The Masque of the Red Death - 2065 Words

In Aesop’s fable, â€Å"The Wolf and the Lamb,† the moral of the story asks the reader to examine the desire for an object—and how we justify our behavior if we cannot obtain that object. This moral is graphically presented through the repeated use of key words to describe the fox’s repeated failure to get what he wants. The fox’s first attempt is foiled as he â€Å"just missed† the grapes (35). He attempts â€Å"again and again†, running and jumping repeatedly, but has â€Å"no greater success† (35). He then becomes disgusted and walks away. These successive descriptions of his failure build to his disdainful comment that the grapes are probably sour (35). The repeated demonstration of fox’s failures and his self-rationalization of why is he walking away—not†¦show more content†¦I actually think that theres something admirable about Prosperos arrogance in the face of certain death. His refusal to let anyt hing get him down seems like a strength of his spirit. Its not easy to basically flip death the bird and stay happy and not scared in the face of a lethal plague. Maybe Prospero thinks creating one last carefree party is the best way to not let death break him. I’m not saying that he has a right to abandon his peasants. But his motivations might be nobler than it looks on the surface Mans relationship with death The fear of death drives the actions of several of Poes characters. In particular, the narrator of The Premature Burial obsesses about the possibility of premature burial, and his fear makes him so paranoid that when he wakes up in the berth of a ship, he mistakes it for a grave and has a terrifying experience for no real reason. At the same time, Poe describes several characters whose response to their fear of death is to avoid it, although the usual result of their avoidance is increased trauma. Prince Prospero and his courtiers in The Masque of the Red Death try to shut themselves away and ignore the slaughter caused by the Red Death, but death pays no attention to their barriers and kills them en masse. Similarly, the attempt by the narrator to arrest M. Ernest Valdemar at the point of death in The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar only causes the consumptive patient to die and have his body gruesomely dissolve into aShow MoreRelatedThe Masque Of The Red Death1093 Words   |  5 PagesThe Masque of Allegory Many writers of literature incorporate symbolic references in their works throughout history and today. One romantic poet and storywriter in particular is excellent in the use of allegory in his poems and stories. This unique writer’s name is Edgar Allan Poe and his tale â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† is one of his most well known pieces of allegoric writing. Although there are numerous symbols in this story, the seven rooms and the fact that death is inevitable are the twoRead MoreThe Masque Of The Red Death Essay1572 Words   |  7 Pagesshort story form and inventing the modern detective story† (Slova ). In eighteen forty, Poe released one of his more well-known gothic short stories, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death.† In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† Poe relies heavily upon the use literary devices such as allegories, symbolism, and narration to convey his overall theme of how death and mortality are inevitable. Poe was considered to have completely mastered the art of Gothic writing. It is believed by many that his inspiration came fromRead MoreThe Masque Of The Red Death1592 Words   |  7 Pagesexcellent example of this struggle in his short story â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†. While a deadly plague is ravaging his country, a prosperous prince, quite appropriately named Prospero, takes a thousand of his fellow elites into seclusion at an abbey, where he later holds an elaborate masquerade. It is then towards the end of this masque, held in an imperial suite of brilliantly colored but bizarre rooms, that the plague, known as the ‘Red Death’, finally makes its way into the abbey, inevitably killingRead MoreThe Masque of the Red Death914 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† by Edgar Allen Poe is an eerie short story about the â€Å"Red Death†, Poe’s twist on the Black Plague. This plague swept across an unknown kingdom killin g 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 colorsRead MoreThe Masque Of The Red Death1788 Words   |  8 PagesDeath is inevitable in the human life cycle, so how does one attempt to avoid it? Symbolism is defined as the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a short story called, â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death.† The majority of people believe he is referring to the black plague that has struck the kingdom. Prince Prospero decides to let the kingdom â€Å"peasants† take care of themselves while himself, knights, and chosen women isolate themselves in Prospero’s castle. A little whileRead More The Masque of the Red Death879 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"T he Masque of the Red Death† is an extraordinary story of many elements that can grasp any readers attention. This story targets more of the emotions and actions of the characters, creating more of a fathom. Edgar Allan Poe wrote this story from his own perspective and perhaps succeeded in getting the reader to some what relate to the characters focusing on the feelings. The point of view Poe wrote this in makes a clear understanding. The point of view Edgar wrote this in is very effectiveRead MoreThe Masque Of The Red Death1679 Words   |  7 Pages Power in â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† â€Å"Frail humanity can never escape the ravages of time†. Humans are born and will eventually die; it’s the cycle of life. No one can prevent death, but it does not stop people from trying to prolong life. Fate is inevitably predetermined; death is our predetermined fate. In the allegory â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†, written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1842, Poe teaches that death is predestined and that you cannot avoid fate. Poe focuses in on an unusual characterRead More Conflict in The Masque of the Red Death920 Words   |  4 Pages Conflicts affect the mood of the main characters in a story, by expressing the insecurities, Death,† a couple of conflicts are exposed throughout the piece. In the story â€Å"The Masque of the Red,† a couple of conflicts are expressed throughout this piece. The conflicts man versus fate and man versus himself are the conflicts that are displayed several times within this story. From major conflicts to minor conflicts, this story clarifies the problems that Prince Prospero faces within himselfRead MoreSymbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death708 Words   |  3 PagesDeath is something everyone frets on a daily basis. Edgar Allan Poe stresses how death is an unavoidable reality in his short story â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death†. Prince Prospero, a lying, cowardly, untrustworthy leader pretends to be helping his town as people are suddenly dying off from the Red Death, when he is actually just protecting himself and leaving his town helpless. This story is shown through the use of many symbols and events. Ultimately Poe utilizes symbolism in order to convey theRead MoreThe Masque Of The Red Death Analysis1117 Words   |  5 Pageshorrorerous descriptions. In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death ¨, Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism to portray the mood of death and despair with imagery though his descriptions of time, fear, and obliteration to develop the theme of the story . This is more than just a simple horror narrative. Throughout the story, the Masque of the  ¨Red Death ¨ corresponds with the uses of symbolism to portray the mood of death and despair. To break the title apart, the key image of the  ¨Masque ¨ implies a historic view of a