Why am I here? What does all this mean? What is my destiny? Where is God? These are questions we ask as we go through life, questions of discernment that reveal not only the truth about ourselves, but also our perception of God. Even though time passes, these questions remain and we are led to answer them not with words but with the way we live our lives. However, we should not doubt that God also plays a predominant role in what we are to become and recognize that even if we choose to deny the existence of God, He will play a role in our ruin. Similar to the 1830s play Amadeus, we meet the court composer, Antonio Salieri, a once virtuous man, now fallen from grace due to his continued sin. After his disappointing encounter with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salieri realizes the true nature of his work and how, despite his virtuous life, he will never be as talented as his counterpart. In Peter Shaffer's play, Amadeus Salieri wages war against God through his "believing" disciple, Mozart; after Salieri's discontent, he is quickly engulfed by the deadly sins of greed, lust and gluttony, and pride uses them to prove that it is possible for man's actions on earth to be superior to the virtues of God. Initially, Salieri's transition to the annihilation of his faith occurred. by his recognition of the musical virtues that Mozart had given him (by God); through this, Salieri begins to transform from a virtuous man to a man moving from jealousy to a being actively pursuing his greed. Early in his life, Salieri had worshiped and dedicated his life to God through his talents and passion for music, and through this he lived a chaste life as a Catholic man, capable of appreciating and giving thanks for the abilities he had been given. Ho...... middle of paper ......ior vows and his further denial of God's authority. From a simple sweet cake to a vicious murder, Salieri's transition to his disgrace is considered one of the essential plot points of the play, which are due to the abundant amount of questions and desires that people still face Today. By abandoning his pursuit of a righteous lifestyle, Salieri weakens himself and gives in to his malicious intentions through sin. He believed that to get the attention he deserved from a higher being, he would have to abandon the vows he had promised her, replace them with indulgences of good food, women and rise above- above God on earth. In the war between good and evil, Salieri fought with God for power and authority, but his actions proved that no bad deed goes unpunished. Works Cited Shaffer, Peter. Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. Print.