MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Edgar Allen

Poe

ALLEGORY

A narrative work with two levels of meaning

– the literal and the symbolicAll or most of the characters, settings, and events in an allegory are symbols

The purpose of an allegory is to teach a moral lesson.

THE “RED” DEATH

The disease of the red death is fictitious. Poe describes it as causing “sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores” leading to death within half an hour.Though neither the victims of the actual black plaque or of tuberculosis (or consumption as it was known then) died quickly, these most likely were Poe’s inspiration for his “red death.”

SETTING

Poe’s story takes

place in a castled

abbey in 7

connected but

carefully

separated rooms.

Prince Prospero tries to escape

death by walling it out, and by do

doing, creates a prison out of the

sanctuary.In the end, what does

the Prince learn?

This reminds the

reader of the past

significance of the

number 7

This history of the world was thought to consist of 7 ages, just as individual’s life had 7 stages. The ancient world had 7 wonders; there were 7 deadly sins with 7 virtues.

Therefore reading this story as an allegory suggests that the 7 rooms represent the 7 stages of one’s life – birth to death.