the masque of the red death response essay

A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’

On Tuesday, we put together a brief plot summary of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ , Edgar Allan Poe’s short but terrifying story about a prince who retreats to his castellated abbey with a thousand of his courtiers, to avoid the horrific and fast-acting plague known as the ‘Red Death’. You can read Poe’s story here . Now, it’s time for some words of analysis concerning this intriguing story which, like many of Poe’s best stories, seems to work on several levels.

First, there is the literary precedent for the basis of Poe’s story: the Italian writer Boccaccio’s fourteenth-century work The Decameron is about a group of noblemen and noblewomen who retreat to an abbey to flee the plague, or Black Death. All that’s changed in Poe’s basic setup is the colour of the plague, to the fictional ‘Red Death’. Interestingly, Poe originally titled the story ‘The Mask of the Red Death’, which places the emphasis on the masked figure who shows up at the end; in replacing ‘Mask’ with ‘Masque’, Poe shifts the focus onto the masquerade which Prospero stages for his courtiers. (A masque doesn’t have to involve wearing masks: it was a private ball popular in Italy for many centuries. Masks were optional.)

The fact that Prince Prospero and his wealthy entourage all believe they can avoid the Red Death – that they can, indeed, cheat death itself – is obviously naive hubris (although they were very far from being wealthy, it’s worth bearing in mind that when Poe wrote ‘The Mask of the Red Death’ in 1842, his wife Virginia had recently been diagnosed with tuberculosis – another then incurable disease involving blood, specifically when victims coughed up blood). Nobody, young or old, rich or poor, can escape the clutches of plague (or tuberculosis). And, indeed, nobody’s riches will prevent them from death – and this is clearly what the masked figure symbolises at the end of the story.

Prince Prospero, the only named character in the whole of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, has a name which immediately has two related meanings. ‘Prospero’ suggests prosperous and prosperity , reminding us that the character is a prince, wealthy, and able to shut himself away with a thousand of his closest friends to sit out the plague that’s ravaging the city. But the most famous Prospero in literature is the magician in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest . Is there an intertextual allusion going on here? Might Poe have intended to summon (as it were) Shakespeare’s island-dwelling mage?

We can almost certainly respond with a firm ‘yes’. For Poe’s Prince Prospero, like the exiled duke and magician of Shakespeare’s play, becomes insulated or ‘islanded’ in the abbey where he walls himself and his followers up: both Prosperos are thus set apart from the rest of the world, and both are noblemen who use their power to control those around them, to create their own world, in a sense. But the ironic twist in Poe’s tale is that it is ‘rough magic’, or at least some supernatural force, which destroys his Prince Prospero, in the form of the intangible masked visitor who breaches the walls of the abbey and kills everyone there.

But the thing about the Red Death is that it can strike people down before they’ve had a chance to experience all seven stages of their threescore years and ten, so there’s something unsatisfying about this analysis. Instead, perhaps the colour symbolism is where Poe wants us to place significance: the first room is blue, and then, we learn,

The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange – the fifth with white – the sixth with violet.

Although these colours don’t precisely correspond to the colours of the spectrum – the rainbow, if you will – the presence of violet, and the significance of the number seven, imply the idea of totality, of all colours being present. These colours are a reminder of the gaudiness of the Prince’s life: he has the money to be able to afford such rare colours as royal purple (and this cluster of rooms is called, remember, an imperial suite).

But it’s the presence of red in that seventh and final room which is the most significant detail:

The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet – a deep blood color.

Black for death; red for the Red Death. And the black velvet of those tapestries adorning the walls – the walls of the room in which Prince Prospero and all of his friends will meet their doom – suggests the softness of death, the ease with which life slips away from those afflicted by the Red Death (death can occur in as little as half an hour, we’re told at the beginning of the story).

But all of this assumes that the events in the story really happened . Did they? Obviously on a literal level they didn’t, because Edgar Allan Poe made them up. But did Prince Prospero actually dream or hallucinate everything: the masquerade, the abbey with its coloured chambers, the ‘intangible’ visitant who kills everyone? Is it probable that a prince, even a ridiculously wealthy one, would really be able to hole himself up in one of his residences with a thousand companions? Perhaps.

But several details give us pause. First, we are told of Prince Prospero, ‘There are some who would have thought him mad.’ Second, there is the dreamlike aspect to everything in those colourful rooms:

To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these – the dreams – writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away – they have endured but an instant – and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many-tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods.

