Masque Of The Red Death Symbolism Essay

“Masque of the Red Death”: Color Symbolism Symbols are everywhere, embodying meanings larger than life. One can find symbolism in music, literature, and even in decoration! They play huge roles in specific themes or emotions in certain situations. In “Masque of the Red Death”, by Edgar Allan Poe, death is personified, terror reigns, and tragedy strikes, as he tells a short tale of the infamous “Black Plague” that reigned over Europe in the middle ages, and how death is absolutely inevitable. In the story, Poe used an intense amount of symbolism within the seven colored chambers to establish the mood of the story, the seven stages of life, and to emphasize the terror of the situation.
The Mood of the Story
Poe’s use of color sets the eerie mood of the entire story. Firstly, the two colors used in the last chamber, red and black, create the mood of chaos because of their meanings of death and blood. Also, because it is very different from the other rooms, it creates a sense of suspense. As Poe consistently relates back to the black chamber, he is maintaining the mood that he created in the beginning. In the start of the story, after Poe describes the uniqueness of each colored chamber, he finally reaches the last chamber, saying that the effect of the yellow
The story symbolizes the inevitability of death, and brings to reality the quote “you can run, but you can’t hide”. The colors presented in “Masque of the Red Death” play a huge role in this symbolism. They create the mood of the story, they represent the stages of life, and they highlight the horror of the last night of happiness. Overall, Edgar Allan Poe carefully depicts the use of colors in his story, and they will forever be recognized as allegorical genius in this iconic tale of greediness, power, and fate. Symbolism can be found in places high and low. Be sure to look closely, and one can reveal a meaning of something they never would have thought