Appearance vs. Reality in Peter Shaffers Amadeus Essay -- Peter Shaff

Appearance vs. Reality in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus In the world of the 18th century, appearance was everything; and appearance often conflicted with reality. Such is the case in Peter Shaffer’s, Amadeus, which follows Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s musical career. Mozart’s career was enveloped in deceit and falsity, appearing to be brought on by poor choices he made, when all along he was being sabotaged by Salieri. When Mozart arrives in Vienna, Antonio Salieri pretends to welcome him. He even writes a welcome March for Mozart, to be played as the young, rebellious musician enters the court. However, Salieri hates Mozart from the beginning. Salieri is nice to Mozart’s face, and pretends to support his career to all other parties concerned. Salieri is, in fact, nice to everyone’s face. As several officials are conversing, Salieri comments to the audience on their personality. â€Å"Johann von Strack. Royal Chamberlain. A court official to his collar bone,† â€Å"Baron van Swieten. Prefect of the Imperial Library. Ardent Freemason. Yet to find anything funny...† (Amadeus, 11) Salieri continues to interject throughout the mens’ conversation until he is included. Salieri is jealous of Mozart’s musical ability. While it appears to everyone the Salieri is the most talented musician in Vienna, he, himself, knows that Mozart’s music is much deeper than his own. Salieri vents his jealousy when he states, â€Å"We were both ordinary men, he and I. Yet he from the ordinary created legends-and I from legends greeted only the ordinary† (Amadeus, 63). Mozart and his wife, Constanza, are starving. They are living in extreme poverty. All of this is because of Antonio Salieri. whose plan is revealed to the audience in his conversation with Emperor Joseph. He says, â€Å"Then grant him Gluck’s post, Majesty, but not his salary. That would be wrong† (Amadeus, 64). He then turns around to Mozart who is angry about the payment he is receiving and says, â€Å"I’m sorry it’s made you angry. I’d not have suggested it if I’d known you’d be distressed....I regret I was not able to do more† (Amadeus, 65). Salieri pretends that he got Mozart as much money as he could, when in reality, he kept him from a great deal more. The real showing of Salieri’s true colors comes out in the last few scenes of the play. After the death of Mozart’s father... .... â€Å"Hate is a poison you cannot withstand.† (Amadeus, 81). Salieri got his wish for fame in the end. He reflects on this, â€Å"I was to become quite simply the most famous musician in Europe!...This was my sentence! I must endure thirty years of being called â€Å"distinguished† by people incapable of distinguishing!...I must smell as I wrote it the deadness of my music...† (Amadeus, 85). While he had what he had always wanted, and he appeared to be on top of the world, reality remained. He was not happy. He did not have to gift he had long wanted. And though the public praised and shouted to him, he knew exactly what it was worth. While Mozart’s life appears to be a series of mistakes, and poor choices he has made, the truth is, he was sabotaged. His life was a game for Antonio Salieri to act out his jealousies and insecurities. But Salieri, in the end, is more unhappy with his life without Mozart, than he was when Mozart was alive. Works Cited Amadeus. Shaffer, Peter. Samuel French, Inc. New York. 1980. http://www.albemarle-london.com/amadeus.html. Accessed, March 15, 2001 http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc69.html. Accessed, March 17, 2001