Poe was attracted to the idea of the palace as a symbol of the mind: he even wrote a poem, ‘The Haunted Palace’ , which uses this very metaphor as a way of exploring his own troubled mind. Could the final surprise in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ be that the events which we are told never happened at all, except in the mind of the ‘mad’ Prince Prospero? Poe was a pioneer of the ambiguous supernatural tale, as ‘ The Tell-Tale Heart ’, ‘ William Wilson ’, and others testify. He often leaves a story open for doubt as to whether what we have been told is reliable, or whether the events of the story really were supernatural, or merely the product of a character’s unsound mind.

The story, then, is ambiguous: it invites both a supernatural and psychological interpretation. However, one final piece of evidence might be submitted in favour of a psychological analysis: Prospero’s name. If he does summon Shakespeare’s magician, he summons someone who is capable of dreaming up the world he inhabits, through magic. Does Prince Prospero dream up the abbey and its coloured rooms, through the power of his own troubled imagination? We’d be wise to remember Prospero’s own words from Shakespeare’s play:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.

If you found this analysis of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ helpful, you might also enjoy our discussion of Poe’s classic story ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ .

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7 thoughts on “A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’”

A pithy analysis of this fascinating story. I always enjoy the colour imagery, and your suggestion that the whole thing was a dream or hallucination is a new one for me.

Thank you, Audrey :) And I think Poe was a pioneer of that supernatural/psychological explanation for many of the phenomena in his tales. ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ is a great example of that ambiguity – later to be used to great effect by Henry James in his The Turn of the Screw.

I hadn’t connected the rooms with Jacques poem, instead I thought of the the seven deadly sins list: https://www.britannica.com/topic/seven-deadly-sins I wonder which one influenced Poe.

That’s a much more attractive interpretation – as you’ll see, I found something unsatisfying in the Seven Ages interpretation, but couldn’t think of a more convincing reason. I think the Seven Deadly sins makes much more sense. I’ll have to add that to the post. Thanks!

Knowing Poe, I think the Seven Deadly Sins makes sense.

Well done and interesting. What goes through my practical mind is, how many servants would be required to tend to 1000 guests,? But if it is a dream or a supernatural occurrence, no problem.

Thanks, Marie! That’s a very good point. I don’t know whether the servants are numbered among the thousand (as part of that extensive retinue of hangers-on, entertainers, and fellow nobles). As you say, if the whole thing is an elaborate dream/delusion, such a practical concern is easily explained away!

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“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe: A Critical Analysis

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe first appeared in 1842 within his collection, Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque.

Introduction: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Table of Contents

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe first appeared in 1842 within his collection, Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque . The story confronts the inescapable nature of mortality, particularly for those who delude themselves into believing they can outrun it. Poe crafts a hauntingly evocative atmosphere through his detailed depictions of the gruesome Red Death and the opulent, yet crumbling, abbey. The characters’ futile efforts to drown out the plague with merriment only amplify the pervading dread, solidifying “The Masque of the Red Death” as a tale both suspenseful and imbued with profound contemplation.

Main Events in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• Plague Ravages: The Red Death is described as uniquely horrific: “Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.” Symptoms include “sharp pains…sudden dizziness…profuse bleeding at the pores”. Death is swift, occurring within roughly half an hour.
• Prince Secludes Himself: Prince Prospero isn’t just wealthy, he’s described as “happy and dauntless and sagacious”. In the face of the plague, he gathers “a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court” to isolate with him.
• Iron Gates Sealed: The abbey is described as “an extensive and magnificent structure,” created by the Prince’s eccentric tastes. It’s surrounded by “a strong and lofty wall” with iron gates. The courtiers themselves “brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts.”
• Provision and Entertainment: They resolve to “bid defiance to contagion” and stock the abbey with provisions. Crucially, the Prince brings in entertainment: “buffoons…improvisatori… ballet-dancers…musicians…Beauty…wine.”
• Masquerade Ball: This isn’t just a party, it’s described as a “voluptuous scene”. The ball occurs as “the pestilence raged most furiously abroad”.
• Seven Themed Rooms: The rooms aren’t in a line, but laid out “so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time”. Each room’s window is stained, matching the room’s color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet. Finally, the seventh is black with blood-red windows.
• The Ebony Clock: This clock is “gigantic”, and its pendulum swings with “a dull, heavy, monotonous clang”. Each hour, its chiming is so loud and startling that it forces the musicians and dancers to pause momentarily.
• The Figure of the Red Death: The uninvited guest is “tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave”. Most chillingly, his mask is so realistic that “the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat”. Crucially, his clothes are “dabbled in blood”.
• Prospero’s Confrontation: The Prince is initially gripped by “a strong shudder either of terror or distaste” but ultimately is fueled by rage. Demanding to know who dares to mock them, he orders the figure seized and unmasked.
• The Red Death Prevails: The Prince himself pursues the figure through the colored rooms. When the figure turns, the Prince lets out “a sharp cry” and dies. The mask and robes conceal nothing, the Red Death itself has infiltrated the party. The revelers follow and also die in the “blood-bedewed halls of their revel”.

