Poe, Edgar Allen The Masque Of The Red Death Essays -

Poe, Edgar Allen: The Masque of the Red Death Period C The Masque of the Red Death Poe uses heavy symbolism throughout the story to convey his underlying theme: the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape death. The prince's name, Prospero, generally denotes happiness and prosperity. The Prince possesses these characteristics yet is faced with a plague that he desperately attempting to avoid. This oxymoron is used to hint that this man of exuberance will soon be faced with tragedy. The fires in each of the suite rooms serve as a representation of death. Poe depicts them to be "a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire that projected its rays through tinted glass?But in the western or black chamber, the effect of the firelight upon the dark hangings through the blood tinted panes was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who enter it that there are few?bold enough to set foot within it". The description is meant to produce a mysterious atmosphere in the west in contrast to a propitious one in the east. This can relate to the pattern of the sun's movement. The sunrise in the east represents light and new life for the day. However, the sunset in the west means the end of a day and darkness. Poe uses the element of darkness as a visual representation of death. The black clock is also a symbolic element in Poe's story. "Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute hand made the circuit?it was observed that the giddiest turned pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation". The timepiece represents the rapid passing of time in life. Every time the clock strikes the hour, the musicians quit playing and all of the revelers momentarily cease their celebrating. It is as though each hour is "to be stricken" upon their brief and fleeting lives. To emphasize the brevity of life, the fleeting of life and time, and the nearness of death, Poe reminds the reader that between the striking of each hour, there elapses "three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies." The significance of the seventh room is apparent throughout the entire story. Black usually symbolizes death, and it tends to be used in connection with death. Furthermore, in describing the black d?cor of the room, the narrator says it is "shrouded" in velvet, shrouded being a term generally referring to death. In addition, the window panes are "scarlet-a deep blood color." The relationship between blood and death is an essential aspect because Poe wants the reader to have a visual image of the blood flowing down the walls as a form of death. This is an obvious reference to the "Red Death". When the masked "Red death" makes his appearance, he moves rapidly from the Eastern room (symbolic of the beginning of life) to the Western room (symbolic of the end of life). In addition, the black chamber furthers Poe's theme. The prince rushes "hurriedly through the six chambers", but as he approaches the unwanted "guest", his dagger stops, and he falls dead upon the black carpet. This signifies that death cannot be destroyed (or avoided) as Prospero tries to prevent his fate from occurring. It is a universal force against humankind that holds "illimitable domain over all". Significantly, the appearance of the "Red Death" at midnight is propitious and symbolic. This is the end of the day, and, by analogy, the end of life. The "unwanted" guest's costume additionally contains some meaning. The mask portrays the message that death is an event that cannot be predicted. It is undetectable; a matter disguised as a variety of things in which its victims are unable to escape from. Death is superior to all defying powers and can overcome anything, as it overcomes Prospero's "impenetrable" walls to claim his victims. Poe is highly successful in showing the importance of symbolism to visualize death. His creative meanings behind several objects in the story further his reinforce theme of death's inevitability.