How Does Death Symbolize In The Masque Of The Red Death

In the short story, “Masque of the Red Death”, Edgar Allen Poe uses characterization to illustrate the psychological destruction of the Prince. Throughout the story, Prince Prospero struggles with

Prospero’s character is seen as incautious, and perhaps arrogant, which adds to the foreshadowing of the story’s ending. When nearly half of the town has died, Prosperous packs up his things and takes his close friends to live in the safety of one of his many palaces, leaving all the other citizens to fend for themselves against the Red Death. Upon moving to the castle “Prospero had supplied everything they needed for pleasure” (Poe 2) and never once stopped to consider his subjects, or their safety. In a crucial time of need, the leader could not be bothered and instead decides to flee, revealing the kind of person he really is. The king’s carelessness for everyone, except his own social circle suggests that this trait may get the best of him in the end. Karma is commonly a substantial factor in literature, and Prospero certainly appears to have something coming back to bite him. Similarly, the way in which Prospero’s character is portrayed proposes that maybe his own ego may

about conveying these feelings to his readers and why it is so effective. Poe uses an

Within the story, the masked figure is used as an important symbol in portraying that no one can escape death. The masked figure, who made its presence at midnight, had not been seen by anyone before. The masked figure is described as “tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave” (Poe 5). Furthermore, when the mask of the Red Death appears, it is shocking to all the guests. The reader discovers that this guest is even more strange than all the other guests. The figure resembles a corpse of a victim of the Red Death, thereby symbolizing the presence of the plague, which is the dangerously deadly disease all the guests are attempting to escape from. This comes to show that death finds its way to everyone. The appearance of the

inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape death. The prince's name, Prospero,

Prince Prospero decorates lavishly for the masquerade ball. Each room has a different color as a theme, and the windows contain glass stained to match the respective colors of the rooms. Fair colors paint the faces of everyone. At first they wear masks for the ball, but at the story's conclusion, they all bear the bloody mark that signifies the Red Death. The Red Death, which is characterized by ‘scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim,’ has entered the palace unrecognized (“Explanation”

Prospero orchestrates the events of the play with ease, his magic giving him the power to manipulate the characters and environment around him. This almost omniscient power that is presented pushes the audience to question what is

He encouraged two other men to join him, Stephano, a butler, and Trinculo, a jester. All three of these men shared one thing in common: a low place in society. In an effort to free themselves from society’s pressure, the men plotted to murder Prospero. Stephano says, “Monster, I will kill this man: his daughter and I will be king and queen, save our graces! and Trinculo and thyself shall be viceroys” (Act 3 Scene 2 Lines 106-108). Before they got the chance to kill, Prospero caught them, proving society’s power, once again, to be too strong. Many times, Stephano and Trinculo talked about how they would break from their low place in society. At the end of the story, however, they find themselves stuck under King Alonso’s power, just as they were before the shipwreck. Despite all of their efforts, Stephano, Trinculo, and Caliban all were stuck in their low place in society.

Prince Prospero waits until his “dominions were half-depopulated”(pg245) to summon “a thousand knights and dames” to his Abbey. This demonstrates that even though his people were dying from the contagion, his ignorance blinded him from seeing that even he, the Prince, could be affected by this disease. Even once he came to terms with the fact that this disease could reach him he still had the audacity to believe that he could “weld the bolts” to his Abbey and keep this disease out. When death does eventually enter the Abbey, Prince Prospero refuses to accept the fact that death has arrived and says “who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery?” (p249). Captain Vidal's ignorance is more egoistic; he believes that his fascist regime is so powerful that there is no way it could be infiltrated. Captain Vidal sees the doctor and Mercedes as lesser people, and so it is beyond his comprehension to suspect either of them of being smart enough to help the

The environment Prince Prospero and Captain Vidal were placed in caused their behaviours and ideas of death to contrast. Prince Prospero fears death, as displayed through his actions of “deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys”. This portrays Prospero as fearful of death, because he hides from the “pestilence” and allows the external world to “take care of itself”. Captain Vidal however, is portrayed as dauntless and not afraid of death. When in a shootout with his men, Vidal says to one of his men that the best way to die is fighting for a country, and proceeds to shoot an enemy “rebel”. This shows Vidal is not afraid to die, and chases death, rather than hiding from it as Prospero did. Prospero also portrays his fear of death when he “rushed hurriedly through the six chambers”, running

pretentious people. As destruction makes its way through the commoners in the country, the prince “summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court… to a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence”(Poe 1). By throwing a wonderful, unceasing ball, the horrifying perceptions of death are whisked away into the frenzy of the night. The acquaintances of the Prince Prospero live wealthy enough a life to be able try to avoid the Red Death. There is a popular belief among these people that wealthy individuals, such as themselves, should not be subject to death of any sort.

With a kingdom in ruins and people dying of disease all around him, Prince Prospero is consumed with no worry except to throw a fabulous masquerade ball for his knights and maidens safely tucked away in his castellated abbey. Separated from the rest of the kingdom dying from disease, Prince Prospero is a coward, afraid of Red Death. Prince Prospero is not an admirable character because of his attempts to cheat death which make him a fool, and by leaving the people of his kingdom to fend for themselves.

Before Prospero and Miranda came to the island an evil witch, Sycorax, ruled it. She ruled the island with evil magic and terror. When Prospero arrives to the island he frees a delicate spirit from a pine tree. Sycorax had put a spell on the spirit to forever be in the tree. When Prospero uses his magic to free the spirit, Ariel, the spirit becomes forever in debt to Prospero. Ariel becomes Prospero’s helper and friend. Prospero also enslaves Caliban, a half monster born of Sycorax. Prospero teaches Caliban how to speak and treats him kindly despite the fact that he is a “monster”. Caliban falls from grace though when he attempts to rape Miranda. Life on the island consists of these characters, until the ship of the royal party, including Prospero’s brother Antonio arrives.

Additionally, Prospero received power because he was so devoted to the study of magic and he knew how to use it to defeat Sycorax. The evil witch of the island imprisoned Ariel in a Pine tree until Prospero made Ariel his personal spirit. “The drama depicts a conflict between the forces of order and chaos, and focuses on Prospero as an

Later, he lovingly educates the monster Caliban and gives him freedom. Caliban returns the kindness by trying to rape his daughter. Prospero makes the same mistake with both of them. He fails to keep them in their proper position. As a perfect ruler, this would be his responsibility.