The Masque of the Red Death BY: EDGAR ALLEN POE Mrs. Lowrance Fall 2017

SYMBOL – Character, a place, a thing, or an event in literary work that stands for a larger idea. See handout ALLEGORY – A story in which all characters, setting, events, and actions are clearly symbolic. WORD WALL

What is the Plague (aka Black Death, Bubonic Plague)? Historical context What is the Plague (aka Black Death, Bubonic Plague)?

Now scientists understand that the Black Death is spread by a bacillus called Yersina pestis which travels from person to person pneumonically, or through the air, as well as through the bite of infected fleas and rats. At the time, no one knew how to prevent or treat it. Physicians relied on crude and unsophisticated techniques such as bloodletting and boil-lancing or superstitious practices such as burning aromatic herbs and bathing in rosewater or vinegar. Meanwhile, in a panic, healthy people did all they could to avoid the sick. And many people, desperate to save themselves, even abandoned their sick and dying loved ones. “Thus doing,” Boccaccio wrote, “each thought to secure immunity for himself.” -History .com Both of these pests could be found almost everywhere in medieval Europe, but they were particularly at home aboard ships of all kinds–which is how the deadly plague made its way through one European port city after another Doctors refused to see patients; priests refused to administer last rites. Shopkeepers closed stores. Many people fled the cities for the countryside, but even there they could not escape the disease: It affected cows, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens as well as people. In fact, so many sheep died that one of the consequences of the Black Death was a European wool shortage.

FRAYER MODEL – CHARACTER while you read…. What a character says What character thinks/feels Character’s Name & Appearance What others say/react to character What a character does

Gothic Novel Elements Combines elements of horror and romance. Often set in a medieval setting such as a castle Involves terror, mystery and the supernatural Gothic Novel Elements

Socratic Seminar - Setting & Mood What is the immediate mood set by the events that occur in the first few paragraphs? In paragraph #4 the author goes to great length and detail to describe each room of the Prince’s home. How does the author describe the colors and lighting to create a mood? Socratic Seminar - Setting & Mood

Socratic Seminar - Tone What do you believe are Edgar Allen Poe’s attitude or feeling toward characters like the Prince? How does he reveal this in the story (give examples)? Socratic Seminar - Tone

Evaluate whether the prince’s plan to withdraw from the suffering world was ethical. Explain. Poe argues that all language & details in a short story should contribute to a unified single effect. Do you agree? If so, how would you describe the effect? Socratic Seminar

Writing on the wall Active Voice = Subject performs action Passive Voice = Action performed on subject Small groups, each group determines active or passive voice of sentence on the wall. Then compose the opposite version of the sentence. Writing on the wall