1. The Masque of the Red Death
Notes and Test Review

2. VOCABULARY
Accord Blasphemous August Cessation Daunt Decorum Despairing Impeded Impetuous Monotony
Peal
Disapprobation
Disconcerting
Embellish
Profuse
Propriety
Prostration
Reverie
Sagacious
Wanton

3. Vocabulary 1
Accord: We are in accord concerning the method of handling this problem.
Blasphemous: Telling that sacrilegious joke is blasphemous.
August: The king was an august figure when he sat on his throne.

4. Vocabulary 1
Cessation: After the sudden cessation of the car alarm, the silence seemed deep.
Daunt: I am not daunted by your threats.
Decorum: The students decorum at the dance was excellent.
Despairing: The woman’s despairing tears touched the hearts of many.

5. Vocabulary 2
Impeded: The pillar I sat behind impeded my ability to see the stage.
Impetuous: His impetuous behavior caused him to make many mistakes.
Monotony: There is so much monotony in my life that I need a change.
Peal: The bells pealed at noon to celebrate the wedding.

6. Vocabulary 2
Disapprobation: The unruly child faced the disapprobation of his parents when they learned of his behavior.
Disconcerting: He has not responded to the medicine and that is disconcerting.
Embellish: He would embellish the room for the party by hanging banners.

7. Vocabulary 3 Profuse: Cutting that artery will cause profuse bleeding.
Propriety: Those who attend the club meetings should conduct themselves with propriety.
Prostration: He was prostrated by illness and could not attend school.

8. Vocabulary 3
Reverie: The students lend themselves to reverie during the long school days.
Sagacious: The sagacious freshman knew not to buy an elevator pass from the senior attempting a clever ruse.
Wanton: He had to drop out of the presidential race when is wanton behavior was exposed.

9. Edgar Allan Poe Born in Boston 1809 Son of traveling actors
Tragic life

10. Poe’s Life and Work Mother died of tuberculosis
Adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Allan
Studied at the University of Virginia
Gambling and drinking prevented him from continuing his education
1836 married his 14 year old cousin Virginia Clemm
1846 Virginia Dies
Poverty stricken and an alcoholic

11. Edgar Allan Poe
Poe is known for his tales of mystery, horror, and suspense
King of the Gothic Genre

12. Literary Devices
Allusion: Reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event
Serves to explain, clarify, or enhance whatever subject

13. Literary Devices
Symbolism: and object that is meant to represent something else
Universal symbols representing universally recognizable ideas
Invested Symbols give symbolic meaning by the way the author uses them

14. The Masque of the Red Death
The Plague
Prince Prospero
Wealthy followers
Masquerade

15. Symbols The 7 rooms The colors The directions East to West
The mysterious stranger
The Ebony clock
The masquerading guests

17. To serve as lighting, there are large bowls of burning coals between the rooms.
In the black room there stands a huge ebony grandfather clock.

18. The decorations match the color of each room.
There is a Gothic window in each room which panes match the color of the room.
The black room’s window panes are the only exception: its panes are “blood” red.

19. The Number 7 7 Deadly Sins 7 Stages of Man Pride/Vanity Envy Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
7 Stages of Man
Infancy
Childhood
Lover
Soldier
Justice
Old age
Dementia/ Death
How do the colors correspond with the two columns above?

20. Infancy
Childhood
Lover
Soldier
Justice
Old age
Dementia/ Death
Pride/Vanity
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth

21. Questions you will need to know the answers to.
Why do Prince Prospero and his followers retreat to his castle?
To escape the Red Death and/or death in general.

22. Question #2
Describe the rooms that the masquerade ball takes place in.
There are 7 rooms and each one is a different color. The rooms sit in a zigzag pattern and all the decorations match the chosen color.

23. Explain how the party is constantly disrupted.
Question #3
Explain how the party is constantly disrupted.
Every time the clock strikes off another hour, the orchestra stops playing and the people stop dancing

24. Question #4
Compare life outside the palace with the life of the people Prospero brought inside.

25. Question #4 Inside Outside Wealth Fantasy Life Happiness Health Hope
Poverty
Reality
Death/Destruction
Sorrow
Sickness/ disease
Despair

26. Question #5
What do you learn about Prospero's character from his desire to keep his palace free of the plague?
He is afraid to die.
He is prejudice against the poor.
He thinks he can cheat death. (He thinks he can buy his way out.)

27. It causes a dream-like effect.
Question #6
What mood or effect is created by the colors and the lighting in the rooms of the ball?
It causes a dream-like effect.
Fantasy

28. Question #7
Why does the clock have such a dramatic effect on the dancers?
It symbolizes reality; their lives slowly ticking away.

29. Question #8 Why does the visitor frighten the guests?
Because he suddenly and mysteriously appears out of nowhere
Because he looks like someone with the Red Death Plague
Because he just stalks to and fro and doesn't talk

30. Question #9 Description of the plague’s symptoms
List 6 aspects of how Poe builds terror in the story:
Description of the plague’s symptoms
Doors welded shut; one couldn't leave even if one wanted to
Dim, pulsing lights from the burning coals
Black room with the red panes
Appearance and behavior of the intruder
Clock constantly stopping the party

31. Question #10
What is the lesson of the story?
One cannot escape death

32. Question #11
Name what the following symbols represent.

33. Symbols Prince Prospero Masquerade Wealth and Prosperity
Mans attempt to escape death
Fantasy; Escaping
Reality

34. Symbols The Masked figure The Number 7 Death The Red Death
Seven Deadly Sins
Seven Stages of Man

35. The 7 Rooms and the colors