Why Does Mozart’s Talents and Lifestyle Cause Salieri to Take Revenge on God
“Why? … What is my fault? … Until this day I have pursued virtue with rigor. I have labored long hours to relieve my fellow men. I have worked and worked the talent you allowed me. And now I do hear it-and it says only one name: MOZART!. ” It has been stated throughout the play Amadeus, by Peter Shaffer that two very unique and different characters both have the love of music. A man name Antonio Salieri and another name Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, one individual becomes envious of a man’s genius work, and lifestyle.
A person name Antonio Salieri because throughout the play Amadeus, Salieri becomes jealous of Mozart through his achievement of being a musician, superior quality and of course the skills Mozart holds within. From reading the end of the play of Act 1, Mozart’s talents and lifestyle cause Salieri to take revenge on God for many reasons. Throughout the play, one of the reasons why Salieri took revenge on God because of Mozart is the fact that Mozart is a child who was born as a prodigy.
He was an individual who was gifted beyond the means of an average child. According to the play, the Venticelli I and II stated that “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his first symphony at five. He did his first concert at four and a full opera at fourteen (I. 3. 20-21). ” That has a lot to say about Mozart because at that young age he had achieved something great, and as they would say he was born as a gifted individual, a prodigy. Therefore, he felt that there was someone out there that might have been better than or as good as him in Europe.
Another reason why Mozart’s talents and lifestyle cause Salieri to take revenge on God is the fact that Mozart had an affair with a pupil of Salieri, her name Katherina Cavalieri. The reason that Salieri became furious himself because he tried to get with Katherina Cavalieri, Salieri quoted “I was very much in love with Katerina or at least a lust (I. 3. 19)”. However, that didn’t happen because he made a bargain with God. Which clearly states, “Signore, let me be a composer! Grant me sufficient fame to enjoy it. In return, I will live with virtue. I will strive to better the lot of my fellows.
And I will honor you with much music all the days of my life! (I. 2. 16. 17)”. Antonio Salieri became envy of Mozart because he took Katherina Cavelieri into bed. Depicted from the play by Shaffer, Constanze quoted “He doesn’t drag them into bed! (I. 10. 48)”. This was also another reason why he envied Mozart, hated him and as well later in the play took out his anger on God. Lastly, another reason is when Salieri took the manuscripts from Mozart because it holds greatness. It was the original copy of Mozart’s genius work, quoted “She said that these were his original scores (I. 12. 57). In addition, it was quoted “Then suddenly he snatches it, tears the ribbon, and opens the case and stares greedily at the manuscripts within (I. 12. 57). ” This was one of the biggest reasons why he envied Mozart as a person because it takes him one try to complete his music and as for himself it takes long hours and days to complete one of his own works, which may or may not be compared to Mozart’s pure genius work. In conclusion, the opening quote of the play is meant for the hatred of Mozart. It states, “Spiteful, sniggering, conceited, infantine Mozart who has never worked one minute to help another man! I. 12. 59). ” The reasons stated in the previous paragraphs were examples of the fact that Salieri envied and hated Mozart, as well as taken it out on God because he feels that he was betrayed by God in way that he didn’t do anything about destroying Mozart who in fact is making Salieri’s, life a bit more frustrating, when in fact he made a bargain with God and did everything he promised, and God does this. Therefore, he Salieri implied “I’ll tell you about the war I fought with God through his preferred Creature-Mozart, name Amadeus, The creature had to be destroyed (I. 12. 60). ”