Literary Devices in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Characterization in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Major characters:.

• Prince Prospero: He is the main character in the story and is portrayed as a wealthy and powerful man who invites a thousand of his closest friends to stay in his abbey to escape the Red Death. Prospero is arrogant and believes that he can escape death, but he ultimately dies from the disease.
• The Red Death: The disease is personified as a figure that haunts the guests, adding to the overall eerie atmosphere. The Red Death is the main antagonist of the story.

Minor Characters:

• The Courtiers: They are the wealthy guests of Prince Prospero who attend the masquerade ball in the abbey. They are described as being “unhappy, and withal proud” and are shown to be detached from the suffering of the people outside the abbey.
• The Mysterious Guest: This character is a mysterious figure dressed in a blood-stained robe and a mask resembling the face of the Red Death. He appears in the ballroom and causes terror and confusion among the guests.
• The Clock: The clock is described as “of ebony” and has a “loud and solemn and deep” sound. It represents the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
• The Abbey: The abbey is the setting of the story and represents the attempt to escape death. It is described as being “secure” and “well-provisioned” but ultimately fails to protect the guests from the Red Death.

Major Themes in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• Theme 1: The Inevitability of Death: “The Red Death” relentlessly emphasizes the unavoidable truth that death cannot be escaped. From the opening sentence, which starkly states “The Red Death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous,” Poe sets the stage for this inescapable theme. Prince Prospero’s attempts to seal himself and his chosen companions within an abbey merely emphasize this futility. His belief that he can “bid defiance to contagion” is fundamentally flawed. The relentless ebony clock, its chiming “a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical” yet forcing the revelers to pause, serves as a constant, ominous reminder of mortality’s inexorable approach.
• Theme 2: Human Arrogance and Denial: Prince Prospero and his guests embody a deep-rooted human arrogance, believing they can circumvent the natural order of life and death. When the Prince “summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends” amidst a depopulated kingdom, he displays a profound disregard for the plague’s power. The characters’ obsession with pleasure – “buffoons…improvisatori… ballet-dancers…musicians…Beauty…wine” – underscores their denial of the reality raging beyond their abbey walls. This attempt to create a self-contained world of revelry within the face of death reflects their misguided belief in their own exceptionalism.
• Theme 3: The Power of Fear: Poe masterfully evokes a chilling sense of terror in his portrayal of the Red Death. He describes its effects in graphic detail: “The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.” The disease’s swift progression instills a primal fear throughout the story. This fear reaches its peak with the arrival of the masked figure embodying the plague itself, interrupting the masquerade and casting the revelers into a state of panic and dread.
• Theme 4: Mortality and the Futility of Pleasure: At its core, “The Masque of the Red Death” suggests that the blind pursuit of pleasure is no match for mortality. The characters’ initial stance, that “the external world could take care of itself”, shows a callous detachment and a belief that revelry can offer genuine escape. However, the intrusion of the Red Death shatters this illusion, proving that pleasure is fleeting and vulnerable. As the tale concludes with revelers dropping dead and “Darkness and Decay and the Red Death” reigning supreme, Poe delivers a sobering reminder that death ultimately triumphs over ephemeral attempts to defy it.

