Symbols in the Masque of the Red Death

In the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, the rooms and the colors of the rooms play a big role in the story. Each room has its own color that symbolizes something different. Some people think the rooms stand for the seven stages of the life of a man. Other people think the rooms symbolize different emotions. While some think the colors symbolize the life of a man from when he is a baby to when he dies. Some people think the ebony clock plays a role in telling the characters in the story when they are going to die and when the Red Death finds its way into the elaborate castle.

Another theory about the rooms is that they stand for the seven deadly sins a person can commit. The first room which was blue in color. Which stands for the first stage of a man's life. The birth of the man. This room was also on the far east side of the hallway of rooms. Which could symbolize the rising of the sun in the east in the morning. This room could also symbolize one of the seven deadly sins and this room being blue in color would symbolize sloth which means the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. This is the room Prince Prospero spent most of his time in. So the red death when it entered the elaborate castle started in the blue room then prince prospero got enraged at himself and chased the spirit of the red death through all of the other rooms to try and kill it. Which ultimately is the reason Prince Prospero was the first to be killed in the story.        

The second room that Prince Prospero chased the red death through was the room which was purple in color. Which stands for the second stage of a man's life which is youth. This room also can stand for the next part of the day when the sun is about half wa to its noon time position. It could also stand for another one of the seven deadly sins which is pride which is when you have an excessive beliefs in your own abilities like prince prospero when he was chasing the red death with a knife he took from one of his guards in the blue room, which. Which leads us to the next room in the story. The third room that Prince Prospero chased the red death through was the room which was green in color. Which stands for the third stage of a man's life which is adolescence. This room can also stand for the position the sun reaches in the day which would be when the sun is right before its noon time position. It could also stand for another one of the seven deadly sins which is envy that means that you have a desire for other people's things or possessions they have that you want. Prince Prospero also chases the red death through this room which leads of to the fourth room.        

The fourth room the Prince Prospero chases the red death through was the room which was orange in color. ThisWhich stands for the next stage of a man's life which is adulthood. This room can also stand for the next position the sun reaches in the sky which be about where the sun is at, at about 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon. The rooms color could also stand for one of the seven deadly sins and this room would stand for the sin of gluttony which is when you have the desire to consume more than you require. Prince Prospero then chases the red death out of this room and into the fifth room of the hallaway.        

The fifth room that Prince Prospero chases the red death through was the room that is white in color. Which would stand for the stage in a man's life which is when the man is in his 60's. This room can also stand for the next position the sun reaches in the day that would be when the sun is at, at about 4 o'clock. It could also stand for another one of the seven deadly sins. This room would stand for the deadly sin of lust which means craving for the pleasures of the body. Prince Prospero chases the Red Death out of this room and into the next room in the hallway.        

The sixth room Prince Prospero chases the Red Death into is the room that is violet in color. Which could stand for the next stage in a man's life which is when the man retires from work. It could also stand for the next position the sun reaches. Which would be about 6:30 P.M.. It could also stand for the next one of the seven deadly sins. The room would stand for the deadly sin of pride which is when you have an excessive belief in your own abilities. Prince Prospero chases the Red Death out of this room and into the final room.        

The seventh and final room Prince Prospero chases the red death into is the room that is black in color and has scarlet tinted windows. It also stands for the death of the man. This roo would stand for the sun position when the sun is down. It would stand for the deadly sin of anger which is when you look to fight instead of letting the problem be or leave it alone. This is the room the red death kills everyone in.         I believe the color of the room play a role in the story because if the rooms didn't have any color to them then how would you tell the difference between them or distinguish any thing that they would stand for. Also the rooms colors kind of lead to how the party goers are going to die and what room they are going to die in. The rooms overall play a big part in the story and the colors help add to the effect of the story.        

Works Cited

1. The Masque of the Red Death. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masque_of_the_Red_Death.
2. Poe, Edgar Allan, Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Pearson Prentice Hall 2005 82-87

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