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1. 
   amethystrose Teacher
   High School - 9th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   Six months after locking himself and one thousand of his nearest and dearest friends within a sealed palace in an effort to escape a deadly plague, Prospero decided to throw a lavish masque.  The party was to celebrate their "escape" from the Red Death which claimed its victims within thirty minutes of contracting the disease.  Unfortunately, Prospero partied too soon and learned the hard way that no one can escape death.  A grotesque masked figure appeared at a party where everyone was dressed in bizarre costumes, but this lone figure had the audacity to dress as the Red Death.  In his anger, he chased the figure through the seven chambers of the hall and it finally turned to confront him in the final chamber... the black room with red windows.  The instant Prospero came near, he dropped dead, and soon so did everyone else at the party.  Death will not be cheated.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/masque-red-death/characters

   http://www.enotes.com/masque-red-death/summary

   http://www.enotes.com/masque-red-death/themes

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   Posted by amethystrose on Wednesday September 30, 2009 at 7:01 PM
   
   

2. 
   mrc1028 Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   In addition to the previous answer, it should be noted that Prince Prospero suffered from too much pride.  Pride is often the factor that leads to a character's downfall in fiction.  The Masquerade was being held because Prospero was spitting in the face of Death.  The moral of the story, is that no one can escape death in the end.

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   Posted by mrc1028 on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM