Theme Of Fear In The Masque Of The Red Death By Edgar Allan Poe

"No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its avatar and its seal- the redness and the horror of blood" (1). Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre; his very stories injecting fear into the hearts of many. Poe's life was filled with tragedy, as several of the important women in his life such as his wife and daughter died at a young age. He used poems and books to express that tragedy. The short stories, "The Black Cat," and, "The Masque of the Red Death," both written by Poe, develop the theme of fear. "The Black Cat," was about a narrator who had gone crazy and was so overcome by guilt that he went to extreme measures including murder. "The Masque of the Red Death," was about The Red Death, the most dangerous disease
In “The Black Cat,” Poe uses words such as “horror” (1), “murder” (6) and “gore” (6), all of which emphasized the narrator’s insanity and his fear of the cat which he felt he must remove. His abhorrence of the cat grew when it, “inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth” (5). This caused the narrator to feel like he was possessed by a demon, with his original soul now gone, replaced by a “fiendish malevolence” (5). Clearly, the narrator is someone who fears everything and has something wrong mentally. Additionally the narrator had a growing fear of his cat referring to it as a “monster” (5) and a “burden on my soul,” (5). These thoughts show that the narrator felt like the cat knew of his hideous deed and it caused him much guilt, even though the cat didn’t. This diction contrasts with, “The Masque of the Red Death,” as Poe initially uses words such as “happy” (1), “palaces” (1) and “magnificent” (1), to suggest the Prince Prospero doesn’t seem to care much for the dangers of the terrible disease--the Red Death--but instead wants to focus on having a good time and partying when throughout his kingdom, the Red Death is claiming many lives. This originally portrays that the palace of Prince Prospero is a much safer and joyful place than the deranged lair of the narrator in “The Black Cat,” and it seems like
In both “The Black Cat” and “The Masque of the Red Death” not only do the characters face outside obstacles but also internal torments. In “The Black Cat” the narrator faces a battle with his own mind. This was portrayed when he felt that his soul had to “vex itself” (2), and to “do wrong for the wrong’s sake only” (2) and then proceeded to hang his cat, Pluto. It clearly demonstrates that the narrator has no control over his mind and would do whatever he could do please and satisfy his conscience. Another internal conflict that the narrator faced was that a second cat he found, was there to haunt him. This prompted him to “hate all things” (4) and think “dark and evil thoughts” (4). This contrasts with “The Masque of the Red Death” as Prince Prospero faces an external conflict in the destructive disease known as the Red Death. The Red Death was the most hideous disease ever to strike the country. It started off with “sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores” (1). Now, while Prince Prospero was not initially concerned with this dangerous epidemic, he would soon fear for his life when a mysterious figure who “dabbled in blood” (8), and “out –Heroded Herod”(8) arrived at the party. The prince went to confront him and drew his dagger, but “there was a sharp cry- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which,