The Masque of the Red Death Since the dawn of time, man has tried to cheat death and achieve immortality. In ancient times, the kings and aristocrats would pay fortunes to have someone create a potion or a spell that would enable them to live forever. Today, people can have their bodies frozen, hoping that in the future they will be able to revive them and or cure their disease. In the story "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, Prince Prospero and his courtiers try to isolate themselves from the Red Death. This allegory is full of symbols that gradually lead to the disturbing ending.
There are many symbols that represent life, death, and things to come. The Prince Prospero had eccentric taste that was shown in the description of the seven rooms in his extensive and magnificent structure created to hide from the Red Death and therefore cheat death itself.
Illustration for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of ...
Illustration by Aubrey Beardsley, 1894–1895
1848 Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe at 39, a yea...Each room was different but one room stood out, it was a black room. It was covered from the ceiling to floor in black velvet tapestries and decorations but the window was not, "the panes here were scarlet "" a deep blood color." The colors of this room gave off a feeling of Death. This black room is a symbol of death.
The Prince's name is a symbol of the things to come. Prince Prospero, the name would most likely make someone think of Prosperity. He is described as "happy and dauntless and sagacious" and rich. In an Edgar Allan Poe story, people should know that happiness caused by anything including prosperity isn't going to be a theme. His name symbolizes life and prosperity that is soon going to come to an end, because no one can avoid death regardless of how...