Similarities Between Frankenstein And The Masque Of The Red Death

Gothic Elements, Frankenstein and “The Masque of the Red Death”

Mary Shelley’s work, Frankenstein, and Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Masque of the Red Death,” combine precise environment, society, and character description to formulate works of literature that contrast the finesse and light themes of romantic works. Specifically, auroras of mystery and suspense, grandeur and eerie setting, imperfect society, and character flaws develop into classic pieces of gothic romantic literature.

Initializing both works, mystery and suspense is used. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley achieves this through Robert Walton’s series of descriptive and informative letters sent to his sister. Letter 1 beings with Walton explaining his undertaking, where he writes, “a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, … travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste … my daydreams become more fervent and vivid.” (Shelley, 4). Awkward and eerie events such as this continue throughout Walton’s documentation of his expedition, contributing to the creation of an uncertainty of outcome, extravagant danger, and emptiness of the environment the reader experiences. These factors, as well as the figurative pause created in Letter 4 by the ice that “closed in the ship on all sides” (Shelley, 11), formulate the mystery and

suspenseful atmosphere in Frankenstein.
Edgar Allen Poe employs this tactic in a similar fashion in “The Masque of the Red Death”. The first paragraph alone captures the interest of the reader with anticipation. Poe provides specific information on the ‘Red Death,’ however its resolve is postponed. A disease that can kill “in half an hour” requires further investigation by the reader. Mystery and suspense guide the reader to inquire further.
Frankenstein does not have a primary setting; it shifts from place to place to follow the characters’ stories. However, the lack of a main base for the novel does not mean a lack of unique instances. Specifically, Victor’s leave from Geneva to the mountains in the tenth chapter. Here, Shelley writes more in on the mountainous scenery than any other instance in Frankenstein, and it is the peak vivid scene in the novel: “above it rose Mont Blanc, in awful majesty… gazing upon this wonderful and stupendous scene… glittering peaks shone in the sunlight” (Shelley, 63). The grandeur of this scene has a significant impact on Victor during his journey, where “sublime and magnificent scenes afforded the greatest consolation that [Victor] was capable of receiving” (Shelley, 62). The impact of this scene suggests nature’s sublimity, or greater than man, a common theme of romanticism (White).
In contrary, the setting of “The Masque of the Red Death” is static and contained inside the abbey fortified by Prince Prospero.

The surrounding areas of the complex are void of nature, and the seven “movable embellishments of the seven chambers” are manmade (Poe, par. 5). Edgar Allen Poe utilizes the setting to enhance the experience for the reader. For example, the seventh chamber uniquely “failed to correspond with the decorations” and “the panes were scarlet--a deep blood color” (Poe, par. 5) relating to the ‘Red Death’. Poe’s use of scenery is magnificently executed to match the gothic genre, where a “sense of unease and foreboding” is achieved

(Harris).
Conflated with traditional romanticism, the view of organized life and the world are seen as “centers of pollution, poverty and deprivation” (Oosthoek). Shelley illustrates this view and instances of corruption and poverty are evident numerous times in Frankenstein. For example, Victor describes his hometown trial as a system of “wretched mockery of justice” (Shelley 51). The monster explains it was Felix whom brought himself and his family to “that evil [of poverty]” (Shelley 72). Victor himself is wrongly imprisoned by the Irish for Clerval’s death, and near the end of the novel, the monster glooms over the discrimination of human society that lead to the formation of his wretched character: “Am I … the only criminal, when all humankind sinned against me? … I, the miserable and abandoned, … trampled on” (Shelley, 144). Poe includes this sense of exclusion or discrimination as well. In Prospero’s dominion, half of the population is dead before Prospero takes action, and then only “hale and light-hearted friends” were worthy enough to accompany Prospero to the enclave (Poe, par. 2).
Women are excluded from significant roles in both gothic pieces. Louise Knudsen, academic scholar from Aalborg University, suggests that the lack of women in Shelley’s work stems from “Mary Shelley’s surrounding society and its ideas in science” (21). Female characters in gothic novels tend to be oppressed or controlled, and Donna Heiland, author of Gothic and Gender, suggests that “early gothic novels make absolutely clear the genre’s concern with exploring, defining, and ultimately defending patriarchy” (Heiland, 8). This is accurate for Frankenstein where Elizabeth, the most significant female character, is only presented as “a pretty present” whom Victor says “was to be mine only” (Shelley, 18). During the process of creating the second monster, Victor states “she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate… in murder and wretchedness” and then quickly destroys his work (Shelley, 108). Elizabeth is a low priority on Victor’s list, and he often departs on his own endeavors to pursue his work rather than prioritize their wedding, which finally occurs towards the end of the novel. In “The Masque of the Red Death” women are not mentioned and do not hold any significant importance at the masquerade.
Isolation and ignorance plague both Victor and Prince Prospero in two separate but similar ways. Conflicting with traditional romantic style, Shelley and Poe employ these darker elements to compose their characters. Frankenstein immediately loses passion for, and fears the arisen responsibility after completing his monster. Subsequently, he abandons his creation and lets it run wild to fend for itself. Victor falls victim to himself when he believes that isolating himself from his problems will solve them. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Prospero and his comrades escape the ‘Red Death’ by isolating themselves from the rest of the world, hoping that “the external world could take care of itself” (Poe, par. 3). The ignorance of Prospero and Victor leave their legitimate problems to fester. Frankenstein’s lack of responsibility, and Prospero’s hope for self-resolve lead to several deaths of those dear to them, and their own gothic and unhappy self-destruction.
The motives of Prospero and Victor are equally important as their character composition. Prospero and Victor’s actions are both good in seeking ways to prevent the death of themselves or people close to them. Their actions were not in pursuit of honor, glory, or wealth, but to better or preserve society. The failures they were met with were that of fate and destiny. The “darkness and decay and the red death” (Poe, par. 13.) and suicide of the monster “lost in darkness and distance” (Shelley, 145) are counters to the typical happiness or successes of romantic literature.