The macabre mood Edgar Allen Poe is so famous for provoking in his readers is crafted in “The Masque of the Red Death” by utilizing his ominous symbolism. “The Masque of the
Red Death” is already presented as an eerie, evil story just within the presentation of the title.
The short story is riddled with obvious and not so obvious symbols, all which contribute to the mood and overall effect of the story. The castle itself is an important symbol of wealth and the prosper-which-turns-not-so-prosperous of Prince Prospero. The life of luxury lead inside the gates comforts the guests, yet no amount of money can save them from the Red Death. The
“extensive and magnificent structure” (Poe 1) is symbolic of the belief that the Prince and his
guests …show more content…
“They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulse of despair or of frenzy from within” (1), but in actuality, the gates become a prison cell which traps the revelers inside the walls of the castle.
The depressing irony of the castle and its gates inspires a feeling of gloom within the reader, and accurately promotes Poe’s attempted mood. When view from the castle itself and its gates shifts to the interior, the symbols of One of the most obvious of these symbols is the Ebony Clock.
The clock represents the imminent end of life that is coming for the party-goers and for Prince
Prospero, brought on by the Red death. With each chime of the clock, “it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery”(2). The revelers become distraught with each clock chime since the overpowering feeling of uneasiness comes with it. The temporary hush that falls over the crows emcompases the coming of the perminent silence that will soon befall the castle, and leave …show more content…
Each of the seven rooms of the castle are furnished solely in one color except for the seventh. The spectrum from blue to purple to, green, orange, white, violet, and finally black and blood red, represents the journey of life and eventually the end of life. The 7th room remains deserted for most of the story because of its frightening decorum which “produced so wild a look upon the countenances who entered” ( 2), and so “there were very few … bold enough to step foot within its precincts”(3). The portrayal of life as just an eventual death created by the symbolism of the rooms and their colors, adds to the bleak mood of the story. One of the most
Dark-Romantic-esque symbols is the pairing of the “tripods … of fire” (2) and the windows of each room. Since all the windows of the castle face inward, the only light reflected through each is that of these man-made tripods. And so, Poe uses this paring to symbolize the artificial nature of man and his comforts and how they are far but everlasting. Each symbol present in “The
Masque of the Red Death” has a distinct role in painting the sullen, wicked mood of the
Red Death” is already presented as an eerie, evil story just within the presentation of the title.
The short story is riddled with obvious and not so obvious symbols, all which contribute to the mood and overall effect of the story. The castle itself is an important symbol of wealth and the prosper-which-turns-not-so-prosperous of Prince Prospero. The life of luxury lead inside the gates comforts the guests, yet no amount of money can save them from the Red Death. The
“extensive and magnificent structure” (Poe 1) is symbolic of the belief that the Prince and his
guests …show more content…
“They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulse of despair or of frenzy from within” (1), but in actuality, the gates become a prison cell which traps the revelers inside the walls of the castle.
The depressing irony of the castle and its gates inspires a feeling of gloom within the reader, and accurately promotes Poe’s attempted mood. When view from the castle itself and its gates shifts to the interior, the symbols of One of the most obvious of these symbols is the Ebony Clock.
The clock represents the imminent end of life that is coming for the party-goers and for Prince
Prospero, brought on by the Red death. With each chime of the clock, “it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery”(2). The revelers become distraught with each clock chime since the overpowering feeling of uneasiness comes with it. The temporary hush that falls over the crows emcompases the coming of the perminent silence that will soon befall the castle, and leave …show more content…
Each of the seven rooms of the castle are furnished solely in one color except for the seventh. The spectrum from blue to purple to, green, orange, white, violet, and finally black and blood red, represents the journey of life and eventually the end of life. The 7th room remains deserted for most of the story because of its frightening decorum which “produced so wild a look upon the countenances who entered” ( 2), and so “there were very few … bold enough to step foot within its precincts”(3). The portrayal of life as just an eventual death created by the symbolism of the rooms and their colors, adds to the bleak mood of the story. One of the most
Dark-Romantic-esque symbols is the pairing of the “tripods … of fire” (2) and the windows of each room. Since all the windows of the castle face inward, the only light reflected through each is that of these man-made tripods. And so, Poe uses this paring to symbolize the artificial nature of man and his comforts and how they are far but everlasting. Each symbol present in “The
Masque of the Red Death” has a distinct role in painting the sullen, wicked mood of the