Comparing M. Valdemar, And The Masque Of The Red Death

The themes of death and ignorance come together to show that the only action more foolish than fleeing from death, is ignoring it. “The masque of the red death”, though set on the inside of an excessively elaborate party, shows the imminent and constant threat of death. Setting the tone for this macabre motif, Edgar Allen Poe gives a brief prologue to the action of the story stating that “the "red death" had long devastated the country…no pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous” (Poe 1). Prince Prospero, though seemingly unaffected by the near-utter destruction of his kingdom cannot shake the inevitable demise he sees coming, therefore most of his actions are dictated by his fear of death.

Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most well-known authors from the dark romantic age. His story “The Masque of the Red Death” is a short fable about Prince Prospero and the Red Death, better known today as the bubonic plague. The prince is a very rapacious man so when he sees that his kingdom is dying, he chooses to save himself and his companions by bringing them to one of his many castles and simply closing the door on the plague. They continued to live their lavish lives, acting as if nothing was wrong behind the sturdy door of the castle. Then, when Prospero throws a big masquerade, he discovers that an intruder has crashed his party. Out of rage, he goes to stab the man, but, upon reaching the doorway of the room, he drops dead. After a mob of very upset partygoers tears apart the grotesque mask of the intruder, they discover that the “man” underneath is a personified version of the Red Death. Through a psychological lens, one would be able to see the different emotions portrayed through the characters. From beginning to end, “The Masque of the Red Death” brings forth a range of emotions through the characters and their uncontrollable and many times thoughtless actions.

Death is a terrifying prospect for most people , imagine being face to face with it. In Edgar Allan Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”, the revelers were in this very situation. Prince Pospero’s country was devastated by the Red Death. A plaque that resulted in a painful, gruesome, death. Prince Pospero being the selfish uncaring man he is, locked himself and a thousand of his lighthearted friends in his abbey to hide from the Red Death. After 6 months of seclusion Prince Pospero throws a masquerade to celebrate that they were still free of the Red Death. It was at this masquerade a gruesome mummer appeared shortly before Prince Pospero and all the revelers to died of the Read Death. In this story Poe personifies death through the mummer who

Edgar Allan Poe was a writer who believed every single word contained meaning and in his own words expressed this idea in brevity only he is capable, "…there should be no word written, of which tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design." (Poe 244). To this effect, Poe drenches his works in symbolism and allegory. Especially in shorter works, Poe assigns meaning to the smallest object, explicitly deriving exurbanite significance within concise descriptions. "The Masque of the Red Death" tells the story of a Prince Prospero who along with his one thousand friends sought a haven from the plague that was ravishing their country. They lived together in the prince 's luxurious abbey with all the amenities and

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe is an eerie short story about the “Red Death”, Poe’s twist on the Black Plague. This plague swept across an unknown kingdom killing many people as it went. There were sharp pain, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. Poe had two main themes for readers to think about. These themes were proven through five main symbols: The ebony clock in the black room, Prince Prospero in the abbey with his friends, the colors of the seven rooms in the abbey, the format of the hallway and rooms and, Prince Prospero running after death through all the rooms.

In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death,” he is trying to convey that people can’t ignore death, even if they try to distract themselves from it because death doesn’t come at a specific time.

The red death had killed many people in the time of the story. In Poe's short story The Masque of the Red Death Poe said "The "Red Death" had long long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or hideous" (Poe). Back in the days the story was written, the red death had killed you within the half hour if you had been contaminated with it. Red death was a big fear in the story.

When it comes to reading literature the most challenging yet important task is to understand the purpose of the author's writing. In Romantic era literature understanding the emotions and thoughts that are created in the reader's mind are essential to gaining a clear message that the writer is trying to send. In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death” the narrator immediately introduces the “Red Death”; a disease that has been spreading throughout Prince Prospero’s country; killing his people within half an hour of contracting the disease. Throughout the story the author continuously uses diction and syntax to create suspense and evoke a grim tone to the reader. In the “Masque of The Red Death” Poe produces fearful imagery in the reader's mind through creating a supernatural presence in the setting.

The allegory of life and death gives a clear image about the story; “The Red death” represents Death while life is represented by the people partying at the ball. In Poe’s story, the Prince Prospero's attempt to save his guests, as well as himself, from a fatal disease called the Red Death plague. In an ironic tone, Poe describes how Prospero built a castle far away to keep everyone he loved healthy by locking the gate of the castle to keep the disease and unhealthy people away. As said in the story “the external world could take care of itself,” the author here shows us the arrogance of the prince because although he has the wealth to assist those in need, he turns his wealth into a mode of self-defense and decadent self-indulgence.

Death is an important theme in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Masque of the Red Death”.

Of all the writers in the 19th century, many believe Edgar Allan Poe was the greatest writer for his time. Poe had a dark way of writing because of the horrible life he lived. Many of his lovers died due to tuberculosis and left him alone and forlorn. He lived most of his life in poverty causing him to express his feelings in his writing. Poe’s last words were “Lord, help my poor soul.” Poe never had a happy moment in his life and showed it in all his work throughout his lifetime. In “The Masque of the Red Death” he was able to show the theme that death is inevitable with deep symbols throughout the short story. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death” the author uses symbolism to display the theme that no one can escape death in many different ways.

Describing the last of the seven chambers in the palace the narrator says, “there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes, and the blackness of the sable drapery appalls.” The story wouldn’t be as scary without this creepy room where the masked figure kills Prince Prospero. This leads to imagery, I can picture this room, eerie and creepy. In this story, there are also unreliable characters including Prince Prospero, his friend, and the Red Death. The Red Death to me is the most unreliable.

the Red Death shows the futile attempts by a prince and his guests of a party,

Poe uses allegory to allude to the double meanings of the characters Prince Prospero and the masked figure, as well as the setting of the chambers. Prince Prospero represents prosperity. While his nation is suffering from the “Red Death”, “…he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and lighthearted friends…and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbey” (420). His nobility and wealth give him the ability to ignore the horror around him and live in luxury. This refers to real life in that the privileged are the ones who are able to still live comfortably even if others are in a crisis. Prince Prospero also represents an ignorance, selfishness, and arrogance that come with wealth through right instead of hard work. He believes that “[t]he external world could take care of itself” and that it is “…folly to grieve, or to think” (420). Instead of taking action to help his people, he just leaves them in the grips of the “Red Death”. The “Red Death” is

Poe reveals the red death at the masquerade as a symbol of inevitbal death. “The presence of