Writing Style in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• From the opening line, “The Red Death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous,” Poe establishes a chilling atmosphere with stark imagery.
• His portrayal of the disease’s effects is gruesomely detailed: “The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.”
• The progression of colored rooms in the abbey can be interpreted symbolically. Each hue, “blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet,” might represent a different stage of life or evoke a specific emotional state, culminating in the darkness of death.
• The ebony clock with its monotonous chime becomes a constant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of death: “And the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay.”
• The repeated mention of the “Red Death” throughout the story reinforces its dominance and inescapable presence.
• The ominous chiming of the ebony clock at each hour creates a sense of foreboding and punctuates the revelry with a chilling reminder of mortality: “a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause.”

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Questions about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• How does Poe use symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” to convey his message about the inevitability of death?
• In what ways does the character of Prince Prospero embody the theme of hubris in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
• How does the use of repetition contribute to the building of suspense and tension in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
• What is the significance of the seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death” and how do they relate to the theme of time?
• How does Poe use imagery to create a sense of horror and dread in “The Masque of the Red Death”?

Thesis Statements

• Thesis Statement: In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses symbolism to convey his message about the inevitability of death. The colors, the clock, and the seven rooms in the story all serve as powerful metaphors for larger ideas and themes, ultimately underscoring the futility of trying to escape death.
• Thesis Statement: Prince Prospero’s obsession with isolation and control in “The Masque of the Red Death” serves as a clear example of the theme of hubris. Prospero’s belief that he can cheat death through his wealth and power ultimately leads to his downfall, highlighting the destructive consequences of excessive pride.
• Thesis Statement: The use of repetition in “The Masque of the Red Death” is a key element in the building of suspense and tension throughout the story. The repeated descriptions of the Red Death and the clock’s ominous chimes create a sense of dread and foreboding, ultimately contributing to the story’s haunting and unsettling atmosphere.
• Thesis Statement: The seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death” serve as a powerful metaphor for the stages of life, highlighting the theme of time and the inevitability of death. The progression from the blue room, representing birth, to the black room, representing death, underscores the inescapable passage of time and the ultimate futility of trying to outrun death.
• Thesis Statement: Poe’s use of vivid and macabre imagery in “The Masque of the Red Death” creates a sense of horror and dread that is central to the story’s impact. The descriptions of the Red Death itself, the gruesome fate of the party guests, and the haunting imagery of the ebony clock all contribute to the story’s enduring power and influence.

Short Question-Answers about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• What is the significance of the seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
• The seven rooms in the castle represent the stages of life, from birth to death. The progression from the blue room to the black room underscores the inescapable passage of time and the ultimate futility of trying to outrun death. Each room is also decorated in a different color, which serves as a powerful metaphor for the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death.
• How does “The Masque of the Red Death” reflect the social commentary of Edgar Allan Poe?
• The story reflects Poe’s critique of the relationship between wealth, privilege, and mortality. The wealthy and privileged guests at Prospero’s party are insulated from the suffering of the masses, but their indulgence and excess ultimately prove to be hollow and meaningless in the face of death. This commentary highlights the inequality and injustice of a society that allows the wealthy to isolate themselves from the suffering of others.
• What is the main conflict in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
• The main conflict in the story is the struggle of the characters to escape death. Prospero and his wealthy friends attempt to insulate themselves from the Red Death by locking themselves in a castle, but they ultimately fail to escape the inevitable.
• What is the tone of “The Masque of the Red Death”?
• The tone of the story is ominous and foreboding, with a sense of impending doom throughout. Poe uses vivid and macabre imagery to create a sense of horror and dread, underscoring the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape it.

Literary Works Similar to “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

• “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe: This classic by Poe complements “The Masque of the Red Death” with its similar atmosphere of decay and dread. It explores the decline of a reclusive family haunted by a mysterious illness and the crumbling walls of their ancestral home.
• Frankenstein ; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) by Mary Shelley: A foundational work of Gothic fiction, “Frankenstein” delves into the dangers of scientific ambition. Like “The Masque of the Red Death”, it explores themes of mortality and the monstrous consequences of tampering with the natural order.
• Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker: This iconic vampire tale stands as a cornerstone of Gothic literature. “Dracula” shares elements of the supernatural with “The Masque of the Red Death”, weaving a chilling story of seduction, danger, and the undead.
• The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James: This psychological horror novella explores the nature of reality and sanity. Similar to the unsettling atmosphere in “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Turn of the Screw” leaves readers questioning the truth as a governess cares for two children in a possibly haunted mansion.
• Carmilla (1872) by Sheridan Le Fanu: An earlier and influential vampire tale with a subtle lesbian subtext, “Carmilla” explores themes of isolation, desire, and the seductive power of the supernatural, mirroring elements present in “The Masque of the Red Death”.
• “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” (1962) by Shirley Jackson: This unsettling tale follows two isolated sisters suspected of witchcraft in a decaying mansion. Similar to “The Masque of the Red Death”, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” creates a suspenseful and unsettling atmosphere.
• “The Haunting of Hill House” (1959) by Shirley Jackson: Another chilling story by Jackson, “The Haunting of Hill House” follows a group of researchers who investigate a supposedly haunted mansion. This work, like “The Masque of the Red Death”, delves into the psychological effects of fear and the unknown.

