Masque Of The Red Death Prospero Character Traits

Edgar Allan Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" is a haunting tale that delves into the themes of mortality and the futile attempt to escape it. In this story, Prince Prospero is depicted as a wealthy and powerful man who seeks to avoid the ravages of the deadly Red Death by secluding himself in his abbey along with a select group of wealthy friends. However, despite his wealth and power, Prospero's actions reveal certain personality traits contributing to his downfall. Through a close analysis of the textual clues, this essay will explore Prospero’s personality and identify his defining character traits.
It is clear from the start of the novel that Prospero is a guy who puts his comfort and pleasure above anything else. He has no problem isolating

He dominates his visitors and uses them as mere playing pieces in his games of pleasure. He enjoys making his visitors feel inferior and takes great pride in his superiority. This is evident in how he embellishes his quarters to impress and frighten his visitors. He also decides to outfit himself in a costume intended to inspire awe and horror in his visitors. His dominant and haughty personality feature eventually plays a role in his demise since it prevents him from seeing the truth of the situation outside of his cloister(Poe 80). Prospero's hubris is further shown by his conviction that he has dominion over natural forces. To shield himself from the Red Plague ravaging the countryside, he tries to close off the outside world and keep his visitors and himself confined within his abbey. However, his efforts to manage the issue are ineffective since the Red Death finally infiltrates his castle and kills all his

This anxiety causes him to seclude himself in his monastery in order to avoid the certainty of dying. His dread, however, proves to be his downfall, as it blinds him to the notion that death is an unavoidable reality. His attempts to evade death are unsuccessful, and his final fate demonstrates the futility of attempting to outrun mortality. Nevertheless, Prospero's dread of death extends to his visitors and himself. He is obsessed with having complete control over their time at his monastery, including what they eat, drink, and do. This urge for control arises from his worry that one of his visitors may be infected with the terrible Red Death, resulting in their death and, eventually, his own. This concern with control reflects Prospero's dread of death and his lack of faith in