Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death explores the topic of death and how no human, despite the precautions made, can be able to escape it.
Poe portrays the fictional Red Death as an unstoppable and mysterious force, depicting Death itself, it’s inevitability, and the discomfort towards the topic through personification and other literary techniques.
The uneasiness created by irony is achieved through Prince Prospero and his guest’s carelessness towards the Red Death and the ringing of a clock, rather than the Red Death which they’re hiding from, causing anxiety throughout the crowd of people. The irony in “the Prince Prospero [being] happy and dauntless and sagacious” (37) suggests that Prospero is nonchalant towards the Red Death, rather than worried, the party he was hosting distracting him from the perils of the disease. “And, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale” (39), implying that the crowd has the same negligence towards the Red …show more content…
“There were much glare and glitter and piquancy” (39) before the Red Death makes an appearance at the party, maintaining Prospero’s “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (37) personality which how most people are when they are not reminded of death. A person can become indifferent towards death, Prospero calling it “blasphemous mockery” (41), elaborating the difference between Prospero’s manner before and after the topic of death, in this case the Red Death, is introduced. Prospero “bore aloft a drawn dagger” (42) when he was closest to death, maintaining the hostility one feels when their life is in danger of being taken away. The aversion one feels when faced with the prospect of death is revealed through the large distinction between the two manners of
Poe portrays the fictional Red Death as an unstoppable and mysterious force, depicting Death itself, it’s inevitability, and the discomfort towards the topic through personification and other literary techniques.
The uneasiness created by irony is achieved through Prince Prospero and his guest’s carelessness towards the Red Death and the ringing of a clock, rather than the Red Death which they’re hiding from, causing anxiety throughout the crowd of people. The irony in “the Prince Prospero [being] happy and dauntless and sagacious” (37) suggests that Prospero is nonchalant towards the Red Death, rather than worried, the party he was hosting distracting him from the perils of the disease. “And, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale” (39), implying that the crowd has the same negligence towards the Red …show more content…
“There were much glare and glitter and piquancy” (39) before the Red Death makes an appearance at the party, maintaining Prospero’s “happy and dauntless and sagacious” (37) personality which how most people are when they are not reminded of death. A person can become indifferent towards death, Prospero calling it “blasphemous mockery” (41), elaborating the difference between Prospero’s manner before and after the topic of death, in this case the Red Death, is introduced. Prospero “bore aloft a drawn dagger” (42) when he was closest to death, maintaining the hostility one feels when their life is in danger of being taken away. The aversion one feels when faced with the prospect of death is revealed through the large distinction between the two manners of