The Masque Of The Red Death Literary Analysis

Words: 934
Pages: 4
Open Document
Power is not something that one bestows upon themselves, other people must decide whether one deserves it. Prince Prospero tries to self-appoint himself the ruler over death. In the "Masque of the Red Death" Edgar Allan Poe displays an impossible struggle for power, between the prince and death. The plot takes place during the plague of the Red Death, and the prince invites the rich to his abbey, and death is not invited. The abbey is concealed by a set of large doors built with Iron bolts, making it an impenetrable fortress. The story ultimately illustrates the struggle for power over things that may not, cannot, will not be conquered.
In “Masque of the Red Death” Prince Prospero tries to convince his guests of his omnipotence. Martin Roth …show more content…
The way the Red Death is personified causes the reader to imagine the Red Death as a villain, "A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress nor egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within... with such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion"(Poe pg 2). Roth mentions, “The tale narrates the penetration of an inside space by an outside agent or force, yet, in its personification, this agent represents the deepest inside of that space.”(Roth para 1). The conflict is enhanced, because to our knowledge the abbey is impenetrable, but the Red Death manages to come in from the outside and take the lives of the Prince and his guests. Prince Prospero undoubtedly tries to escape the Red Death by locking himself and the rich inside his abbey, but death still manages to kill him and his guests. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allen Poe continually reveals to us that death is a force that must be respected, no matter how much power you think you have. The way he shows this conflict definitely enhances the plot by tempting the reader to figure out how the Prince does or does not escape death. The story overall teaches the lesson that the rules of life apply to
Show More

Related Documents: The Masque Of The Red Death Literary Analysis

Masque Of The Red Death Literary Analysis

“Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe contains a gloomy tone, which is supported by a fluid combination of compound- complex sentences, sophisticated diction that is reminiscent of Medieval English, as well as allusions to Herod and imagery to bring the Red Death to life. “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner contains a bizarre yet conversational tone, which is shaped by a nonlinear storyline set over multiple generations and told in first person from the collective perspective of the townspeople…

Words 1327 - Pages 6

Masque Of The Red Death And Nothing In The Dark Literary Analysis

they have nearly identical themes, E.A. Poe's"The Masque of the Red Death" and G.C Johnsons "Nothing in the Dark," have very different settings and characters. In the story " Nothing in the Dark" there is only one character, she is very lonely and has been in that apartment for several years. While in the "Masque of the Red Death" there is a prince and a thousand of people from his court he has chosen to come along with him to his castle to escape death. Poe's story was first published in 1842 while…

Words 599 - Pages 3

Essay on Edgar Poe Analysis

American Military University Edgar Allen Poe: Literary Analysis Lakeidra Eady LITR 220 Professor Macon Sept. 31, 2013 Lakeidra Eady Professor Macon LITR 220 Sept. 31, 2013 Edgar Allen Poe Literature is a very diverse subject which constantly changes from century to century. The first American writers, in the years before the civil war, had the challenge of producing an original American literary form, content, and voice. They were creative when it came to expressing their emotions. Edgar…

Words 1255 - Pages 6

Essay Masq of the red death Edgar Alan poe

Sean Harrison Kelly Daubek English 201 9 February 2014 Literary Analysis Symbolism, Imagery, and Metaphor in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ by Edger A. Poe Edgar A. Poe is one of the most widely read and acclaimed writers of fiction. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest literary artists of his time. His works have been evaluated, interpreted and dissected with the scrutiny of an insatiably curious mortician, one who, above all, seeks to fathom the inner workings of the deceased…

Words 1210 - Pages 5

The Masque Of The Red Death Analysis

“Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe Rabinowitz, Daniel Theme Essay: Character, Setting, and Symbolism English 8 Period 3 CA Standard: Literary Response and Analysis 3.5 January 12 2013 Inevitable Faith In “The Masque of the Red Death,” by Edgar Allan Poe, the theme is that nobody, no matter how rich you are, can cheat death. The main character of this story is a greedy, vein, egregious prince names Prospero. In the story, a devastating plague is going around the kingdom dropping…

Words 511 - Pages 3

Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

Death and Prosperity: An Analysis of “The Masque of the Red Death” Have you ever had a near death experience? The masque of the red death written by Edgar Allen Poe is realistic fiction and has the main theme of. “One cannot escape death” when a town is affected by a disease and instead of helping his town the prince hides him self and his friends from the red death but he does not know that death is amongst them. The first literary element that Poe uses to show theme “One cannot escape death”…

Words 822 - Pages 4

Fall of the House of Usher Literary Analysis Essay

Literary Analysis As with many of Edgar Allan Poe's pieces, "The Fall of the House of Usher" falls within the definition of American Gothic Literature. According to Prentice Hall Literature, American Gothic Literature is characterized by a bleak or remote setting, macabre or violent incidents, characters being in psychological or physical torment, or a supernatural or otherworldly involvement (311). A story containing these attributes can result in a very frightening or morbid read. In all probability…

Words 1344 - Pages 6