Masque Of The Red Death

Words: 1563
Pages: 7
Open Document
Edgar Allan Poe is well known for writing eerie stories with deeper hidden messages. In his short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe refers to a prince named Prospero who went to great lengths to protect himself from the red death disease that was plaguing the nation. Ultimately, being overly cautious resulted in the death of Prospero. Similarly, Poe wrote a story titled “Hop-Frog” where a creature named Hop-Frog sought revenge on a selfish king. The story ended with Hop-Frog succeeding in killing the king. Using an assortment of writing devices, including foreshadowing, symbolism and irony, Poe relays his message that death is unpredictable and can strike at any time; even when everything appears to be going right. One literary …show more content…
During “The Masque of the Red Death,” an apparent symbol is an ebony clock that is displayed in the seventh room of the castle. Poe explains, “...and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew place…” (Poe,”Masque”). Poe writes about the ebony clock to symbolize the amount of time the citizens have left until they die. It is shown that whenever the clock chimes, everyone becomes fearful of something they are unaware of. Once the clock stops chiming, everyone resumes the night's events. Symbolism in this story helps the reader to understand the main message of the uncertainty of death. Everyone knows the clock represents something bad, but they are trying to avoid whatever it might be. As the clock continues to countdown, everyone remains unaware of when exactly death will strike. Poe uses this symbol to give information to the reader that allows them to understand the main message he is trying to express. After the Red Death kills everyone, the clock gives out. This further confirms the idea that the ebony clock represents mortality. At the end of the story “Hop-Frog,” everyone attends a masquerade ball. Later, the king and his seven ministers get tied together in chains as part of Hop-Frog’s last jester. Poe writes, “Hop-Frog passed the residue of the chain in two diameters, at right angles, across the circle, after the fashion …show more content…
At the beginning of the story “The Masque of the Red Death,” Prince Prospero went through a lot of preparation to build a defense for his castle. Near the end of the story, the strongly built castle walls lead to the death of Prince Prospero and all of his citizens. Poe includes “And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall” (Poe, “Masque”). By including these details, Poe creates irony in the situation. Prince Prospero worked so hard to protect the castle and make it so no one could get inside. Ultimately, making the castle defense remarkably complex made it impossible for anyone to escape once the Red Death arrived. This is ironic because Prince Prospero had expected the danger to be outside the castle, not inside. Also, this literary device helps to build the main idea that death is unforeseeable. Using irony is a way for the reader to clearly understand how no one was expecting death to happen during this time. Throughout the story “Hop-Frog,” the king is very controlling of Hop-Frog and Trippetta. At the end of the story, the tables are turned, and Hop-Frog is the one that controls the king’s fate. Poe writes, “They are a great king and his seven privy-councillors, -- a king who does not scruple to strike a defenceless girl and his seven councillors who abet him in the outrage. As for myself, I am simply Hop-Frog,
Show More

Related Documents: Masque Of The Red Death

Masque Of The Red Death Essay

Death is a very important topic and has been approached by author’s several times in the past. Each author has a different view on death and that is expressed through their work. Two pieces of literature that focus on death are “Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe and "Do not Go Gently into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas. In “Masque of the Red Death” Poe’s view on death is that it’s inevitable. He firmly believes that there is no point in defying it and that it can happen at anytime. Dylan…

Words 759 - Pages 4

Red Masque Of The Red Death Essay

In the short story “The Red Masque of the Red Death,” Poe writes about the evil that comes along to the Prince and his people. Prince Prospero invited people to stay in his abbey to be secluded from the disease that roams through the kingdom. This will start off as a great plan because no one can come through the great iron gates, but death will always follow. Poe’s hidden message is no matter how hard you try to get away death isn’t too far behind. A hint that Poe gives in the short story was…

Words 675 - Pages 3

Inevitable In The Masque Of The Red Death

The Inevitability of Death In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe conveys to the reader that death is inevitable. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, a grotesque disease known as the “Red Death,” pervades the country. It is amazingly lethal and has already killed half of the kingdom. The main character, Prince Prospero, who is the monarch of the kingdom, overlooks his impoverished and withering subjects and decides to take 1,000 of his courtiers and weld themselves into…

Words 332 - Pages 2

Fear In The Masque Of The Red Death

In Edgar Allen Poe’s story “The Masque of the Red Death”, the fear of death is evident when the Prince and his guests lock themselves inside the Prince’s castle to hide from the rapidly spreading disease, the revelers nervous reaction to the chiming of an ebony clock, and their reaction to a deathlike figure. Prince Prospero locks himself and his friends in his castle to escape the disease, and holds a party after 6 months of isolation. Every hour during the ball, an ebony clock sounds, indicating…

Words 507 - Pages 3

Irony In The Masque Of Red Death

In “The Masque of Red Death,” it is ironic that Prince Prospero locks himself in the castle, hoping to seal his dreaded death, but ends up trapping it in. Poe writes, “There was a sharp cry- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon of which, instantly afterward, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero”(60). By trapping death inside his castle, Prince Prospero dies just as quick as the others. Despite the…

Words 953 - Pages 4

Essay on the masque of red death

INEVITABLE DEATH: DEATH PENETRATES EVEN THE WALLS OF THE WEALTHY 20 September 2013 Stories can be taken literally or can be analyzed through and through. With some stories it is worth the time to reflect and ponder the hidden themes that are purposely placed within the text by the author. As is so with The Masque of the Red Death written by Edgar Allan Poe. This short story describes a tale of horror that can either be considered as very simple with no…

Words 1034 - Pages 5

Essay On The Masque Of The Red Death

The allegorical lesson Poe is impacting in “Masque of the Red Death” (Poe 1) is that humans will do anything to elude death. The Masque of the Red death is filled with imagery that supports the story’s allegorical interpretation, as well as symbols. First, in an effort to escape the Red Death, Prince Prospero invites his friends and they retreat to one of his fancy and ample “provisioned abbey” (Poe 1). The abbey has…

Words 909 - Pages 4

Allegory In The Masque Of The Red Death

limited amount of time. In the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, he shows that some issues one must face, and not steer clear from. Throughout the short story, Poe displays the path of life, with the emotions and feelings one might experience. Many difficult circumstances come up, but a person has to accept and conquer them because that is what life is about. To enhance his allegory of life in “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe expresses that ignoring or avoiding one’s…

Words 685 - Pages 3

The Masque Of The Red Death Symbolism

The black room in the story, “The Masque of the Red Death”, symbolizes death because of the clock, and the black and red colors in the room. To begin, the clock in the black room symbolizes death because it tells the people how much time they have left. The clock proves that time is running out and that the people in the room are approaching their death. For example, in the book, those in the black room freeze of terror each hour the clock hits. Each time the hour hits, it reminds them that time…

Words 291 - Pages 2

Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

The Masque of the Red Death is an allegory explaining how being selfish when you have the money to help people in need, and overlooking the fact that you —as any other man or woman is— mortal will most definitely lead to misfortune and death. Poe uses the colored rooms as symbols for travelling through seven stages of Life, thus ultimately ending in death. Prince Prospero walked through all of the rooms before he died, just as a man grows up and dies, only the prince did it in a matter of seconds…

Words 310 - Pages 2