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Compare The 7 Deadly Sins In The Masque Of The Red Death

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The Seven Deadly Sins & the “Masque of the Red Death”
The “Masque of the Red Death” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1842. There are various underlying messages within the story. The question is, did Edgar Allan Poe imply the similarities of the Seven Deadly Sins, in his short novelty “Masque of the Red Death”? It is stated that Poe, dislikes didacticism and allegory, but believed literature should have an undercurrent under the story, to be a proper literature piece. Perhaps illustrating the Seven Deadly Sins was his under current for “Masque of the Red Death.”
The nature of this almost ornate story is indicated by the fact that the only named character is Prince Prospero. The irony in the Prince’s name is evident, …show more content…

Pride matches the Prince’s extravagant actions, and opulent palace. Prospero also believes he is above death, building a castle to avoid an epidemic, for only him and his wealthy acquaintances. The prince tries to provoke the second sin, envy, by making his guests envious with his palace and provoke jealousy. Welding the castle was utterly selfish, considering he didn’t think of the individuals that he didn’t invite to avoid the Red Death. The era in which Poe wrote prohibited the explicit or implicit description of sex. There were also arabesque dancers, and harlots at the ball. Although it is apparent Prince Prospero shares his wealth with a thousand guests, he helps those who need it least and withholds his substance from those in need, which is greedy. Sloth is the absence of work, and the is extremely apparent, since the Prince is constantly partaking in festivities. At the end of the story, the Prince becomes extremely angry at the man who interrupts his party. The individual's mask insulted the Prince, in a result he thwarted his dagger towards him, only to fall to his

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The Masque of the Red Death has a lot of symbolism that has to do with the circle of life- such as the different colors of the seven rooms each meaning one stage of life. The stages of life obviously have relations to death, possibly even being centered around it. The thought is just so artistically

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1117 Words | 5 Pages

Prince Prospero tried to escape fate, but he failed to do

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708 Words | 3 Pages

It is clear that all of the symbols included in the story contribute to the allegory “The Masque of the Red Death”, which contains a lesson that applies to all people and teaches the reader to recognize other people’s problems, even if they do not affect the reader

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The seven deadly sins have a major contribution to the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Abigail Williams is a girl who started blaming witchcraft on innocent people, and had the court fooled so they would not think she was lying. John Proctor is the man who had an affair with Abby, and he was also the one who tried to stop the witchcraft trials by saying they were fake. Mr. Putnam is a man who likes to get his way, and always wants more land.

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819 Words | 4 Pages

Poe is often known for his dark, sometimes twisted short stories and poems. “The Masque of the Red Death” is no exception. In this short story, Poe creates and eerie and ominous mood by using a wide variety of literary techniques including imagery, diction, and syntax. Poe’s use of imagery contributes to the dark and mysterious mood of the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” In the first paragraph, a sense of darkness is conveyed in the sentence, “There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers.”

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987 Words | 4 Pages

In addition to Caliban, Prospero's yearning for vengeance also creates internal issues for himself. After Ferdinand and Miranda announce their marriage, Prospero claims his "rejoicing / At nothing can be more," because he must "perform / Much business appertaining," (Shakespeare, 95-99). Usually, a father focuses more on his daughter getting married, however Prospero can only focus on his plans for vengeance. Some believe that the characters internal struggles were caused by the wrongdoers, and not a lack of forgiveness; however, at the end of the play, after Prospero becomes a more virtuous character, his conflicts with his brother and Caliban are resolved, clearly showing that their focus on vengeance is what caused the internal struggles.

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The prince sees the lives of his friends more important than other lives in the kingdom. From the text, the friends are "light-hearted," which refers to people who never really care much about others. Prospero never wants to rescue some of his friends who could question him on his inhumane acts. His “magnificent revel” also attests to his selfishness. It is unfortunate that Prospero was celebrating in the palace rather than mourning for his ordinary citizens who are dying from the Red Death (Roth 52).

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His actions throughout the play reveal that he’s self-centred and selfish. However, in the last act, Prospero reflects on the detrimental effects of revenge and comes to the realisation that it is healthier to forgive than to hurt. "Prospero - The rarer action is/In virtue than in vengeance." An oxymoron is embedded while breaking the fourth wall, to encourage the audience to consider the complexities of revenge and forgiveness. This is significant to Prospero's character development as well as the audience's since it assists them in furthering their comprehension of the world, themselves and

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1009 Words | 5 Pages

There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet dancers, there were musicians, there was beauty, there was wine…without was the “Red Death” (Poe 1)”. One could make a connection from the Tortilla Curtain and The Masque of the Red Death, and the illegal immigrants and the “Red Death”. While the wealthy can lock themselves away from all the nastiness and ugliness of the world, the poor suffer and try to find ways to survive. the connections between humanity and animality can be seen early on in the novel, as

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Prospero, continues to represent himself full of betrayal to whom he acts upon. “For I am the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own king, and here you sty me” (524). Therefor, Caliban has allowed a clear view that his hopes were taken away from him to become a slave. Additionally, Prospero makes Ariel into a servant in the sense he will be answering to Prospero’s calls and wishes to reach his power. Ariel states, “Remember, I have done thee worthy service, told thee no lies, made thee no mistakings, served without grudge or grumblings” (522).

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813 Words | 4 Pages

The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are pride, lust, envy, wrath, gluttony, sloth and avarice. The seven deadly sins are a grouping and classification of Catholic vices. These sins are often thought to be abused or excessive versions of one’s natural faculties or passion. Now even though these sins are not directly listed in the Bible, many believers still count them as the sins you must avoid or sins that the Lord hates or disapproves.

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655 Words | 3 Pages

By inviting them to stay in his little and old cabin, Prospero shows them the conditions that he had to live in and he gives them a chance to reflect upon themselves the actions they have committed. Sometimes when push comes to shove, a person must have a taste of their own medicine to see the wrongs they have

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1101 Words | 5 Pages

“the’ occasion speaks thee, and My strong imagination sees a crown Dropping upon thy head” (act2,sc1, lines 229-231) Since every action committed by Prospero, he sees a closer opportunity to make sure he has a chance for the crown. Prospero is relatable to Macbeth, since Macbeth had no chance to be able to reign, yet Macbeth’s actions cleared his path in order to reign. In Prospero’s case he's playing a game where he can only win or lose since he’s manipulating everyone in the island. Distracting Ferdinand with Miranda, he’s one step closer to the crown and his revenge. Being blinded by Miranda’s love and happiness, Prospero weakens and determines his goal

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918 Words | 4 Pages

The entire short story can be envisioned as a scary dream. Poe sets the tone of the story in the very beginning, stating, “The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal- the redness and the horror of blood,” (Poe 3). This sets an emphatically dark and horrific tone for the reader, which carries into the plot of the story.

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480 Words | 2 Pages

Dante’s Inferno details the long journey of Dante and Virgil, throughout the bowels of Hell, or the Inferno. Dante’s Inferno is organized into nine different levels, each distributing a different and awful punishment to every different sin. The main sins include the seven deadly sins, “Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Greed, Pride, Gluttony, Envy”, he also included “Treachery” and “Violence”. The three sins that I believe fit their sins would be “Wrath/Sulleness”, “Greed” and “Gluttony”.

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