Student Question

Who is Constanze Weber in Amadeus?

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In Amadeus, Constanze Weber is Mozart's lower-class girlfriend and later his wife.

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In Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, Constanze Weber is Mozart's girlfriend and later wife. We see her through Salieri's bitter and subjective eyes, so we don't necessarily get an accurate portrait of her, but the portrait Salieri wants us to have.

Constanze is part of the play from early on, as Salieri, to his disgust, remembers coming across a vulgar and childish Mozart rolling around on the floor and playing games with her. She is a kind, innocent, lower-class young woman, the daughter of Mozart's landlady, and Mozart marries her over the objections of his domineering father.

Though being married to Mozart is a trial, Constanze remains loyal to him, even if she is often frustrated. Salieri makes friends with her to try to undermine Mozart, but Constanze, in her innocence, believes the friendship is real. When she shows Salieri some of Mozart's work, hoping he will help her sell it because of Mozart's financial problems, she inadvertently fuels Salieri's jealousy and strengthens his determination to try to destroy his rival. Salieri can't get over the fact that Mozart seemingly dashed off such brilliant music effortlessly, with no changes or struggle, and so his bitterness grows.

Constanze is part of the troubled and turbulent personal side of Mozart that is portrayed as so diametrically different from his music: the music sublime, the life all too human.

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