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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Constanze accuse her husband of doing?

2. What is holding up Wolfgang's and Constanze's marriage?

3. What quality does Salieri say he requires in a wife?

4. What is ironic about court musicians and their employers?

5. What is Rosenberg's opinion of prodigies?

Short Essay Questions

1. What strategy does Salieri use in his attempt to seduce Constanze?

2. What does this scene show us of Mozart's talent?

3. What concrete information about Mozart is passed to Salieri by the Venticelli?

4. Account for Salieri's shout from the chair as he listens to Mozart and Constanze play their bawdy game.

5. Comment on the dramatic function of the Venticelli in the opening scene.

6. What does his comment about his requirement in a wife reveal about Salieri's character?

7. Why do reports about Mozart unsettle Salieri?

8. How does the play open?

9. What is the problem with Salieri's drive for fame?

10. For what reason might the scene in the Baroness's library be considered ironic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

'Conflict is the essence of drama' and this play is packed with conflict. Examine TWO strands of conflict within Amadeus and relate these to one or more of the play's themes.

Essay Topic 2

'Amadeus is a tale of the naive artist pitted against a social machine he is entirely unaware of.' Discuss with close reference to the play.

Essay Topic 3

"Mozart embraces life honestly, lives it fully and renders its complexity in his music. Salieri buries his passions in conventional living and is only capable of conventional art '. Discuss this statement with close reference to the text.

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