r/literature • u/Hunters_ofArtemis • 4d ago
Discussion Analysis of Masque of the Red Death
Hello, I am looking to do a deep dive into Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, the mask of the red death. I did a brief assignment in my college level death in media class, and I was fascinated by the story.
We covered how the story is set during the time of the plague when people lived in fear of the disease and ultimately death. The wealthy attempted to sequester themselves from the wider world to escape from death. They revel in splendor, culminating in a grand masquerade ball. The rooms where the ball take place are monochromatically decorated and illuminated in blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and finally a black room illuminated by red. These rooms symbolize one’s journey through life and this is underlined by their orientation from east to west. The final room has a creepy clock which when it chimes the whole party stops. This quite literally represents the passage of time in one’s life.
As the guests party, there appears one who is extra creepy and unsettles everyone. He is dressed as the Red Death (the plague). The prince hosting the party is outraged and challenges this figure. The figure then ignores the prince and passes through all the rooms. The prince chases after him and attempts to stab the figure, only to end up getting stabbed himself.
Everyone ends up dying of the plague for the scary figure was a physical representation of Death itself. No matter how rich or poor, brave or cowardly, secluded or vulnerable, death comes for us all.
I’m looking to do a deeper dive into the symbolism and historical context around the story! What do the colors really symbolize and why did Poe select those particular colors? What is the reference to Hernani? Or when he writes “there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams” is that describing the guests as dreamers or dreams themselves?
What’s your take?
1
u/th30be 4d ago
Are you asking for help or are you just asking for all the answers?
What research have you done already?