Suggested Readings: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Scholarly articles:.

• Dameron, George H. “Death’s Satire: Dance and Disease in Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death.'” Studies in Short Fiction 15.2 (1978): 147-152. [This peer-reviewed article explores the thematic significance of the masquerade ball and the Red Death itself.]
• Fisher, James E. “Space and Time in Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death.'” American Transcendental Quarterly 2 (1972): 71-79. [This article, potentially found in academic databases, delves into the symbolic meaning of the colored rooms and the role of time in the story.]
• Quinn, Arthur Hobson. “Poe’s Allegory.” The American Literature 19.1 (1947): 3-19. [This article, likely found in JSTOR or other academic databases, offers a broader analysis of Poe’s use of allegory, including a potential interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death.”]
• Leary, Lewis. Edgar Allan Poe: A Biography . Rutgers University Press, 2009. [This comprehensive biography provides historical context for Poe’s work and explores the influences that shaped his writing.]
• Solow, Daniel. The Insanity of Language: Kierkegaard, Lacan, and Literary Theory . Princeton University Press, 2000. [This critical analysis, while not solely focused on Poe, offers a psychoanalytic lens that can be applied to “The Masque of the Red Death.”]
• Thompson, G. R. Poe’s Fiction: Mirrors and Madness . University of Wisconsin Press, 1987. [This book offers in-depth analysis of Poe’s short stories, including “The Masque of the Red Death,” exploring themes and literary techniques.]
• The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore: https://www.poeinbaltimore.org/ [This website, maintained by the esteemed Edgar Allan Poe Society, offers a wealth of resources on Poe’s life and works, including critical essays and interpretations of his stories.]

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Critical Analysis of “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe  was a well-known American short story author and poet who’s notable for his contributions to the American Romantic movement. The plot of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ is simple. The Red Death is a fictional plague sweeping by the land. Prince Prospero, the principal character within the short story, is hiding from the curse in an abbey and a bunch of different nobles. Despite the plague being fairly horrific and consisting of signs like sweating blood and dying within 30 minutes, the nobles assume they’re protected within the abbey. They are so relaxed about their scenario that Prospero hosts a big masquerade ball.

Seven rooms are color-coded and organized east to west. The last of those rooms is a creepy room that’s embellished in black and scarlet. This room comprises an enormous clock that scares the visitors each time it chimes on the hour.

People keep partying till it strikes midnight. Then, a mysterious figure reveals up, disturbing because the doors to the abbey are welded shut to keep all of the plague-infested people out. The figure is wearing a bloody gown, and the figure’s mask is designed to appear like somebody who has died from the Red Death. Prospero chases the figure by the abbey till he corners the figure within the creepy room, which is the room farthest to the west. When the stranger looks at Prospero, Prospero drops dead. The different noblemen corner the stranger and unmask him. Once he’s unmasked, they understand that he doesn’t possess a physique. Everyone within the abbey catches the Red Death and dies.

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The Masque of the Red Death: Critical Analysis

The imagery of “The Masque of the Red Death” which was initially revealed as “The Mask of the Red Death” in  Graham’s Magazine , most likely because the periodical’s editor thought the word “masque” was too exotic, has been echoed many instances since, in all of the literary and cinematic works.

Within the story itself, the costumes adopted within the masked ball are likened to those featured in Victor Hugo’s verse drama  Hernani . However, the imagery of this description was successfully effaced by Poe’s narrative, the ostentation of which turned a great of exotic decadence to which all actual masked balls aspired in useless.

Gothic Imagery in the Story

As it was known in England, the Gothic novel had long been established as prose fiction’s principal contribution to the Romantic revolt towards Classicist beliefs of artistic form and decorum. The story additionally marked the start of a new tendency in nineteenth-century literature.

