Name:_______________________________________________ Date:_________________ Block:_____
Masque of the Red Death
Worksheet
1. Why do Prince Prospero and his followers retreat to his palace?
2. Explain how the party is constantly disrupted.
3. Compare life outside the palace with the life of the people Prospero brought inside.
Inside
Outside
4. What do you learn about Prospero's character from his desire to keep his palace free of the plague?
5. Why does the clock have such a dramatic effect on the dancers? What might it symbolize?
6. Describe the intruder’s appearance and behavior.
7. Why does the visitor frighten the guests?
8. How does Poe build terror in the story?
9. Describe the rooms in which the masquerade ball takes place.
East
West
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Room 5
Color
Description
Symbol
10. Why do the rooms progress from East to West?
11. What mood or effect is created by the colors and the lighting in the rooms?
12. This story is an Allegory. What is an Allegory?
13. What is the Allegorical Lesson in the story?
Room 6
Room 7
Symbols
Symbol
Prince Prospero
Welded Locks
Hallways
Light/Fire
The Masquerade
The Clock
The Masked Figure
The Number 7
Meaning