Fear of Death in Masque of Red Death Essay Example

In the short story,“Masque of Red Death”, people do not have much in common, but they do have one big thing in common, that is the fear of death. This short story was written by Edgar Allen Poe around the 1840’s. “Masque of the Red Death” is set in Europe in the 14th century. The story follows Prince Prospero and many other wealthy individuals attempting to avoid a plague known as the Red Death while hiding in his abbey. They put on a masquerade ball inside of his abbey which included seven different rooms, all decorated a different color. This story has many symbolic meanings and it shows how material privileges can not let anyone escape death. In “Masque of the Red Death”, Edgar Allan Poe uses symbolism to represent and convert death into a nightmare in disguise that no one believes will affect them and he uses time to bring out fear.

In the short story, “Masque of the Red Death”, the irrational fear of death was very haunting. Prince Prospero hosted a masquerade party to let him and his guests escape the haunting disease, and from their own thoughts towards the Red Death. Furthermore, “When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys” (Poe 1). Prince Prospero gathered his friends and guided them to his abbey which was far away and decided to throw a party.  He did this so the guests could become distracted from reality and boredom. While attending the party, everyone's fears faded out from what was happening in the outside world since they were locked in the abbey. Specifically, ”The abbey is a place of confinement. It's cut off and secluded from the outside world. Beyond that, its doors are welded shut from the inside. Which means everyone is trapped and no one can get in or out” (Shmoop). The life inside of the abbey was happy and everyone felt safe from the disease happening outside. In addition, every single door and window were sealed so no one could leave or enter. As expressed, Prince Prospero was able to distract himself and others from the Red Death. 

While locked in the abbey, a masquerade party was thrown. The Prince put on a masquerade party to distract the quest and himself. For example, “Prospero and his guests attempt to immure themselves safely within a world of art, but their ball becomes a danse macabre” (Dudley 40). Each guest dressed up and wore a masquerade mask to hide their identity. While hiding their identity, each costume and mask expressed each individual's emotions and opinions without judgment from others. They were also used to hide themselves from the Red Death disease. According to the author of the short story, “It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence” (Poe 1).  Each guest of the party partook in the mask wearing. The attendees in this short story symbolize and show how human life always leads to death. It shows how humans try to hide from things that no one wants to experience no matter the situation. 

Passage of time was applied extensively throughout “Masque of the Red Death”. For example, “The ebony clock represents time, specifically as it relates to death. As the masquerade goes on, the guests become increasingly aware of the passage of time, counting every second of each hour and halting their activities every time the clock chimes” (Owleyes). Every hour when the clock chimes and the pendulum swings, every attendee stops and listens. For each chime, it represents how each of them have lost an hour of their lives and they are all closer to death. As explained, “Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang ... the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance” (Poe 2). Despite their attempts to escape the Red Death, the clock reminds Prospero and his guest that each of their lives will end. Time is shown in many different ways, but is used to show the uncontrollable outcome of human life. Time created so much built up fear in each and every guest. 

In the short story, Poe used color and formation to remind each and everyone of the events occurring around them. According to the author of the short story, “These windows where of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened” (Poe 2). The usage of color-coded rooms symbolizes the stages of human life. Each single colored room with matching stained glass windows showed the progression of life. As described, “The rooms in Prospero's castle are arranged from east to west, following the path the sun takes across the sky. The movement of the sun is a common metaphor for the stages of life” (Owleyes). The way the rooms were arranged east to west were used to show the beginnings and the ends of life. The way the prince decorates shows that he is more than happy to spend any amount of money to create an ambience appealing and comforting. Through the rooms, color was used to symbolize life. 

During the masquerade party, right when twelve o’clock strikes, an unknown masked man made his appearance and everything about him caused every guest to have fear. As explained,  ”Not only did this disguise signify death to all of those in attendance, it represented the specific cause of death that they were trying to escape.  With the revelation of the cloaked figure, it becomes clear that they failed in their undertaking” (Miller). This unknown masked figure looks deathly ill and everyone believes he is the Red Death. Prospero becomes angry and when he approaches it, he inexplicably dies. As the Red Death was described, “His vesture was dabbled in blood—and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror” (Poe 3). His appearance was the most shocking part to Prince Prospero and his guests. The masked figure symbolizes death in a way that it finds all the guests who tried to escape it. From the appearance to the movement, the masked figure created rage and fear. 

Towards the end, the attendees decided to enter the seventh room which had not been approached by anyone. Finally, they decided to enter, “The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue” (Poe 2). This room caused everyone fear and once they entered the room, they found that there was nobody in the costume. As described before, “Because of this chilling pairing of colors, very few guests are brave enough to venture into the seventh room” (Wikipedia). The seventh room is where Prospero decided to challenge the Red Death. Once he did this, everyone died and the Red Death itself had completely taken over the abbey. The room itself represents and proves that the idea of no one, whether rich or poor, can escape from death. 

Edgar Allen Poe turned the fear of death and timing into symbolism and represented it in many different ways. The fear of death in each person was shown inside the abbey while the masque party was happening. The use of passage of time was shown throughout each room and especially the clock. Each person experienced the inevitability of death, especially through the seventh room and the masked figure. The main takeaway shown is that no one can escape from their own destiny and no matter anyone's status, death will not go away. In conclusion, the fear of death took over each and everyone's lives.