Examples Of Allegory In The Masque Of The Red Death

The Disguise of Death
Edgar Allan Poe believed that short stories should be composed to achieve a single effect. He argued that every event, character, setting, and plot detail should add to this effect. “The Masque of the Red Death” was so exception to Poe’s beliefs. In the short story, Poe utilizes many elements to highlight and contribute to the single effect.
Poe’s overall effect is not to simply entertain the reader; he wants to scare and terrify the reader. In the story, there are many instances where images reoccur and Poe purposely repeats words to emphasize certain points. For example, the word “shrouded” is repeated twice in the story. In the quote, “the seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung

all over the ceiling and down the wall”, the word “shrouded” appears as a pun and is used to describe how the room was covered with black curtains. The word is repeated in the quote, “the figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave.” Shrouded means to conceal something. It is also a length of cloth used to wrap a dead person. Poe repeats this word in a haunting way as he is describing the castle and Death with the same word. Blood is motif that really adds to the dark story, as well. The Red Death is described as having blood as its Avatar. The windows of the seventh apartment are expressed to have had “scarlet -- a deep blood color” windows. Blood appears in the last paragraph of the story when all of the guests die. Blood is a conventional symbol that is associated with morbid or dark times. Its’ multiple uses in the story supports Poe’s single effect.
Poe achieves his effect through the use of an allegory.

An allegory is a type of story with both literal and symbolic meaning. The Red Death literally and symbolically represents death. The Red Death is a “hideous” disease that has devastated the country. This disease is described as being the most fatal epidemic ever. Regardless of how extravagant the castle and the party are, people within the country are still suffering from the plague. Prince Prospero isolates himself from those who are sick to avoid getting the disease. However, in attempt to stay away from the Red Death, he ends up being killed at his party. Literally and symbolically, there is no way of escaping death no matter how hard people try to avoid it. The different colored rooms lined up are also examples of an allegory. The rooms represent the stages of life and resemble the pattern of day and night. The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west, just like how the rooms are arranged in the house, from east to west. The first room is blue symbolizing birth and day. The last room is black symbolizing death and night. As people move on from room to room, they are moving closer, day by day, to death. In the black room, there is a large clock that has bells that ring frequently. The loud ring literally reminds the guest of the time passing; symbolically, the bell represents the time until death’s judgement. Poe uses the element of allegory to add a deeper meaning to the spooky and scary setting. His literal

and symbolic use of the Red Death, the rooms, and the clock all amplify the frightening and dark theme of death.
Poe uses figurative language and sound techniques throughout the story to compare and describe objects, settings, and characters. The quote, “He had come like a thief in the night”, is an example of a simile. A simile is comparison between two things with the words “like” or “as”. In this example, the speaker is describing the entrance of Death to a sneaky thief in the night. “A strong and lofty wall girdled it in” is an example of a metaphor. A metaphor is also a comparison, but it does not use the words “like” or “as”. The walls in the Prince’s castle are compared to a girdle because they both are used for vanity purposes to look more appealing. "His broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror” demonstrates an alliteration withe the letter “b”. The adjectives used to describe Death are very intense and create a clear picture of what is happening in the story.
Edgar Allan Poe achieves a frightening and thrilling effect in “The Masque of the Red Death”. His use of symbols, motifs, allegories, sound techniques, sensory imagery, and figurative language all add to Poe’s overall idea. Ironically, Prince Prospero was expecting to have a phenomenal masque ball, however, Death ended up being the only one having a ball.