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MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH Edgar Allen Poe. ALLEGORY A narrative work with two levels of meaning – the literal and the symbolic All or most of the characters,

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Presentation on theme: "MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH Edgar Allen Poe. ALLEGORY A narrative work with two levels of meaning – the literal and the symbolic All or most of the characters,"— Presentation transcript:

1 MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH Edgar Allen Poe

2 ALLEGORY A narrative work with two levels of meaning – the literal and the symbolic All or most of the characters, settings, and events in an allegory are symbols The purpose of an allegory is to teach a moral lesson.

3 THE “RED” DEATH

4 The disease of the red death is fictitious. Poe describes it as causing “sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores” leading to death within half an hour. Though neither the victims of the actual black plaque or of tuberculosis (or consumption as it was known then) died quickly, these most likely were Poe’s inspiration for his “red death.”

5 SETTING Poe’s story takes place in a castled abbey in 7 connected but carefully separated rooms.

6 Prince Prospero tries to escape death by walling it out, and by do doing, creates a prison out of the sanctuary. In the end, what does the Prince learn?

7 This reminds the reader of the past significance of the number 7 This history of the world was thought to consist of 7 ages, just as individual’s life had 7 stages. The ancient world had 7 wonders; there were 7 deadly sins with 7 virtues. Therefore reading this story as an allegory suggests that the 7 rooms represent the 7 stages of one’s life – birth to death.


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