Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe 1809-1849 Credited for the popularization of the American short story and the detective story Lived a tragic life, with several of his loved ones dying, and he mysteriously dies at a young age No financial success as a writer Only $15 dollars for his most popular “The Raven”

“The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allan Poe “The Masque of the Red Death”

The Black Death/Bubonic Plague/Red Death In the 14th Century (1347-1352) two thirds of Europe and Asia died Disease carried by rats, and easily spread through human contact Red sores on body that were tender and would bleed. Inspiration for “Ring Around the Rosie”

Questions to Consider

What happened in the story? Why do Prince Prospero and his followers retreat to his palace? Describe the series of rooms in which the entertainment takes place. Explain how the party is disrupted.

Interpreting Compare life outside the palace with the life of the people Prospero brought inside. What do you learn about Prince Prospero from his desire and his attempts to keep his household free of the plague? What mood or effect is created by the colors and the lighting in the rooms of the ball? Why does the clock have such a dramatic effect on the dancers? Why does the masked visitor frighten the guests so? Explain how Poe develops the story to build a feeling of terror.

Applying 1. Ugo Betti has written, "Every tiny part of us cries out against the idea of dying, and hopes to live forever." On the basis of this selection, explain whether you think Poe would agree with this statement. Why or why not?

Allegory

Allegory An allegory is a narrative that is really a double story Allegory An allegory is a narrative that is really a double story. One story takes place on the surface and is meant to be taken literally. In the other story, characters and places symbolize abstract ideas or states of being, such as love, freedom, evil, goodness, and heaven or hell. Often the characters and places in allegories have names that suggest what they stand for.

Understanding Allegory What might each symbol from "The Masque of the Red Death represent? Prince Prospero the masquerade the masked figure the number 7 the clock  

Shakespeare’s “The Seven Ages of Man”                                        All the world’s a stage,         And all the men and women merely players;         They have their exits and their entrances,         And one man in his time plays many parts,                        5      His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,         Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;         And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel         And shining morning face, creeping like snail         Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,   10    Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad         Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,         Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,          Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,         Seeking the bubble reputation 15    Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,         In fair round belly with good capon lined,         With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,          Full of wise saws and modern instances;         And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts 20    Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,         With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;         His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide         For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,         Turning again toward childish treble, pipes 25    And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,         That ends this strange eventful history,         Is second childishness and mere oblivion,         Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. Infant (blue) Schoolboy (purple) Lover (green) Soldier (orange) Justice (white) old age (violet) 2nd childhood (black) (facing imminent death) Shakespeare’s “The Seven Ages of Man”

The seven deadly sins 1.Blue - lust 2. Purple - pride 3. Green - envy 4. Orange - gluttony 5. White – greed 6. Violet - sloth 7. Black – anger/wrath The seven deadly sins appear in the book “Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri, who was born around 1265 and died in 1321

Connotation The connotative meaning of a word is what the word suggests beyond its literal dictionary meaning. Authors can use the connotative meanings of words to help establish symbols. For example, the color red connotes blood and death. Poe uses that connotation in describing the appearance of the masked figure.

What are some connotations of the following colors from the story? a. green c. white b. orange d. black

Find three words or phrases that suggest the quality of a nightmare.