Analysis of The Masque of the Red Death
Writer's Name
Professor's Name
English 101
14 November 2013
Chasing Time Edgar strikes fear in the eyes of the reader as the adventure of The Masque of the Red Death takes one through the life cycle from the beginning to death. A terrible disease stormed through the country, killing anyone in it’s path. Not only was it madly gruesome, but dreadfully fatal. With only half of the kingdom left alive, Prince Prospero decided to take the route of a coward. He let the kingdom fend for themselves, while he gathered a thousand of his favorite knights and ladies and had a never-ending party, “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” (Poe 3). Once the last guest entered the gate doors, no one came in, and no one gets out (seeing as the Prince welded the gates shut). After a few months the prince decided to throw a breathtaking masquerade ball. As instructed, the guests wore elaborate costumes and masks. The party took place in a strange design and setup. A series of 7 rooms lead you from the beginning to the end of the party. Throughout all of the rooms, every single one was a bright and cheery color, all but the last room. Black dark and terrifying, what more could one want the 7th and final room to be? Poe takes the reader through a fearful journey, never letting you sit down to have a cup of tea, never letting you feel at home. He wants to put the reader on their toes, awaiting a pop-up scene at any moment, awaiting the “Red Death”. Although his guests loved all of the light and youthful rooms, only the brave and adventurous stray away to the depressed gloomy last and final room. The final room contained numerous clocks that ring and ring every hour, with each ding the partiers stop and pause till the clocks are done. As the clocks struck midnight, everyone noticed a new guest, a very gruesome guest, “there were many individuals in the crowd who had
Professor's Name
English 101
14 November 2013
Chasing Time Edgar strikes fear in the eyes of the reader as the adventure of The Masque of the Red Death takes one through the life cycle from the beginning to death. A terrible disease stormed through the country, killing anyone in it’s path. Not only was it madly gruesome, but dreadfully fatal. With only half of the kingdom left alive, Prince Prospero decided to take the route of a coward. He let the kingdom fend for themselves, while he gathered a thousand of his favorite knights and ladies and had a never-ending party, “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” (Poe 3). Once the last guest entered the gate doors, no one came in, and no one gets out (seeing as the Prince welded the gates shut). After a few months the prince decided to throw a breathtaking masquerade ball. As instructed, the guests wore elaborate costumes and masks. The party took place in a strange design and setup. A series of 7 rooms lead you from the beginning to the end of the party. Throughout all of the rooms, every single one was a bright and cheery color, all but the last room. Black dark and terrifying, what more could one want the 7th and final room to be? Poe takes the reader through a fearful journey, never letting you sit down to have a cup of tea, never letting you feel at home. He wants to put the reader on their toes, awaiting a pop-up scene at any moment, awaiting the “Red Death”. Although his guests loved all of the light and youthful rooms, only the brave and adventurous stray away to the depressed gloomy last and final room. The final room contained numerous clocks that ring and ring every hour, with each ding the partiers stop and pause till the clocks are done. As the clocks struck midnight, everyone noticed a new guest, a very gruesome guest, “there were many individuals in the crowd who had