Masque of the Red Death and its Main Theme

Introduction

Edgar Allen Poe delivers his theme that no one escapes death in his short story "Masque of the Red Death" through symbolism, setting, and narration. The short story was set in the 14th century when the Red death has begun to devastate the cities of Europe. The Red Death swept throughout all of Europe, including the land where Prince Prospero ruled. In an attempt to hide from the misery that lurked just outside their gates, the prince picked out a group of friends that would live with him in the seclusion of his castle. For five or six months, the prince's friends resided in the castle. They distracted themselves with extravagant masquerade parties where they were required to wear masks of eerie nature. However, at the top of every hour, the clock would ring and make a thunderous sound that would silence everything in ears reach. But as soon as the sound finished, the guest would revert back to the party and their joy. Then, an unexpected guest arrives; he went on unnoticed at first, but then his ghoulish mask and demeanor were noticed and feared throughout the ballroom. After noticing the guest, Prospero chased him down the corridors into a black and red  room where he met the mysterious character??”and his demise. Throughout this story, Poe establishes the theme that no one can escape death, through his gradual introduction of symbolism within the room colors, the grandfather clock, and the masquerade ball.

Symbolism

Through the course of the story, Masque of the Red Death, Poe displays different symbols to act as a warning to all in Prospero's castle that they can never escape death. The masquerade ball can be seen as a distraction for the residents in the story from the dread of the Red Death. Poe uses the masquerade ball to show how Prince Prospero and his guests are under the illusion that they can escape the Red Death. The grandfather clock is one of the symbols that interrupts their illusion, simply for a moment, to remind them of their realities. Everyone is forced to acknowledge the panging of the clock in spite of his or her own will: there strikes the ebony clock... all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand(Poe). The guests at Prince Prospero's castle have been convinced that the prince has saved them from the horrors of the outside world, that the prince is able to hide them all from death. But the clock forces them to remember that he can't save them. Their time is ticking away just like everyone else.

Poe also utilizes the room locations in Prospero's palace to remind the guests of their own transient condition.  The easternmost room had blue stained windows and corresponding decorations. The rooms continued to mirror this pattern with purple, green, orange, white, and violet. It was only the last room furthest west that was distinct with black decorations and red stained windows. The locations symbolize one's journey through life, resembling that of the sun's journey. Rising, being born, in the east and setting, dying, in the west. In the corridor, there was no form of lighting other than natural light from the sun that would illuminate the stained glass in each room and make odd figures appear. However, no one would dare go near the westernmost room for the light created a figure so intense and terrible. No one was ready to confront death.  Poe writes the red and black room as a  symbol of death, and the illuminated figures as a symbol of how Death's reach can come anywhere and to anyone.

Setting

Being set in 14th century Europe during the bubonic plague, Poe augments his theme by capturing the sheer magnitude and terror of the plague. The bubonic plague, otherwise known as the Red Death, was an illness that spread through rats on trade ships coming in from the East. This disease was highly contagious and it spread throughout the cities like wildfire. The disease was so infectious that it wiped out almost ?…“ of Europe's population at the time. People were so terrified of dying that shop owners closed down, priests rejected the infected wanting last rites, and doctors refused to see people(history.com). The Red Death induced a number of symptoms on its victims including aches, pains, swellings that leaked blood and pus, fevers and then, ultimately, death. Poe describes the plague as ha[ving] long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal(Poe). By utilizing this setting Poe is, therefore, able to capture the population's fear and their longing to escape from the death that is engulfing Europe. This fear guides the residents to find comfort in the walls of Prince Prospero's castle because they act as a barrier, a false sense of security, from the Red Death. But the walls of the castle cannot stop the death that comes for Prospero and his guests. Poe places them in the castle simply so the Red Death can infiltrate the walls, and their illusion, to display his theme.

Narration

Poe ends the short story with the bubonic plague killing everyone hiding in Prince Prospero's castle. Consequently, the reader can assume that the story is told by Death himself. By making Death the narrator of the story, Poe conveys that Death is more powerful than any other man. When Prince Prospero invites everyone into his castle, he thinks of himself as an all-powerful god who cannot fall to a mere sickness. He has his guests wear non-human figures on their masks to disassociate themselves from their own morality. But living in their own illusion of immortality could not stop Death: [The Red Death] had come like a thief in the night[a]nd Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all(Poe). Prince Prospero, despite all his efforts, was helpless against his fate; Death is the last one standing. By making Death the narrator, Poe is able to make it appear as if Death was there all along, watching and waiting for the right time to seize the castle residents. Death was the one in control the entire time, who would come for everyone, no matter who they are. Even though Prospero thought he was escaping Death, in reality, he wasn't. He ignorantly thought that he could hide from Death but all he managed to do was distract himself with frivolous things leaving him ultimately unprepared for his eternal rest.

Conclusion

The Masque of the Red Death is a tale of horror, distraction,  and futile attempts to escape death. Poe uses multiple elements to convey that no one can escape death. He begins by using the setting of Europe during the bubonic plague to enhance the feeling of fear. By enhancing the fear in the story Poe is able to display one's natural desire to seek refuge from sickness and death; then, he allows death to take them despite their instinct to hide. Poe also uses several symbolic references, such as the grandfather clock and the shadow figures, to act as a constant reminder that though they may try, one cannot hide from death. The grandfather clock was able to break through their fallacies and force them to recall their inevitable situation; while the shadow figures served as an indication of death's tremendous reach that no one can escape. All the symbols Poe utilizes reminds as well as warns the guest of the death they were unable  to elude. Finally, Poe uses the narration itself as tool to display what everyone must face in the end. As the story concludes the Red Death gains control of everyone inside of Prospero's castle leaving everyone else dead. By doing this it emphasizes that in the end death will conquer us all despite wealth or status. The use of several literary elements throughout the story acts as continuous support for the theme: no one can escape death. Poe's Masque of the Red Death is a frightening story set in the 14th century that makes the audience recognize their own mortality and establishes that in the end Death will come for anyone and everyone.

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