Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” if ever filmed would no doubt have Vincent Price raise from the dead just to star in it--ironic for a story dedicated to educate it’s audience about pride, sicknesses and the inevitability of death itself. The thrilling and jaw-dropping story will no doubt leave all of us readers hooked on its multiple lessons of life, death and whatever else in between. Who would have thought to mix a ravaging disease, a fortified castle and a prideful prince to ultimately have one of the most exhilarating short story ever written in the gothic literature.

In a country depopulated and devastated by a strong and fatal epidemic lives a prince by the name Prospero --which translated from latin means Fortunate--.

The various rooms of different colour and the setting has a deeper meaning then we make them out to be. When seen at another perspective the entirety of the colours change. Poe intelligently inserted the representative colours of the seven deadly sins. Once we notice though, we see the characters in a whole new light. The blue represent sloth or laziness; the purple is lust; green means envy; orange symbolises gluttony; the white is greed ; Violet is pride and the seventh and final room, decorated in red and black refers to the sin of wrath punishable in hell by dismemberment. Since the beginning we knew of Prospero’s rich friends, and these sins are often related to people of higher stature and richer status. Is this Poe’s way of criticizing the old system? Is he trying to expose all the the corruption? We can’t tell for

In the end, everyone perished in the seventh room leaving darkness, decay and death to reign above all. (Poe,1) (Poe 3)

Edgar Allan Poe has a way of intertwining his stories and connecting his characters in such a way even we as the readers feel deeply involved in the plot. In one of his later released stories titled “The Cask of Amontillado”, one of the characters--Fortunado-- is a fool. Him and the prince Prospero have much in common. They are both naive and prideful and those are exactly what gets the killed. While in “The Cask of Amontillado” a full festival of colours and happiness in and airy and open air environment this story is the opposite. it’s a celebration enclosed and away from the outside air.

“The Masque of the Red Death” is the Louis XIV of the gothic literature. It focuses on man’s futile attempt to use materialistic things and great fortunes to escape death, only to prolong it’s dominion. Poe’s writing style is complex and a giant enigma waiting to be solve by those who dare to think outside the box. Keep in mind, that the clock is ticking and with Poe, nothing is truly as it