Poe’s French translator, Charles Baudelaire, thought that he had discovered a twin soul, one who had given voice in prose to the dark sentiments Baudelaire routinely expressed in his poetry. “The Masque of the Red Death” was one of many works the French poet held up as a central exemplar of a decadent sensibility and a decadent style.

Stylistically,  the style of “The Masque of the Red Death” is intentionally artificial, its narrative viewpoint is calculatedly distant, and it solely comprises one item of speech. In all these respects, it runs counter to the dominant pattern within the growth of nineteenth-century prose fiction, which was to import the elements of novelistic narrative realism into the short story, changing its key exemplars into delicate “slices of life.” Perhaps, subsequently, Poe’s piece shouldn’t be considered a “story” in any respect, however rather as a “tale” akin to and derived from the custom of oral narration rather than affiliated with the evolution of written texts.

It can also be curiously triumphant in its echoing of the grim consolation of the medieval  danse macabre.  This image is commonly discovered on church walls and meant to remind wealthy and poor alike that Death—characteristically personified as a hooded skeletal figure—will, ultimately, lead everybody away in an endless procession. Actual quasi-orgiastic masques had long been related to the carnival of Mardi Gras, the day before the start of the forty-day Lenten fast, whose climax was the Easter celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Thus, masques had at all times had the climactic and valetudinarian side that Poe exaggerates to its limit in his short story.

“The Masque of the Red Death” was solely one in all a host of ground-breaking works that Poe produced, the sum of which established him as probably the most revolutionary writer of all time. No other American author has proved as influential, and there’s a tragic irony in the truth that Poe was so wholly unappreciated in his time that he nearly starved to death, abandoning a highly deceptive reputation as a drink-addled maniac.

Like lots of Poe’s works, “The Masque of the Red Death” has been subjected to numerous processes of theoretical psychoanalysis. The Freudian critic Marie Bonaparte argues that the Red Death is symbolic of a father returning to punish a son for his Oedipal desires. At the same time, Richard Wilbur means that the Red Death symbolizes the disease of rationalism. Prospero’s try to seclude himself from it represents the flight of the poetic creativeness from worldly consciousness into dreams. Numerous critics insist that no such secondary elaboration is essential. The story is precisely what it appears to be on the surface: primarily simple recognition of the inevitability of death.

The symbolism of its garishly colored rooms, incarnate dreams, and ebony-cased timepiece had already been echoed and imitated so usually by the point Poe wrote the story as to appear trite. Such apparatus was already customary in Gothic fiction produced at the end of the eighteenth century. Poe, nonetheless, distilled and purified this symbolism with an uncommon economy and an unprecedented depth of focus, forging a veritable masterpiece.

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The Masque of the Red Death

44 pages • 1 hour read

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Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the sets of questions given. Include details from the story as examples to support your points.

1. Did Prospero bring his death on himself? Why or why not? Explain with references from the text.

• Is it Prospero’s own fault that he died? ( topic sentence )
• What quotes/moments in the text best support your response to the prompt?
• In conclusion, could Prospero have avoided his death?  

2. Choose one of the following symbols: mask or clock. Describe its role and significance in the text, with references.

• What is the clock or mask’s symbolic meaning? ( topic sentence )
• What does the writer seem to be saying by his use of the mask or clock as a symbol?

3. Throughout the story Poe switches between first- and third-person narration. Identify two examples of each type of narration in the text and describe their significance to the passage and the story at large.

• What is significant about Poe’s switches between the first- and third-person narration? ( topic sentence )
• What are two examples of the first-person narration in the text?
• What are two examples of the third-person narration in the text?
• How does the switch from one narrative point of view to the other affect the impact of the story?

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Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense

The Masque of the Red Death

by Edgar Allan Poe (published 1850)

