In today's society, mental illnesses are slowly being recognized as serious health conditions that require some sort of treatment, whether it be therapy, medication, or both. In the 1700s, however, mental illness was not recognized as a problem and was simply brushed aside. Such is the case of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a (real) character in the heavily fictionalized play Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. Mozart is a child prodigy, a man destined for great things. Due to his upbringing at the hands of a strict and inflexible father, Mozart's mental health is rather delicate. Antonio Salieri, one of the court composers of Emperor Joseph, considered Mozart an extremely dangerous competitor. In order to "earn" fame and fortune, things that Salieri believes God destined him for, Salieri uses Mozart's mental problems to slowly and systematically destroy Mozart's life. Salieri uses Mozart's mental problems to methodically alienate Mozart from his companions and destroy his career. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Salieri Destroys Mozart's Career by Pointing Out Mozart's Character Flaws to His Employers and Increasing Mozart's Mental Instability . Mozart was a child when he began touring Europe with his father, a fact underscored by Emperor Joseph's exclamation: "You will not remember this, but the last time we met you were also on this floor!... This young man, all 6 years old..." (Shaffer 31). Mozart's father would go on tour with him, parading Mozart like a show pony and teaching Mozart to be overconfident and showy. When Mozart doesn't get what he wants, he reacts like a spoiled child and cuts ties with those around him. These traits do not help Mozart in his chosen career path, leading him first to act rudely towards the emperor and ultimately to his downfall at the hands of Salieri. When Mozart first meets the Emperor, he revises Salieri's Welcome March, adding a "third above", completely changing the piece (Shaffer 35), offending Salieri, who begins plotting Mozart's murder . In planning the murder of Mozart, Salieri believes that "by killing Mozart he is not only resolving his own Jobean dilemma" (Bidney), a scenario in which Salieri is tested by God. Mozart's constant immaturity irritates Salieri's nerves; after all, Mozart insulted Salieri's music and isolated Mozart from a true friendship with Salieri. Murderous thoughts aside, within the first minutes of his meeting with the emperor and his court, Mozart manages to insult the Italian lyric system, caustically remarking that real operas do not have "...cries of male sopranos. Or stupid couples rolling their eyes. All this Italian bullshit” (Shaffer 33). Mozart's manners led him to offend several prominent figures at the Italian court, including the so-called "Lord Fugue". While the audience sees that Mozart initially offends the court in his first meeting with them, Salieri manipulates Mozart into burning irreparable bridges, because "selfish calculation is Salieri's absolute, not music" (Bidney) When Mozart needs a teaching position within the court, Salieri subtly points out Mozart's lotharios ways in an attempt to prevent Mozart's tutoring sessions, remarking that "one hears too many stories... Not pleasant , Majesty, but true” (Shaffer 64). If Mozart had not been confident and conspicuous in hisadulterous manners, Salieri could not have discredited Mozart more. Even Mozart's opera, one of his greatest creations, was initially ruined by his overconfidence. Mozart wrote a fantastic opera but, because he irritated Salieri, his opera was ruined by Salieri's interference. Mozart did not think about the content of his opera, because he was too confident in his lyrical abilities. An entire scene was removed from the opera because Mozart thought it was above all the rules of Italian opera. The rules don't allow just any ballet and Mozart's ball scene takes shortcuts. Salieri noticed Mozart's forgetfulness and was able to inform the courtier in charge of the opera. When the scene was cut, Mozart threw a tantrum because he couldn't believe he didn't get what he wanted, shouting, "I'm going to have a rehearsal!" You will see! The Emperor will come! You will see! » (Shaffer 74). Mozart's character cut the rest of the bridges between him and the Italian court. Another way Salieri subtly manipulates Mozart into further mental insanity is by having Mozart expelled from the Masons. Towards the end of his life, Mozart, destitute and practically a beggar, had to rely on alms from his Masonic brothers to survive. Salieri puts the idea of ​​a vaudeville show centered on masons into Mozart's head. Salieri knew that Masons would not appreciate having their customs exposed in front of ordinary people for all to see. After Mozart stages the opera, the Masons decide to renounce Mozart's membership in the face of recent events, declaring that they will "ensure that no Freemason or person of distinction in Vienna" ever again trust in Mozart (Shaffer 100). Mozart, quite simply, is ruined. Salieri “does not poison Mozart, he starves him to death by ensuring that Mozart receives no money from patronage” (Bidney). Mozart ultimately no longer had any money coming into his house, whether from teaching or Masonic alms. Salieri uses Mozart's overconfidence and flamboyance to cut short Mozart's professional musical career. Salieri manipulates Mozart into distancing himself from his family and friends by worsening Mozart's mental illness. When Salieri first hears of Mozart's great talent, Salieri becomes suspicious of Mozart. After Mozart rewrites Salieri's Welcome March, Salieri no longer just distrusts Mozart, he hates Mozart for stealing his glory and fame. Salieri is "weak, dependent, above all a receiver rather than a creator" (Bidley), so Salieri decides to take revenge on Mozart for Amadeus' musical inclinations. All the pain of Mozart's life, his mental madness, his eventual death, could have been avoided if Mozart had controlled his less than desirable personality traits. Salieri must have known that Mozart would try to improvise on Salieri's score, but Salieri played the march anyway. Even before meeting Mozart, Salieri had begun to manipulate him. For most of his life, Mozart had obeyed his father's every word. When Mozart began courting Constance, he hesitated to propose to her because his father did not approve of the marriage. Salieri talks to Mozart and slyly suggests that Mozart defy his father for once in his life. After Mozart marries Constanze, Salieri goes to great lengths to try to destroy Mozart's life, even trying to seduce Constanze, telling Constanze "Princess Elizabeth needs a student" and that Constanze should come "to see him alone tomorrow” (Shaffer 51). . Salieri, a “strict, self-denying disciplinarian” (Bidley), decided that breaking a few of his rules would be for the greater good, as he could kill two birds with one stone. Towards the end of life..