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Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

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Isabelle Gray Ms. Crain English 09 7 March 2024 All Must Pay the Debt of Death All of society pays the price of death, but it is up to the individual how one fulfills their time. Edgar Allen Poe, author of “The Masque of the Red Death,” communicates this lesson through the characters and choices made throughout the short story. This story took place during the Middle Ages during a depression. Prince Prospero, a dauntless and wealthy king, invited all the courtiers to an extravagant masquerade ball containing all things pleasurable. Although half of his kingdom had perished from a deadly plague called the Red Death, the Prince had no fear since he had all the protection and entertainment wealth could buy. This ball filled the people with enjoyment …show more content…

In the short story, “The Masquerade of the Red Death,” Poe uses the significance of the Masquerade ball to portray the theme. The author describes the masquerade as a magnificent and joyful time so the reader can see its symbolic representation that reoccurs throughout the story. It shows the hidden use of a ball to bring pleasure during distress. Poe writes, “But the echoes of the chime die away, they have endured but instant, and a light half subdued laughter floats after them as they depart, and now again, the music swells in the dreams live, and where the to and fro more merrily than ever take hue from the many tinted windows, through which stream the rays from the tripods” (Poe 86). Half the kingdom's population has perished from the spread of the Red Death. Time is continuously passing, inching closer to the end of the hall. The kingdom members fear the fate of death and try to discard the taunting remembrance of their true fate by partaking in a pleasurable activity created by the Prince with his wealth and dauntless personality. The dancing, drinks, friendly discussions, and fancy decor and costumes distract them from their unfortunate …show more content…

Those colors and their meanings help show the theme and message of that room. This quote shows the significance of the alignment of rooms in the Prince's castle by showing how these resemble the phases of life. This quote goes along with the theme along with the allegory by showing how the alignment of the rooms resembles the phases of life. Also how Prince Prospero’s wealth could not save him from this phase of life as the Prince meets his fate with the Red Death killing him. In the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by author Edgar Allen Poe, Poe's writing demonstrates the main character, Prince Prospero, as the wisest, wealthiest, and most important of all. The Prince is a perfect example of how no amount of wealth and distraction can save a person from the fate of death. The Prince fit his description of wealthy and dauntless, as the Prince held a ball during the time of a severe crisis, killing half of the Prince s beloved kingdom. The passage in the short story says, “In the meantime, it was folly to grieve or to think the prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. They were a buffoon. They were improvising a

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