Edgar Allan Poe was an incredibly popular American author whose works were usually gothic and focused on the questions of death; Poe’s works usually had to mean beneath the surface because he felt that works that had obvious meaning weren’t art. In his short story “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe uses a gothic tone and an allegory to tell the story about a Prince who ends up facing a harsh reality when he tries to escape a problem. The allegorical theme of “The Masque of the Red Death” focuses on socioeconomic inequality; it reflects the idea of how the wealthy put their self-interests above all and leave the poor to fend for themselves even though in the end everyone has the same fate. The symbolic meaning of the Red Death, Prince Prosperous,
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When Poe mentions the Red Death, he says, “blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood”(1). The Red Death represents death itself and how it is going to happen to everyone eventually. It also symbolizes the force that will make the upper class and the lower class equal; everyone faces death and no power in the world can go against such a force. It is evident that Prince Prosperous symbolizes the wealthy and prosperous people of society when Poe says, “When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys”(1). Prince Prospero invites only wealthy people to his party because he feels that only they are worthy of salvation. He creates a division between the poor and the rich to give the message that the poor aren’t important. He, like many of his guests, feels like his money will avoid him from suffering, but the truth is that no matter how beautiful the castle or how rich the clothing, no mortal can escape death. The symbolism of the abbey is shown when Poe describes it, “The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion”(1). The abbey symbolizes power, and how the wealthy are above the peasants because they can afford to escape a situation and leave the poor to their fate. Furthermore, The abbey is filled with objects that bring the Prince and his knight’s entertainment; this shows that the rich don’t care about those outside because while they are together and their power is
When Poe mentions the Red Death, he says, “blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood”(1). The Red Death represents death itself and how it is going to happen to everyone eventually. It also symbolizes the force that will make the upper class and the lower class equal; everyone faces death and no power in the world can go against such a force. It is evident that Prince Prosperous symbolizes the wealthy and prosperous people of society when Poe says, “When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys”(1). Prince Prospero invites only wealthy people to his party because he feels that only they are worthy of salvation. He creates a division between the poor and the rich to give the message that the poor aren’t important. He, like many of his guests, feels like his money will avoid him from suffering, but the truth is that no matter how beautiful the castle or how rich the clothing, no mortal can escape death. The symbolism of the abbey is shown when Poe describes it, “The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion”(1). The abbey symbolizes power, and how the wealthy are above the peasants because they can afford to escape a situation and leave the poor to their fate. Furthermore, The abbey is filled with objects that bring the Prince and his knight’s entertainment; this shows that the rich don’t care about those outside because while they are together and their power is