1. “The Masque of the Red Death”

2. Why do Prince Prospero and his followers retreat to his palace?
To escape the Red Death Plague

3. Describe in specific detail the series of rooms in which the Masquerade Ball takes place.
A series of 7 rooms in a zig-zag pattern
To serve as lighting, there are large bowls of burning coals between the rooms.

4. In the black room there stands a huge ebony grandfather clock.
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.

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

6. Inside Outside Wealth Poverty Fantasy Reality Life Death; Destruction
Compare life outside the palace with the life of the people Prospero brought inside.
Inside
Outside
Wealth
Poverty
Fantasy
Reality
Life
Death; Destruction
Happiness
Sorrow
Health
Disease/Sickness
Hope
Despair

7. He is prejudiced against the poor.
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 prejudiced against the poor.
He thinks he can cheat death. (He thinks he can buy his way out.)

8. 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

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

10. 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

11. List 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

12. Allegory:
A type of story in which the characters, settings, and events are an interconnected series of SYMBOLS.
The deeper or symbolic meaning of the story may contain a LESSON ABOUT LIFE.

13. Allegory
set of recognizable symbols whose meanings combine to convey a message.
An allegory always operates on two levels of meaning:
the literal elements of the plot (the colors of the rooms, for example) and their symbolic counterparts, which often involve large philosophical concepts (such as life and death).

14. What is the allegorical lesson in the story?
THEME: One cannot escape his or her fate or death.

15. Symbolism Connects the theme
Projected symbolism: The author writes without the intent to make things symbolic, but the reader can draw symbols from the story.
Intended symbolism: The author writes with the intent to make things symbolic or representative of something else

16. Symbolism connects the Theme
Symbol: a person, animal, thing, event, or idea that represents something in addition to itself
heart = love
cross = religion or Christianity
skull = death
red = passion, blood
white = purity, innocence
what could symbolize life? death? freedom? joy? hate?
***symbols help readers understand the meaning of the story by focusing on specific ideas related to the theme

17. SYMBOLS What might each Symbol from the story represent?

18. He represents mankind's futile attempt to live forever.
Prince Prospero –
Wealth; prosperity
He represents mankind's futile attempt to live forever.

19. The masquerade –
Fantasy; escaping from reality

20. More specifically, the Red Death Plague
The masked figure –
Death in general;
More specifically, the Red Death Plague

21. The number 7 - The Seven Deadly Sins
Gluttony - The overindulgence of anything.
Envy- Jealousy of others.
Lust - Impure thoughts and desires.
Covetousness - The desire for others’ things
Anger-fury, also known as wrath
Pride- An overconfidence in one’s self or one’s abilities
Sloth (Procrastination)- Laziness

22. The number 7 -
7; the world was created in 7 days; it symbolizes fullness, completion.
Room 1 (in the east): blue (water-life begins in water in womb)
Room 2: purple: royalty, power (children control, dominate family life)
Room 3: green: growth, life (youth, maturation
Room 4: orange: fertility (adulthood; procreation & productivity)
Room 5: white: purification (part of aging is finding meaning in life & becoming more spiritual)
Room 6: violet: light purple (weakening power as result of aging body)
Room 7: black/ red: evil, death, sorrow, loss
Full spectrum of colors represents the stages of man’s life from birth to death.

23. WHAT MIGHT EACH COLOR REPRESENT?

24. Going from East to West:
Blue
Purple
Green
Orange
White
Violet
Black

25. Masculinity; Sadness; Melancholy; Calm
BLUE
Masculinity; Sadness; Melancholy; Calm

26. PURPLE
Royalty

27. GREEN
Envy; luck; growth

28. ORANGE
Caution ;fertility

29. WHITE
Purity; peace

30. Violet
Mystery; sprituality

31. BLACK
Death; mourning

33. Assignment
With a partner you need to design an illustration of one of the symbols mentioned on your study guide
Prince Prospero
The masquerade
The masked figure
The clock
Any of the seven rooms mentioned in the story

34. Requirements
You MUST find quotes or a passage from the story that explains what you think is symbolic of this object
You MUST explain the use and meaning of the symbol on the back of your illustration
You MUST illustrate to the best of your abilities using color, cut outs, whatever
You MAY use the computers to research

35. Requirements Your project should include: Illustration of the symbol
Quote or passage of the symbol on the illustration
Explanation for the meaning and use of this symbol as it relates to the theme.

36. Questions to ponder
How does this symbol help develop the theme that death is inescapable?
What could this object represent and why?
What is the purpose of this object?
Who is affected by the object and how are they affected?
Do the colors or description help symbolize the object further?