Avoiding Reality: “The Masque of the Red Death” Analysis

Edgar Allen Poe's “The Masque of the Red Death” is an extravagant allegory of the futility of trying to escape death. In the story, a prince named Prospero tries to avoid the Red Death through isolation and seclusion. He hides behind the impenetrable walls of his castle and turns his back on the rest of the world. But no walls can stop death because it is unavoidable and inevitable. Through the use of character, setting, point of view, and symbol, Poe reveals the theme that no one, regardless of status, wealth or power can stay the passing of time and the inevitable conclusion of life itself, death.

Edgar Allan Poe was a brilliant poet who endured an incredibly harrowing life. It seemed as if everyone he became close to would decease before his eyes. His grim life served as inspiration for his work which take on eerie, nightmarish tones and themes, likely because those disturbing subjects are what he knew best. One of his poems greatly influenced by his life was “The Masque of the Red Death”. Some parts of the poem influenced by his life are Prince Prospero, the red death, and the theme of the inevitability of death.

When it comes to reading literature the most challenging yet important task is to understand the purpose of the author's writing. In Romantic era literature understanding the emotions and thoughts that are created in the reader's mind are essential to gaining a clear message that the writer is trying to send. In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death” the narrator immediately introduces the “Red Death”; a disease that has been spreading throughout Prince Prospero’s country; killing his people within half an hour of contracting the disease. Throughout the story the author continuously uses diction and syntax to create suspense and evoke a grim tone to the reader. In the “Masque of The Red Death” Poe produces fearful imagery in the reader's mind through creating a supernatural presence in the setting.

The narrator in “The Pit and the Pendulum” and Prince Prospero from “The Masque of the Red Death”, both face a similar problem, dying, but the two men meet opposite fates by the conclusion of their respective stories.

The hidden message in Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” is that death cannot be averted from humans because no matter what we do, our life in this world comes to an extent. In the story, there are two main characters, which are Prospero and the Red Death. There was a sickness in the kingdom that was killing many people. So Prospero decided to have a big party that only the rich can go to. When suddenly appeared the “person” with a costume that was known as the “Red Death”. The people were frightened of that person so, Prospero had chased him down, and discovered that it was nothing. He instantly fell to the grown and died, as well as the others in the party.

Poe was the mad scientist of literature at the time. “The masque of the red death”, is one of Poe’s book. This book is about a rapid disease is spreading through the kingdom. The king “prospero” is happy locked away in his castle, with his wealthy friends, the “masqueraders”. The masqueraders and the King acted like

Most are afraid of this happening, but there is no way they will ever be able to escape it. This happening is death. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” is an iconic piece of gothic literature with a dark theme. He uses normal objects in his story such as rooms and hallways and gives them a deeper meaning to connect to the moral of the story. Poe’s short story is heavy with symbols which lead to the ultimate theme of his piece that there is no way to escape the inevitable no matter what your social standing may be. Poe showcases this thought through his many forms of symbolism to support this theme.

No matter how wealthy he or she may be, no one is immune to death. In the short story, "The Masque of the Red Death", written by Edgar Allan Poe, the story written is only an outline of the true meaning being expressed. Despite the plague being quite horrible, the nobles have another idea of what is going to happen at the masquerade. Prince Prospero and the nobles believe that it is better not to grieve, not to think, but to enjoy life to the highest point while they can. While the story takes a turn, the author is trying to portay to the audience the illusion of happiness, wealth, and prosperity over the horrific obstacles the characters are trying to overcome. The story, "The Masque of the Red Death", illustrates you can not cheat your way

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe is a classic story from the romantic era of American literature. This story contains all the elements of a romantic era story: nature emotion and intuition.

The “Masque of the Red Death” is a short tale of symbolism and allegory. Allegories can help the readers understand concepts that might be too difficult to comprehend otherwise. Everything from the set up of the rooms in the abbey to Prince Prospero's name has an underlying meaning. Poe’s uses of both positive and negative symbols to highlight the fact that no one can hide from death.

“Frail humanity can never escape the ravages of time”. Humans are born and will eventually die; it’s the cycle of life. No one can prevent death, but it does not stop people from trying to prolong life. Fate is inevitably predetermined; death is our predetermined fate. In the allegory “The Masque of the Red Death”, written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1842, Poe teaches that death is predestined and that you cannot avoid fate. Poe focuses in on an unusual character, Prince Prospero, who displays strange characteristics in a time of woe. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses Prospero’s urge for power, struggle for power, and failure to get power, to enhance the theme of fate being ineludible.

But in his arrogance he blatantly dares disease to try to infect the people-assured that he has secured them all outside of sickness' reach. From Prospero's conceit comes his anger and fury that he holds toward death. This manifests itself most fully when the physical personification of death appears at the party in mask bearing the signs of the red death. Prospero orders his friends to "seize him and unmask him-that..." they hang him from the battlements at sunrise (Poe 179). Prospero does not only show his willingness to overrule the power of death but also to assume such power to himself! He is taking the authority of the grim reaper as one who is capable of judging whether one should live or die. When the prince sees the reluctance of those around him to carry out his command he brazenly gives chase to death carrying "aloft a dagger" (Poe 180). Prospero is not content with merely wielding death's authority, but wants also his power. The dagger capable of ending life is representative of the princess's presumed control of such might. While Prospero yearns to control death, others like the masqueraders want only to forget about it, and just live life.

To enhance his allegory of lifetime of humans in “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe expresses someone cannot cover up reality with their fantasies through the portrayal as the Stranger, Castle, and the Masquerade/Revel. In Poe’s short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” he addresses so many symbols, one being the

There is a “…gigantic clock of ebony” in the black room, its sound is described as “…clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis” (421). This suggests that the clock has importance, as it is a physical reminder of death. If the story did not use imagery, the reader’s interpretation of it would be completely different.

Edgar Allen Poe was an American poet and short story writer, who specialized in the genres of horror and gothic writing. Poe’s work became so influential that he is “…credited with refining the short story form and inventing the modern detective story” (Slova ). In eighteen forty, Poe released one of his more well-known gothic short stories, “The Masque of the Red Death.” In “The Masque of the Red Death” Poe relies heavily upon the use literary devices such as allegories, symbolism, and narration to convey his overall theme of how death and mortality are inevitable.