“Masque of the Red Death” English II Academic

Theme  Looking at plot:  Prince Prospero and friends attempt to escape death in his castellated abbey (Cause)  Death overtakes them all (Effect)  Theme: Death holds “illimitable dominion over all” (83).

Symbolism  The seventh room:  Black in color: “The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon carpet of the same material and hue” (80).  What does the color black usually symbolize?  Do many people want to enter the room?  Where does Prince Prospero die?

Symbolism  The seven rooms:  The stages of life: 1.Birth (Blue)—easternmost 2.Toddler Age (Purple) 3.Childhood (Green) 4.Teen Years (Orange) 5.Middle Age (White) 6.Old Age (Violet) 7.Death (Black)—westernmost What moves from east to west?

Symbolism  The seven rooms:  The seven deadly sins:  Pride  Greed  Lust  Envy  Gluttony  Wrath  Sloth  Did Prince Prospero exhibit all of these things?  When did Prince Prospero get really angry and begin chasing the masked figure?

Symbolism  The clock:  A clock tells what?  The courtiers do what when the clock strikes?  What are they doing?  How much time do they have left?  The clock is symbolic of the passage of time before death—a constant reminder that death is inevitable.

Allusions  “In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod” (82).  Who is Herod?  What did he do?  How does this connect?

Allusions  “And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night”(83).  A thief in the night comes from where?  I Thessalonians 5:4,9-10 "For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him."