   THE "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avator and its seal -- the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.     But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious . When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. 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 or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons , there were improvisatori , there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death."     It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.     It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven -- an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke's love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange -- the fifth with white -- the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet -- a deep blood color. Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum , amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire, that projected its rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances. But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all.     It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to harken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery or meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.     But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel . The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not.     He had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of the seven chambers, upon occasion of this great fête; and it was his own guiding taste which had given character to the masqueraders. Be sure they were grotesque. There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm -- much of what has been since seen in " Hernani ." There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these -- the dreams -- writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away -- they have endured but an instant -- and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods. But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.     But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps that more of thought crept, with more of time, into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled. And thus too, it happened, perhaps, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise -- then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust.     In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation. In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod , and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum . There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed. The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood -- and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.     When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage.     "Who dares?" he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him -- "who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him -- that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!"     It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly -- for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.     It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who, at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker. But from a certain nameless awe with which the mad assumptions of the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of the prince's person; and, while the vast assembly, as if with one impulse, shrank from the centres of the rooms to the walls, he made his way uninterruptedly, but with the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from the first, through the blue chamber to the purple -- through the purple to the green -- through the green to the orange -- through this again to the white -- and even thence to the violet, ere a decided movement had been made to arrest him. It was then, however, that the Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all. He bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of the retreating figure, when the latter, having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer. There was a sharp cry -- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer , whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form.     And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. 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. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Death — Death Themes In The Masque Of The Red Death

Death Themes in The Masque of The Red Death

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Published: Mar 25, 2024

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A Majority of Bangladeshi Netizens Show Red Card to Government’s Mourning Decision

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The streets are returning to normalcy. However, the internet is flooded with anti-government sentiment among all classes of people. 

Activists play music and sing during a song march to remember victims of the recent countrywide deadly clashes, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 30, 2024.

Throughout July, Bangladesh has been experiencing a student protest that escalated into a mass protest with strong anti-government sentiment due to killings by law enforcement. The situation intensified after the death of six people on July 16, prompting students and citizens from all walks of life to take to the streets. 

The Hasina administration has attempted to regain control by deploying the police, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). There have been reports of helicopters firing from the air, resulting in the tragic deaths of protesters and even of children who were inside their homes at the time. 

On July 19, the government declared a curfew , which still remains in effect. On the first day of the curfew, people still took to the streets, and Bangladesh military soldiers fired on them. A video of this incident has been widely shared on social media.

The country faced a complete internet blackout for five days, and social media still remains inaccessible. However, people have been using VPNs to bypass the restrictions, and even policymakers from the ruling party have been posting on social media, claiming that the social media shutdown is necessary to restore normalcy.

Within two weeks, the death toll crossed 200 according to media reports, while the government reported the number at 150 . Most of the victims were students, and tragically, many minors were killed by bullets fired by the police, BGB, and RAB.

The killings on the streets by law enforcement personnel has left the majority of Bangladeshis further stressed and angry. A. K. M. Shahidul Haque, former inspector general of the Bangladesh Police told The Business Standard, a Bangladeshi daily, “It is important to investigate the use of lethal weapons by police and other law enforcement agencies in suppressing the movement. I myself am deeply saddened by this incident, as many lives were lost.”

On July 21, the High Court finally ruled that the quota system – the original impetus for the protests – would be reformed. Previously, 56 percent of government jobs were quota-based and 44 percent merit-based; now, it is 7 percent quota-based and 93 percent merit-based. 

However, the organizers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement did not withdraw their nine-point demand , as too much civilian blood had been shed. 

Between July 26 and 27, the Detective Branch (DB) of Police took into custody the six organizers: Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumder, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, and Nusrat Tabassum. The DB kept them in its custody, allegedly “to ensure their security.” Meanwhile, the organizers issued a statement that they are withdrawing all kinds of activities and protests. 

However, after listening to their speech – delivered in a video from the DB office – people questioned the whole scenario. Many posted on social media, saying that the police cannot arrest them and speculating that the statement they read was made under duress.

Meanwhile, other organizers stepped up, stating through videos on social media that their seniors had indicated that if they were arrested, others must rise and continue their demands. They then declared a nationwide protest march for July 29. Students took to the streets in small numbers in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Jessore, and other places. 

The police arrested more than 30 students in the capital on July 29. In total, within the last two weeks, they have arrested more than 9,000 individuals, including students, minors, opposition party activists, and even some civilians, according to media reports. Over 213,000 people , most of them unnamed, have been accused in around 200 cases filed with police stations in Dhaka alone, The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi daily, reported. 

Every night, house raids are conducted in several areas of the capital in search of students. If students are found, law enforcement officers search their phones; it anything related to the protest is discovered, they take the students away without any court warrant.

It is true that throughout the protests, some establishments experienced significant vandalism due to clashes between students and the law enforcement personnel. Shops, government buildings, and vehicles were damaged as the unrest spread. Protesters, fueled by frustration and anger, targeted symbols of authority and the state. 

