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 DevicesEDGAR ALLAN POE

Growth of Sadness

Suffering

Disease

Consumption Tuberculosis

Death

Losing Loved Ones

Red Death

Anger

Murder

Life’s Death

Horrors of Life

Can’t Escape DeathForbidding

Can’t Be Stopped

Plague

“No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous.” (Poe, 1842,P.1)

“And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.” (Poe, 1842, P.1)

“Blood was its Avatar and its seal – the redness and horror of blood.” (Poe, 1842, P.1)

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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."

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.

Plot Diagram

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-of-red-death/>. MLA formatting by BibMe.org.