Laviano 1 Anthony Laviano Oct/28/14 English Comp 1 Essay 3 The Masque of the Red Death Each and every day we make choices; however sometimes these choices can be good and sometimes they can be bad. The consequences of our choices are sometimes irreversible. After carefully reading and analyzing “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe, it is clear that there is a meaning behind the short story. As humans we arent perfect, we make bad decisions sometimes getting caught up in things we shouldn't be, such as greed, pride, lust, and much more. Poe uses the seven rooms in the story to demonstrate the seven deadly sins. Poe does a fantastic job in delivering the subliminal messages of the seven deadly since that Prince Prospero commits. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Poe demonstrates the importance of your choices through symbolism and foreshadow. “When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light­hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys” (Poe 2). at the very beginning when Prince Prospero decides to cut off his kingdom this is when It starts to go downhill for him. It might seem like everything is going perfectly fine for the prince but his first decision is the worst. The tone of the story at this point it calm. Nothing is really going on, there is a plague but the prince is safe and ready to throw a party. Also at the beginning of the story the setting is Laviano 2 established and this is when visual imagery really comes into effect. Poe gives a descriptive details of all of the rooms throughout the house. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue ­­and vividly blue were its windows (Poe 4) . Poe tries to make the reader really comprehend how luxurious the ball is that Prince Prospero is putting on for his friends and other high officials. As the story moves along Prince Prospero becomes consumed by his own lavish lifestyle. This is when the seven rooms and symbolism come into the story. This story can be interpreted many different ways. I believe Poe had a meaning behind this story and that it was to represent the seven deadly sins. Prince Prospero maybe didn't know what sins he was committing but when the story concludes it is evident why he dies. Ultimately Prince Prospero kills himself because of his choices. He becomes too selfish and gets himself caught up in lust,gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Each and every room in the house can represent a different sin and he is the only one who commits every sin. Everyone hangs out and parties in a different room but nobody goes into the seventh. They only one who has the most pride is the one who goes into the seventh room to confront the masked man. Others who have analyzed this short story before have be aware of the fact that the seven rooms represent the seven deadly sins. In an article about Symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” Trent Lorcher the writer states that “Others interpret the 7 rooms in "The Masque Laviano 3 of the Red Death" as a symbol of Prospero's indulgence in the seven deadly sins” (14). It is more than clear when Prince Prospero is indulging into the seven deadly sins. Every sin that the Prince commits doesn't happen in order it happens out of order. The first deadly sin, Lust is demonstrated when the Prince cuts of the kingdom and stocks up his hideaway. “The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet­dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death." “(Poe 2). The prince shows how much of an intense desire he has to be set forever with everything and never have to worry about a war, the plague, or poverty. “With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself “ (Poe 2). This is when the 2nd deadly sin is committed, The prince becomes selfish and looks at himself more powerful and better than everyone else and cuts everyone off his isn't rich or a friend of himself. The 3rd sin, Greed is committed by the Prince when he spends all of his money on himself and his friends and on none of it on the people who actually need it (sick and poor). In an article about Symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” Trent Lorcher states “ 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” (21). Sin number 4, Sloth is committed at the very beginning. Another definition for sloth is The failure to do something that you should do. What the prince should have done was help all of his dieing kingdom and give them the essentials that they needed to survive. Sin number 5, Wrath doesn't come until the end when the Prince wants the masked man to leave his party. When the masked man shows up Prince Prospero is furious and wants to kill the person who came in and started to ruin his party. "Who Laviano 4 dares?" he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him ­­"who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him ­­that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!" (Poe 11). Sin number six Envy, its hard to find a specific point where you can find the prince being jealous. In the Article Symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” Trent Lorcher explains that “It is unclear who the Prince might envy, but he sure is trying hard to impress someone”. After critically reading and analyzing the text its almost seems like the prince is trying to impress everyone at his party. The prince buys everything they need for his party. He wants to be well liked and known for his wonderful party. Sin number 7, Pride. also considered the most serious of the sins. This sin happens throughout the story but it mainly happens in the seventh room. In the article Symbolism in the Masque of the Red Death” Trent Lorcher brings up a great point he states that “Pride is the excessive belief in one's own abilities, similar to vanity, which is setting one's heart on things of little value. Prospero's belief that he is more powerful than death is a vivid demonstration of pride” (13). Throughout the whole short story the Prince thinks he is cannot die. Foreshadow comes into play at this moment as well. The whole time the prince thinks that he is better and more superior than everyone. His life and party comes to a crashing end when he finds out that the masked figure is the Red Death. The thing that the Prince has being trying to hard to avoid comes and kills him. The Prince is the only one who deserves the punishment of the masked man, he committed every one of the seven deadly sins. “There was a sharp cry ­­and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero” (Poe 13). This is the scene when the Princes life comes to an end. The Red Death who the Prince thought he could hide from found him. “And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had Laviano 5 come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood­bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall” (Poe 14). The Red Death who was not even a real person also can be symbolized as the devil. He came in and vanished like he was never even there. The man can be considered the devil because he was the reason why the Prince sinned the seventh time and the man wasn't even real. I think it is easy to understand what Poe is trying to accomplish in “The Masque of The Death”. After analyzing the text the choices you make have a huge impact on you. The Prince thought he could hide from death and all of his problems. Death came to him. From being lustful, greedy, and committing all of the other seven deadly sins his actions caught up to him. Poe uses foreshadow of the Red Death to conclude the story. The whole idea of the Prince was to avoid the Red Death and do whatever he could to stay away from him but the Red Death came to him. Poe really gets the reader thinking when it comes to the symbolism and foreshadow of the seven rooms. Each room can be compared to a sin and it is easy to pick out specific moments where the seven rooms are being related to sins. Poe also does a great job of adding a lot of visual imagery. In the beginning Poe gives descriptions of every room making the reader really visualize the Princes house. I think it just goes to show that just as fast as we make decisions our consequences can come just as fast. “And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all” (Poe 14) This is at the very end of the short story. Just like as fast as it took for the Prince to have his party the Red Death was able to find him and kill every single person at the party. The clock stopped ticking and the party was over all in a matter of a few seconds. Poe Laviano 6 does a good job here using the foreshadow of the clock and the Red Death to show how fast our consequences can catch up to us from the choices that we make every day. If we think that we are better than everyone else, and that nothing bad will ever happen to us karma could also come back to bite us. Our consequences will catch up to us no matter what kind of person we think we are. You never know when the consequences will come back to bite you, but sure enough they will if you continue to sin as much as the prince did. Edgar Allen Poe has a clear meaning behind his story and demonstrates the consequences of our choices through symbolism and and foreshadow. Laviano 7 Work Cited Lorcher, Trent . "A Guide to Symbols in "The Masque of the Red Death": Rooms, Colors & More." Bright Hub Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework­help­literature/59492­the­masque­of­th
e­red­death­symbolism/>. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Masque of the Red Death. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/POE/ma