The Use Of Irony In The Masque Of The Red Death

Scholars are undecided as to whether Poe’s story, “The Masque of the Red Death ''Death”, should be considered an allegory or satire, and if so, what exactly for. This story should be read as an allegory, a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political time. “The Masque of the Red Death '' isDeath” is a short story that tells the story of a prince who tries to avoid a plague, the Red Death, by locking himself and his friends in a castle. The castle, the story’s setting, consists of seven symbolically colored rooms. After six months in seclusion, the prince throws a masquerade ball for his guest, but as the night continues a mysterious figure resembling the Red Death appears and begins

For example, “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.” This citation describes the appearance of the mysterious figure that is a resemblance of the Red Death. This is an allegorical representation of the death itself, therefore it represents the Black PlaguePlauge of the thirteen hundreds. Furthermore, another symbolic meaning is the prince, the protagonist and he represents wealth because he is a nobleman that he gives into his castle with his friends and to try to avoid the deadly Red Death that is killing the people. In the text it states, “The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the counties might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself.” This demonstrates that the prince and his guest are trying to escape the Red Death, and are provided luxury. This is allegorical because the prince represents wealth and is trying to keep himself safe, and his