Paige Ellinger

11/29/19

Pre AP Language Arts

Mrs. Wolke

Symbolism in the Masque of the Red Death (Revised)

Many stories use different methods to reveal themes or messages to the reader, like a

metaphor or allegory. A strong example of this is “The Masque of the Red Death”by Edgar Allan

Poe. Poe’s story takes place in a kingdom riddled with a plague called “The Red Death”. The

kingdom’s leader, Prince Prospero, retires to the seclusion of his castle, with a group of his

followers, and comes to the conclusion that the best thing to do is throw a party. Through

symbolism, Poe displays the allegory that no matter how rich or hidden away you are, death will

always find you.

Poe expresses the feeling of looming death and the end of life through a giant eboney clock,

dwelling in the seventh room of his castle. The clock is ignored as the party-goers drift from

room to room, but never moving into the seventh. As they dance and talk, the people of the party

seem to forget about the Red Death, until the clock strikes, and,”the musicians of the orchestra

were constrained to pause,” and the dancers follow suit, as everyone is constrained to,”harken to

the sound”(Page 2, Poe). The people of the party seem unfazed, until the sound of the clock

breaks their haze and brings them back to reality. This break in the music and dance is used to

bring the people back to reality, and reflects their selfish actions. After being introduced to the

effect the clock produces, the party-goers regain their dream like state. But again ,”there strikes

the ebony clock,” creating the same effect on the people. “ All is silent save the voice of the
clock. The dreams are stiff frozen…” (Page 3, Poe). The party-goers are struck with the same

effect as before, yet this time it seems as though the clock rings more frequently. The sound of

the clock speeds up as the time passes to remind the party-goers that death is inevitable, and that

as much as they may hide, they cannot escape it. The clock, which represents the end of life, is a

big part of Poe’s allegory in this story.

Poe also uses the masquerade to represent an escape from reality. At the beginning of the

story, Poe explains that only the rich and wealthy were invited into the princes hide away, and he

explains that the seclusion has lasted for six months. “ The external world could take care of

itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve or to think” (Page 1, Poe). The seclusion and

ignorance to the Red Death causes a dream like state, which blankets the party-goers in an

escape from death. The rich and the wealthy, feel as though they don’t need to be scared, because

they have never had to be before. And at the forefront of all this ignorance is the leader himself,

Prince Prospero. He seems to lead the party, and although he seem calm and persuasive, the

people closest to him,” thought him mad.” But to reassure themselves, they,” hear and touch him

to be sure that he was not” (Page 3, Poe). The prince has hidden himself well, hiding among

people who don't question his selfish actions, and will conform to his fake celebration to hide

true reality. The mob mentality to conform to what everyone is doing can be found here, as the

Prince leads these people away from the truth. The masquerade is an escape from reality, and in

that way is trying to defy death.

Poem expresses the life of the guests and their dreams through the tripods fire. The tripods

are set up along the hallways in the castle, guiding guests to each room, and reflecting each room

unique colors. As the guests float from room to room, the light cast and the swelling music
seems to make,” dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever,” and these dreams

were enhanced by the,” many tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods”(

Page 3, Poe). The light given off from the tripods entrance the guests, and make it easy to forget

what is really going on. At this point in the story, guests seem all too happy to forget everything

and live in an imaginary world, where their lives will never end. But that world does not exist,

and the Red Death still finds them, through means of an uninvited guest. He was been there from

the start, brushing past them, and giving them the plague. The Prince is the first to fall, and with

his death the realization of what the stranger carries hits the party-goers. As the last of the

part-goers fall to the ground,” the flames of the tripod expired.And the Darkness and Decay and

the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all” (Page 5, Poe.) The flames of the tripod expire,

and the castel is now filled with decaying bodies and the horrid plague. The fire only goes out

when the guests die, and therefore represents life and life ending. Poe’s allegory is directly

represented through the tripod’s fire, and the fire going out.

All in all, the “ Masque of the Red Death”, is filled with many different symbols that help

shape Poe’s allegory that despite how much money you may have, you cannot escape death. The

tripod’s fire represented life, the masquerade presented a mask over reality, and the clock

represented death drawing near. Through use of these symbols, we understand that the real

meaning behind this story is to display the truth behind death and how it can be masked by

selfishness and fear.