The Masque of the Red Death
By Edgar Allan Poe
Presentation by Kris Ahn, Isabella Guetter, Andrew Lee, Keaton Murphy, Colton Ratcliff, & Charity Young
Summary
The Red Death had long dominated the country. It was awful.
--It was characterized by blood, and blood was death—hence the origin of its name.
Everyone feared the Red Death. Prince Prospero was fat and jolly. He didn’t care and
instead hosted a big party.
--In his house were many rooms, ranging from the darkest of black to the lightest of white,
and every shade of color in between, including both purple and violet—the colors of the
rising sun. The chambers were in order of blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet and
finally black. He hosted a party with all the nobles and ladies. He was insane, it was
bizarre, but it was great fun.
--There was a clock that chimed every hour, as such was the manner of clocks. But it was
foreboding, sending chills down one’s spine—like the midnight bells of Danse Macabre,
the dance of the dead. Prince Prospero was happy and mental, with whirling dervishes of
bizarre, ugly, beautiful dancers spinning round his room.
--The clock struck midnight, and in came a masked woman. she was masked in red, and
the sight of her excited a thrill of terror in the guests. “Who dares intrude?” Prince
Prospero roared and rushed at the masked woman with a knife. The woman struck
Prospero dead instead.
--Within a half hour of midnight, all the guests were dead.
And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death prevailed.
Analysis && Literary Devices
EDGAR ALLAN POE
Con
sum
ptio
“No pestilence had ever
been so fatal, or so
hideous.” (Poe, 1842,P.1)
is
e
Tub
n
os
cul
r
Death
ove
ing L
d
Ho
Ones
g
D
e
Plagu
Gro
w
se
isea
th o
f
of L
s
r
o
r
r
“And Darkness and
Decay and the Red
Death held illimitable
dominion over all.” (Poe,
1842, P.1)
Los
Suf
feri
n
Can’
t Be
Stop
in
Forbidd
Sad
n
Re
Murder
ess
g
ped
ife
ea
dD
Anger
“Blood was its Avatar
and its seal – the
redness and horror of
blood.”
(Poe, 1842, P.1)
s De
’
e
f
i
L
Can’t
th
ath
Escap
e
Death
In the story, The
Masque of the Red Death,
Poe uses symbolism, a
little bit of irony, and
horror. Poe uses
symbolism to represent
many things, such as the
Red Death, many people
believe that the disease
represents tuberculosis
which he lost many loved
ones to. He uses irony by
talking about the Red
Death as if it were a
person, which would not
normally be expected.
Finally, he uses horror
throughout the story,
starting the story off by
saying to the reader that
there is a disease that kills
many.
Climax
As the clock in the black room
strikes twelve, the Red Death made its
presence. He moved through seven
lively rooms, silencing the party
everywhere it moved, until the Red
Death had reached the final room, the
black room, turning to face the Prince
at the end of the hall.
Rising Action
Inside the black room, the people
who were around and in it had a ghastly
feeling. The only thing in the room was
an ebony clock, which some people
believe is symbol of the countdown of the
party goer’s lives. And the ticking of the
clock made people uneasy. They try to
avoid the unpleasing black room.
Rising Action
Prince Prospero decides to have a
masquerade party. He decorates seven
rooms, which are all different colors. These
rooms were solid blue, purple, green,
orange, white, and violet, one room however,
was black and red, instead of just being
black, or just being red. The black room had
the color of blood inside of it.
Exposition
The story starts with a disease
called the Red Death, which has been
killing people in a fast and gruesome
way. Prince Prospero brought people
who were not diseased and put them in
a mansion, sealing his friends and him
away from the scary disease.
Falling Action
The prince, enraged by the intruders
appearance, begin to show threats fall on
deaf ears. The prince draws his dagger
and proceeds through the rooms, the
seven stages of life. Upon reaching the
figure, the partygoers are watching in awe.
The Red Death disarms the prince and the
prince falls to his death on the black floor.
Plot Diagram
Falling Action
After the Red Death suddenly
appears inside the house, and kills
Prince Prospero. The Red Death
continued like a thief in the night, and
everyone at the happy party dies due
to the disease. The people are afflicted
with very sharp pains and blood
pouring out of there pores.
Resolution
The story ends in
catastrophe where "Darkness
and Decay and the Red Death
prevail." The Red Death had
come like, "a thief in the night,"
and held, "illuminable dominion
over all."
AND DARKNESS
AND DECAY AND
THE RED DEATH
HELD ILLIMITABLE
DOMINION OVER
ALL.
Bibliography
"Sears:
Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment
and more." Sears: Appliances, Tools, Electronics, Apparel and more from
Craftsman, Kenmore, Diehard and other Leading Brands. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct.
2011. <http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM3437459301P?
i_cntr=1319088273425>.
SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/poestories/section10.rhtml>.
"The Masque of the Red Death." Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources,
Test Prep. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.shmoop.com/masque-ofred-death/>.
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