Allegory and Symbols in "The Masque of the Red Death"

Party Guests What it represents: They represent humanity/ human beings. How it helps teach the lesson: Although the party guests isolate themselves, they still die from the Red Death, thus showing no one can escape death.

The Abbey What it represents: The abbey is a physical barrier to the disease, an escape from the disease How it helps teach the lesson: Even though Prince Prospero thinks he can build a castle strong enough to keep death out, death still penetrates the castle walls.

Prince Prospero What it represents: The wealthy, privileged people; the upper class. How it helps teach the lesson: The wealthy think they can avoid suffering and death or think they are above the powers of mortality, but they are not. Prince Prospero

The Masquerade Ball What it represents: An attempt to have fun/ avoid unpleasant things by pretending everything is okay. How it helps teach the lesson: People have a hard time facing their mortality or a serious problem, so they simply ignore it. The Masquerade Ball

The Black Room What it represents: It represents the grave, a coffin, forebodes of death (the red symbolizes blood). How it helps teach the lesson: It shows that death is the final resting place for all.

The Seven Rooms: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, black What it represents: The stages of life : infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon (a foolish old man), second childhood (ultimately death)—from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. How it helps teach the lesson: The rooms begin in the east and end in the west (the sun rises and the sun sets). The seventh room represents death. No matter where our journey begins, it will always end with death.

The Seven Rooms What it represents: The seven deadly sins: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth. (Biblical reference: Proverbs) How it helps teach the lesson: The seven deadly sins underlie all that is wrong in the world and are attributed to the selfish causes of human behavior, the actual reasons why we hurt each other.

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. Envy is the desire to have others' possessions, status, abilities, or situation. Envy is also known as Jealousy. Gluttony is an excessive desire to overeat.

Lust is an excessive craving for the pleasures of the body. Anger is manifested in the individual who has a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. It is also known as Wrath. Greed is the excessive desire for material wealth or gain. It is also Covetousness. Sloth is laziness.

The Music What it represents: It represents life or the tempo of life . How it helps teach the lesson: It gives us a sense of vulnerability; each time it is stilled by the chiming of the clock, we recognize life is fleeting.

Ebony Clock What it represents: The clock represents our time on earth, our life span. How it helps teach the lesson: The chimes are a constant reminder of the time we have left on earth. Time is still ticking onwards (like the beating of a heart).

The Masked Visitor/ Uninvited Guest What it represents: It represents the Red Death, the plague, death in general. How it helps teach the lesson(develops the theme): It shows us that we cannot escape death, no matter how hard we try. Death will come looking for us.

The Tripods with flames What it represents: They represent light and hope. Hope can be seen in the strength of a small flame. How it helps teach the lesson: Like the party goers, the tripods are snuffed out at the end by death. Once all the revelers are dead, hope can no longer be achieved. There is no one left to keep hope alive. The Tripods with flames

“He had come like a thief in the night.” This Biblical allusion: “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,” refers to the Judgment Day. Many believe that on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word and every careless deed they have committed against their fellow man. Appropriately, this symbolizes that Prince Prospero and his guests have arrived at their “Judgment Day.”

Theme Wealth cannot save you from death. There is no escaping death. Everyone is on the same playing field where death is concerned.