God's laughter at the 'patron saint of mediocrity' as he had dubbed himself. Not only did God double-cross Salieri, but he did it using this "obscene child". It was this jealousy and the rage it inspired that caused Salieri to attempt to kill Mozart by starving him of work and students, and thus, money and food. If Salieri had not restricted the amount of work actually shown to the general public, then Mozart could have been wealthy, and quite possibly selected as the new Kapellmeister.

Portrait of Antonio Salieri

Die Gartenlaube (1880) 289

Antonio Salieri Pub London

Mozart doesn't understand the importance of pleasing members of the Viennese court. He has no comprehension of the value of money, for when he successfully earns any, he spends it on lavish food and clothes immediately, instead of saving it. He spends all his time churning out music in final copy, which, although beautiful, doesn't earn money as would teaching music.

Mozart is really the one who should be jealous, as he has little in the way of money or assets, or even respect. All he has is his talent and his priceless music, but not the sense he needs to capitalise on it.

It isn't the fact that someone has more talent than him, the problem is, as he sees it, that he isn't as good as someone else after making a bargain with God, which...