Poe relies upon symbolism in order to portray the ebony clock as a symbol of death and mortality. The clock represents the ticking away from life, from the moment we are brought into this world. The clock makes a peculiar chime and immediately everyone stops everything they are doing and the orchestra stops playing and Poe states that, “... it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their bows.” (Poe 5). The chiming of the clock expresses fear, which reminds the congregation that they are an hour closer to ultimate expiry. Poe uses the clock as an instrument of time and the partygoers gather in the mansion to escape from reality and the terrifying times that they are living in. To deny morality “Prospero and his guests immure themselves safely within a world of art…” (Dudley). Prospero and his revelers try to not think about the negative by surroundings themselves around more …show more content…
Prospero thinks he can conquer the “Red Death” but the outcome is a failure. When Prospero “gets killed” everyone “... summons the wild courage of despair… seizing the mummer.” (Poe 10). Everyone strikes at the masked figure due to the killing of the prince only for the result to lead in death from everyone in the mansion. The plague is symbolic of all death and morality of all humans even “Prospero” whose name is ironic and also a contradiction. “Prince Prospero and a thousand knights and dames to seek to secure themselves against the Red Death by relocating themselves in a “new” place…” (Roth). Prince Prospero and his knights attempts to escape the Red Death only to come to the realization that you can’t refrain from death or reality. The Red Death doesn’t only symbolize death but also Tuberculosis. This disease affected 3 women Poe's’ life whom he loved dearly. It is referred to as the Red Death because people with this disease coughed up tons of
Though Poe took the short story in an entirely different sort of direction, some speculate that he got the idea from William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Not only did he name the prince “Prospero” like the main character in “The Tempest,” but he also devised the plague from it. In “The Tempest,” the antagonist, Caliban, screams out, demanding the “red plague” kill Prospero. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe refers to it differently, initially saying that the part was “without the ’Red Death,’” (Poe 15).
The meaning of these symbols are not always crystal clear but there are general meanings that most readers can agree on. For example, the quote from the last paragraph ”It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony . . . while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale.” (Poe), the ticking clock is a constant reminder of the inevitability of death and the constant approach towards it.
No one can defeat Death There once was a young woman, who strived to be immortal, this caused her to bind herself away from the world for years. She decided one day that she had conquered death by changing her fate and goes to venture the town where she met a strange man, who insults her, filled with anger she decides to go after him where she faces death. A very similar situation is portrayed in “The Masque of the Red Death” with the character Prince Prospero, who believes that he has changed his fate by locking himself in his palace for years but this doesn’t end well for him as he faces death in his own home. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, written by Edgar Allen Poe, irony and symbolism to is used prove that death is inevitable.
The Masque of the Red Death has a lot of symbolism that has to do with the circle of life- such as the different colors of the seven rooms each meaning one stage of life. The stages of life obviously have relations to death, possibly even being centered around it. The thought is just so artistically
To begin, the seven rooms at the gathering were all a significant part of the story, but more so the blue and black room. Based on the text it states, “…in blue-and vividly blue were in its window” (Poe, 421). The text also states, “The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all
The authors’ use of strong imagery invokes strong emotions that give the audience a personal connection to the characters and events. In the “The Masque of the Red Death”, the theme is mortality. Poe shows how people are vulnerable to death, even after taking every possible precaution. Poe writes, “The mask ... was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse ... gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood - and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror” (6).
Death can never be escaped no matter what. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allan Poe shows the theme of death, a suspenseful mood, and an ominous tone. Through Poe’s use of literary devices, the reader can discover tone, theme, and mood. Throughout Poe’s life he experienced death with two of his mother’s and his young wife. Death is shown how inevitable it is with Poe’s writing and experiences combined together.
Despite the belief that one can live forever, death is certain. Edgar Allen Poe wrote his short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” with a greater meaning than simply the Red Death, or plague. He wrote this story, symbolizing the stages of life. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe uses the symbols of the hallway, the rooms, and the braziers, to enhance the allegory, and to show how death is inevitable and one can not spend their life worrying about it.
On the other hand, even though Prince Prospero tried his best to escape the horrible reality of the plague, in the end he died because of it. He failed to realize that the Read Death had entered his castle in the form of the masked figure. The masked figure clearly represented Death. The figure was “tall and gaunt,” wore “habiliments of the grave,” and had the “countenance of a stiffened corpse.” The “black velvet room” also hinted the presence of a mystery figure that would bring nothing but misfortune.
This story of death works out, because Edgar Allen Poe gives good use to author’s craft. Edgar Allen Poe uses imagery, symbolism, and setting to create an effective story. In the “Masque of the Red Death” Poe uses description to give imagery.
“The Masque of the Red Death” is an allegory, symbolizing the journey from life to death, proving that death is inescapable for everyone. This is shown through the symbolism used by Poe, not only in characters,
In the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe, the author uses the rhetorical device of symbolism. In this allegorical piece Edgar uses symbolism to explore his central idea more thoroughly. The central idea is that no matter what the characters did or where they went, they couldn't escape death as death is inevitable. Throughout the story the masqueraders were living life to the fullest, but then they were quickly reminded that morality cannot be avoided. Poe uses symbolism with the seventh chamber, the ebony clock, and the masked figure to expand on the theme of death.
Along with this, the symbols reveal how they reflect on the people themselves. Poe’s themes of humans cannot control death, creation to death, and anticipation are epitomized through the ebony clock and the seven
In this dingy room stood a huge clock of ebony. The sound of the clock was extremely loud when it would ring every hour. It would distract everyone at the gathering and would silence all the guests. This clock symbolizes a reminder of death, which proves Prospero, who believes death is escapable, wrong. Nobody could stop the clock from making this loud noise, and they were horrified when it would pass an hour.
The clock is very loud, it was black it was also in the rooms on the end of the house. The clock can symbolize time going by that’s true and each day you’re getting close to death. As you can see no one is everything to live forever.