The Masque of the Red Death Group
Question:
bmxdannyo
Student
What are the symbols in "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe?
Answers:
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renelane Teacher
High School - 11th GradeeNotes Editor
Posted by renelane on Thursday September 20, 2007 at 6:00 PMThe red death is symbolic for death (of course). No matter how luxurious the house, how nice our clothes, no one escapes death.The rooms in the palace, lined up in a series, symbolize the stages of life. The rooms run east to west, and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. This symbolizes sun as life, and night as death.
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jamie-wheeler Teacher
College - SophomoreeNotes Editor
Posted by jamie-wheeler on Thursday September 20, 2007 at 7:27 PMIn addition to the excellent answer above, I would point out the symbolism of the name "Prospero," a take, of course, on the word "prosperous." However,(as Rene mentioned) none is immune from death, no matter how wealthy he or she may be.
Another symbol is the clock, which is so prominent in black room (the color black being a synomym for death) and probably is symbolic of the ticking away of life, from the second we are born.
Sources:
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allyson Teacher
High School - 10th GradeeNotes Editor
Posted by allyson on Friday September 21, 2007 at 7:21 AMIt is also believed that the seven rooms of seven colors may represent the seven deadly sins, which are: sloth (laziness), lust, gluttony (eating too much), avarice (greed), pride, anger, and covetousness (taking what does not belong to you). Since the Prince was a selfish and arrogant man, it could be said that he committed all of the above, which would certainly allow an explanation of the seven rooms representing each sin.
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blazn0azn Student
High School - 9th GradePosted by blazn0azn on Thursday November 1, 2007 at 3:09 PMAlso, the grand gated wall around Prospero's fortress that is introduced early in the story symbolizes the social barrier between poor and rich. It's a fitting symbol, seeing how the story takes place during the ages when feudalsim dominated as an economic method.
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nikki17 Student
High School - 12th GradePosted by nikki17 on Sunday November 4, 2007 at 7:21 PMi dunno
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etihel Student
High School - 10th GradePosted by etihel on Friday October 31, 2008 at 8:28 AMAs said before "the seven rooms represent the seven stages in life," but for people that do not know Blue represent birth or new life in the story the 1st room is a light blue and the last is black.Black represent eternal night mean death. As the prince goes after the mummer he is passing his seven stages of life.
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ddog Student
High School - 10th GradePosted by ddog on Saturday November 1, 2008 at 2:33 PMI would like to elaborate on the clock answer. Every hour when the clock would chime, the people would stop and listen. the clock also stopped ticking when the last person died. It was as if the clock represented the countdown to death, and the people knew it. Also, the black room had red windows, which cased red light to shine into the room. Everyone was afraid to enter the room because the red light gave the appearance of having the disease.
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audreylynn218 Student
High School - 10th GradePosted by audreylynn218 on Tuesday February 10, 2009 at 5:58 AMThe Red Death not only symbolizes death...but specifically tuberculosis..this disease affected many people that Poe loved dearly, and he watched them die. This is why the Red Death kills in a matter of half an hour...because he felt like the time spent with the suffering people was too short. The Prince Prospero also is a symbol. His name and everything about him is ironic...or a contradictoin. He is described as prosperous and sagacious...but he is in fact killed by the red Death and is not very intelligent because he attempted to take on the Red Death single handedly. Prince Propero's rather eccentric taste in furnishing shows his insanity and they are symbols. Six of the seven rooms are all furnished in the same color with stained glass windows of the same color. Blue represents the insanity of all the guest and Prince Prospero. Purple represents nobility. Green represents naiivitay and greed. They are all naiive in believing they can cheat death by hiding behind iron bars and escape death. The white represents childlike innocence...becuase they have a juvenille mentality because they are trying to escape the inevitable. orange represents the energy of the atmosphere between clock chimes. The violet represents the dusk..or closing of thier lives...the black room is the only one with the blood red windows...this room represents death. THe clock represents the passing of time....any suggestions please emial me!
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Posted by nycguy on Wednesday July 22, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Rather than look for specific meanings to specific elements portrayed in the story (black chamber, tripod, etc.) one must first consider who Poe is and when he was writing. Poe, often and misfit in life, typifies the ideal of the Romantic artist, struggling against a world that fails to understand him, yet trapped, forever, seeking its approval. Forced to turn inward for inspiration, material and content, the Romantic Artist uncovers much which he himself could not understand, that mysterious and dark place within the soul. Here, the image of the "Doppelganger" (double) becomes prominent as it is in much of Romantic literature (see, William Willson), as an example.
The Romantic Artist, and Poe is the quintessential one, struggles to deal with the myriad of bizarre, grotesque and seemingly random images that come to conscioussness when contemplating the "Self." Later, Freud would call it the "Id" the place in all humans, left over from our own primordial past, when lust, and the struggle to live ruled our lives, unchecked.
Observe the story from this light and you will find many different and valid interpretations.
Mine: Poe senses intuitively, the downfall of civilization, his, our own, which I believe we are witnessing even more drammatically and clearly today. Look around you: learning is at an all-time low, respect for tradition is non-existent, indeed, many of the trappings that held society together for centuries are mocked and derided.
Poe's "Red Death," is simply that, the encroaching fall of High Western Civilization from we we all (as the Prince) try vainly to hide from and sometimes, absurdly, attempt to deny.
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book-worm8 Student
Posted by book-worm8 on Wednesday October 14, 2009 at 2:41 PMThe large clock in the black room symbolizes the partygoers and the Prince running out of time. Also, the red windowpane symbolizes the red death. I know my answer is a late but I just thought I should throw that in there.
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corpseyjones Student
Posted by corpseyjones on Friday October 16, 2009 at 1:16 PMThe clock can also symbolize forces that are beyond our control, just like those at the masquerade could not control when death would come to them despite their attempt to hide from it. The Masquerade can also symbolize the dance of life.
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ashleemac Student
High School - 9th GradePosted by ashleemac on Monday December 7, 2009 at 1:55 PMI think that the symbols of the rooms mean the seven deadly sins and also the seven stages of life starting with birth and of course ending with death.
The other symbols of in this story i don't quite understand. im actually writing an essay on this short story so any help would be helpful.
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cantcountonanything Student
High School - 10th GradePosted by cantcountonanything on Tuesday January 5, 2010 at 11:56 AMI think that the Red Death represents how no matter how wealthy or poor you were, it killed you. Everyone was the same in death, it did not choose who would die and who wouldn't. Red represents the blood that was shed. Everyone's blood is red, therefore everyone is equal.
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penishead Student
High School - 9th GradePosted by penishead on Thursday January 7, 2010 at 4:29 PMbmx dont listen to this bimbo
the rooms represent the 7 deadly sins
you notice how each room has a color that go with the colors of the seven deadly sins? and in the end when the prince is killed in the black room (death room) by the clock it represents the time of life and how it can end (the torch going out)
so there
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alefavor Student
High School - 10th GradePosted by alefavor on Monday January 25, 2010 at 10:56 AMthe castle could be a symbol of hope because there away from everyone outside it (the people outside had the disease) so in a way you could say that the castle is hope for life. Another symbol would be the clock its like a countdown for when everyones going to die, thats probualy why they all stoped when they heard it strike and then go on when it stoped. the last room on the west side symbolized death and if you have common sience then you would say it symbolized the red death because when you went in to it , it looked like you had the disease they all wanted to get away from.
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