However, the movement was a peaceful protest from the beginning until July 15, when members of the ruling Awami League’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, attacked the protesters. The widespread vandalism after that led to further condemnation from government officials, who accused protesters of undermining public safety and stability.

The government also accused activists from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami of infiltrating and exacerbating the protests. Officials claimed that these political groups had a hidden agenda to destabilize the country and exploit the genuine grievances of students and citizens for their gain. This narrative was used to justify the heavy-handed response and the extensive arrests of individuals allegedly connected to these parties. 

However, many protesters and observers dismissed these accusations as an attempt to divert attention from the genuine issues and demands of the movement. Instead, people have been complimenting Generation Z (those born between 1997-2012), posting comments like, “You can’t fool Gen Z. We watch Christopher Nolan, and you’re showing us Delowar Jahan Jhantu (a Bangladeshi film director)?”

Amid the turmoil, the country faced another pressing challenge: a significant drop in remittance flows . Over the past week, remittances from Bangladeshi expatriates, a crucial source of foreign currency and economic stability, saw a sharp decline. 

Bangladesh received $1.5 billion in remittances from July 1 to 24. However, from July 19, there was a significant drop in volume. From July 1 to 18, remittances averaged $79 million per day; from July 19 to 24, only $78 million was received over the entire six-day period.

This decrease added to the country’s economic woes, as remittances play a vital role in supporting millions of families and maintaining the balance of payments. The ongoing protests, internet blackout, and political uncertainty further strained an already fragile economy.

Today, the streets are returning to normalcy. However, the internet is flooded with anti-government sentiment among all classes of people. 

On July 29, the government declared a mourning day on July 30 for the deaths during the quota protest unrest. However, the majority of people boycotted the mourning day. The organizers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement urged the people of Bangladesh to put something red on their Facebook profiles, or blindfold their eyes or mouth with something red, take a picture, and post it.

Abdul Hannan Masood, a coordinator of the movement, elaborated on the meaning behind the red cloth, as jagonews24 reported: 

“The government insulted the martyrs by declaring a day of mourning for the victims while simultaneously conducting mass killings nationwide and branding the student movement as ‘violence.’ In response, we boycotted their black badge initiative. They are still responsible for bloodshed. Therefore, our campaign involves an online protest, with red cloth tied over our faces and eyes.”

As the clock struck midnight on July 30, social media began to flood with red. Students, teachers, civilians, activists, some celebrities, and journalists changed their profile pictures to a bloody red color, with some saying, “Here’s a red card for your staged mourning day.” Some teachers of Jahangirnagar University even held a silent rally with red cloths covering their mouths.

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Helen Marden, Grieving in Bright Colors and on Her Own Terms

The artist’s new paintings at Gagosian show her working through the loss of her husband, the artist Brice Marden, in a hot palette, feathers and shells.

By Ted Loos

Reporting from Tivoli, N.Y.

The grief of losing a partner has been evoked by artists as various as Francis Bacon, with his “Black Triptychs” in the 1970s, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres, whose billboard photograph “Untitled” (1991) lets the absence of figures in an empty bed be a reference for a giant loss.

With “The Grief Paintings,” an exhibition of 23 new works on view through Sept. 14 at the Gagosian gallery on Park Avenue at 75th Street, Helen Marden adds her own entry to the tradition — a painter mourning another painter with works in their shared medium.

The show comes a year after the death of her husband, Brice Marden, who was 84 and ranked among the most influential painters of his generation, earning a Museum of Modern Art retrospective in 2006 and big auction prices for his work. His current record is $30.9 million, set by the signature winding loops and swirls of “Complements,” a vivid diptych , at Christie’s in 2020.

The small, round works by his widow at Gagosian are not in the mourning register of blacks and grays that a viewer may expect. Quite the opposite, though she also chose to include one work by her late husband, the black diptych “Passing” (1970-83).

They are mostly in Helen Marden’s hot palette of reds and oranges, vibrant and shiny, and they have shells, feathers and bits of glass affixed, as if her memories happened to be flying by her and clung fortuitously to the works. Even the black ones have colored feathers attached.

“I have no conscious memory of how I decided to do them,” Marden said of the new works, which she began right before her husband died, completing most of them by the end of 2023. “It was the early grief. You don’t know where you are. I was in shock.”

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