Antonio Salieri was a respected composer in Vienna during Mozart's time.

Mozart died young (at 35) in 1791, and the cause remains unclear—possibly illness or infection.

Salieri outlived Mozart and held important positions at court.

Mozart did struggle financially at times, especially near the end of his life.

Salieri taught prominent composers (e.g., Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt).

• The film/play's central premise—that Salieri was jealous of Mozart and conspired to destroy him—is a fictional invention.There’s no historical evidence Salieri plotted against Mozart or poisoned him.

• Shaffer portrays Mozart as brilliant but vulgar and socially inept.
  While Mozart did have a playful and sometimes crude sense of humor (as seen in his letters), the film exaggerates this for dramatic effect.

• In "Amadeus," an aging Salieri "confesses" to killing Mozart.
  In reality, Salieri never confessed to this, though rumors circulated decades after Mozart’s death.
  Salieri reportedly admired Mozart's music and even performed some of his works.

• The film dramatizes this as part of Salieri’s manipulation, but historically, it was commissioned anonymously by Count Franz von Walsegg, who wanted to pass the work off as his own. Salieri had no known involvement.