"Now for the first time I feel my emptiness as Adam felt his nakedness... Tonight at an inn somewhere in this city stands a sniggering child who can put on paper, without actually setting down his billiard cue, casual notes which turn my most considered ones into lifeless scratches."

As much as I dislike Salieri--along with every other character in this play--I relate to him on such a personal level. His monologue at the end of Act I, which I quoted from above, so perfectly captures my feelings as a writer on those discouraging days that naturally come to every artist. There were so many powerful lines that told me I'm not alone when I feel mediocre! If it weren't for the abundance of foul language and blatant portrayal of God as an uncaring, sometimes malevolent spectator, I might have given this play three stars.