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Mia Epting

Mrs. Ebel

ERWC

11 January 2022

“The Masque of the Red Death” Essay

Oliver Lodge once said that “death is not a foe, but an inevitable adventure.” Over time

death has been perceived as the worst thing in life, and therefore has become a common fear for

people. However, a select few have recognized the beauty of death, as it is a natural part of life

and usually inspires people to live their best lives and choose to share their insights with others.

Edgar Allen Poe is one of the few and is known for his contradictory viewpoints within his

stories. His use of allegorical messages portrays his messages through the use of symbolism, and

aren’t often easily interpreted. The allegorical message Edgar Allan Poe portrays in his short

story “The Masque of the Red Death,” conveys the message that death is inevitable through the

symbolism of the clock, the masked figure, and Prince Prospero.

Poe first used the chimes of a grandfather clock to symbolize the passing of time, which

further signified the finite lifetime of the characters in the story. The upper-class characters of the

story were invited to the Prince’s palace to wait out the black plague. Only the wealthiest people

were invited and they locked themselves away. There were parties every night to distract

themselves from those dying outside their walls. However, every time the clock struck the hour,

the partygoers would pause and “for a moment, all [was] still, and all [was] silent,” as the guest

listened to the chimes (Poe 3). The guests tried to escape the black plaque by locking themselves

away, but little did they know that at each stroke of the clock, their deaths were nearing closer
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and closer. The guests grew warier and warier as the chimes continued throughout the night and

repeatedly interrupted their party for they were unaware of its symbolism. Every hour, there was

“yet another chiming of the clock,” which brought no comfort to the guests as the night carried

on (Poe 2). Eventually, the guests began to realize that the chiming wasn't just a clock striking

the hour, but rather a warning that they didn’t escape the death that they tried to lock outside. A

silent fear arose, and the partying began to slow, as the guests acknowledged that the walls of

the palace did not prevent their deaths, for death has no boundaries. Poe’s symbolism of the

clock portrays his allegory that everyone has a limited amount of time on Earth, no matter how

hard one tries to avoid it.

Another symbol that Poe uses to portray his allegorical message is the masked figure,

which represents the Black Death or Bubonic Plague in human form. Once the clock ran out of

time, the guest's party was interrupted one last time by a masked figure. The guests

“acknowledged the presence” of the masked figure with dread and hostility as it “had come like a

thief in the night” (Poe 5). The masked figure characterized the same plague that the guests had

tried to lockout of the palace, and so its sudden arrival was horrifying. The guests realized that

despite their intentions, death had caught up to them. Poe’s allegory demonstrates that the Black

Plague didn’t discriminate against wealth and position, and furthermore that death doesn’t either.

The guests finally had nowhere else to hide, leaving the masked figure the opportunity to finally

kill the guests that had thought they were too good for death. They “died each in the despairing

posture of his fall” (Poe 5). Poe’s message explains how death has no preference for its victims,

including those who hide behind their wealth. The masked figure imposed the same intolerable

pain and suffering on the wealthy guests as those they locked out of the palace to fend for
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themselves. Overall, the masked figure symbolizes the black death and exemplifies Poe’s

message that death does not discriminate against anyone.

Lastly, Poe uses the character of Prince Prospero to symbolize the inaccurate beliefs that

money and power can be used to escape death. Prince Prospero was furious with the masked

figures’ disruption of his masquerade as he was not one of the wealthy guests that were invited.

The Prince withdrew a dagger with the intent to kill the masked figure, however, it “dropped

gleaming[ly] upon the sable carpet,” as he “fell prostrate in death” almost instantaneously (Poe

4). Prince Prospero represents the inaccurate perceptions of death, specifically, that money and

wealth can prevent death. Prince Prospero believed that he was superior to others, and therefore

death, which is a dangerous belief. Poe enlightens his audience on the dangers of the Prince’s

viewpoint and how it is a waste of valuable time. Prince Prospero also represents selfishness and

foolishness as the setting of Poe’s allegorical story is at the masked ball that the Prince threw

“while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad,” all while using “the most unusual

magnificence” to divert his wealthy company (Poe 1). Poe alludes to his audience to Prince

Prospero’s thoughts that he could escape death with his wealth as a warning for narcissism. The

Prince’s only priority throughout the story was to further show off his fortune and power to his

invitees while the lower classes were dying from the plague outside the palace walls. Prince

Prospero demonstrates the ideal symbol to reflect on Poe’s overall allegorical message as he

represents the false ideologies that money can buy time.

To conclude, Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism to illustrate his allegorical theme. He used

the clock, the masked figure, and Prince Prospero to additionally emphases his hidden meaning

that death can't be hidden. Readers learn Poe’s message and how symbolism provides a finer
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description of a writer’s hidden message. Allegorical messages can also introduce a new

historical event, such as the Bubonic Plague to the reader.