Greed and Jealousy Versus Love and Justice: Analysis of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus
A Tale of Two Forces:
Greed and Jealousy versus Love and Justice The human condition is not in any way, shape or form perfect. In fact, man is prone to both greed and jealousy. But when man is overwhelmed by these, he is blind to the beauty of the divine love and justice received by all. This point is emphasized in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. Antonio Salieri prays as an adolescent for just one thing: fame. His quest for fame becomes the central goal in his life. However, his insatiable greed for musical fame leads to jealousy of his colleague, Amadeus Mozart. This pattern of moral destruction continues as Salieri turns against his god, claiming that God had become his enemy when He picked Mozart over him. Salieri is the proof that when greed and jealousy become the main influences on a man’s life, he is no longer able to see the beauty in divine love and justice. This drama is one of character. There are really only two dynamic characters in the whole novel. First, Salieri, the protagonist. Salieri wanted fame from a young age. At 16, he prayed to God that he would be virtuous and evangelical if only God would grant him fame (Shaffer 8). At first it appears that his prayer has been answered: he goes to study music in Vienna, and eventually becomes court composer for Emperor Joseph II. Mozart’s arrival in Vienna and his extreme talent turns Salieri a lovely shade of green. He becomes obsessively jealous of Mozart, leading to a volatile and harassed state. Salieri makes it his life’s goal to destroy Mozart - if not to kill his body, to kill his social status and reputation. This to spite the god that was merciless, who supplied so little in terms of blessings. Salieri’s determination to spite God through the thorough destruction of Mozart’s career and eventually mental health is what leads to his ultimate demise: a suicide attempt, and the proclamation that he is the “[p]atron [s]aint of [m]ediocrities” (Shaffer 95). Amadeus Mozart, the play’s title
Greed and Jealousy versus Love and Justice The human condition is not in any way, shape or form perfect. In fact, man is prone to both greed and jealousy. But when man is overwhelmed by these, he is blind to the beauty of the divine love and justice received by all. This point is emphasized in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. Antonio Salieri prays as an adolescent for just one thing: fame. His quest for fame becomes the central goal in his life. However, his insatiable greed for musical fame leads to jealousy of his colleague, Amadeus Mozart. This pattern of moral destruction continues as Salieri turns against his god, claiming that God had become his enemy when He picked Mozart over him. Salieri is the proof that when greed and jealousy become the main influences on a man’s life, he is no longer able to see the beauty in divine love and justice. This drama is one of character. There are really only two dynamic characters in the whole novel. First, Salieri, the protagonist. Salieri wanted fame from a young age. At 16, he prayed to God that he would be virtuous and evangelical if only God would grant him fame (Shaffer 8). At first it appears that his prayer has been answered: he goes to study music in Vienna, and eventually becomes court composer for Emperor Joseph II. Mozart’s arrival in Vienna and his extreme talent turns Salieri a lovely shade of green. He becomes obsessively jealous of Mozart, leading to a volatile and harassed state. Salieri makes it his life’s goal to destroy Mozart - if not to kill his body, to kill his social status and reputation. This to spite the god that was merciless, who supplied so little in terms of blessings. Salieri’s determination to spite God through the thorough destruction of Mozart’s career and eventually mental health is what leads to his ultimate demise: a suicide attempt, and the proclamation that he is the “[p]atron [s]aint of [m]ediocrities” (Shaffer 95). Amadeus Mozart, the play’s title
Cited: Aschkenasy, Nehama. "The Biblical Intertext in Peter Shaffer 's Amadeus (Or, Saul and David in Eighteenth-Century Vienna)." Comparative Drama 44.1 (2010): 45-62. Project MUSE. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. . Brown, A. Peter. "Amadeus and Mozart: Setting the record straight." The American Scholar 61.1 (1992): 49-66. Holy Bible, New International Version. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, 1984. Print. Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University 4, and School of Applied Linguistics and Cultural Studies. "Peter Shaffer 's play." 1998. 3 Nov. 2012 Robbins, Gregory Allen. "Mozart & Salieri, Cain & Abel: A Cinematic Transformation of Genesis 4." The Journal of Religion and Film 1 (1997). Shaffer, Peter. Amadeus: A Play. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. Print.