The Masque Of The Red Death Essay

1796 Words4 Pages

Josta Badgero
8 a.m. class
Analysis of Masque of the Red Death
Introduction
In Edgar Allen Poe’s short mystery, “The Masque of the Red Death” the emotions and beliefs from the mid 1800’s are figuratively brought to life through symbolism. Discussing through a fictional perspective about a plague that is referenced as “The Red Death”; the disease potentially was meant to represent Tuberculosis or the Bubonic Plague. Using the seven stages of “life” portrayed through color, Poe illustrates the sense of mystery and the fear of the known. In his short story he displays not only the inevitability of fear through extensive use of remarkable symbolism, but also the different views of that era. During the 1800’s the plague was racing and the medication was not extensive enough to control the diseases, such as; Tuberculosis, Bubonic Plague, even the common cold was lethal. Big cities were not kept as clean as they should’ve been, trash and sewage was not always disposed of properly. Having this in mind, think of how easy it was to become ill. The “red death” is viewed as a …show more content…

Through the writing you get an outlook on the input of the world in this specific time zone, as well as how they are presented …show more content…

There are many theories about Edgar’s death, drank to death, Tuberculosis, and even cooping (unwilling citizens were forced to vote and occasionally were killed), though the truth of his passing is not completely known. On October 3rd of 1849 at the young age of 40, Edgar Allan Poe was found still drunken, and a complete mess, hence why cooping seemed likely. (The unwilling citizens were generally found beaten, drugged, and a mess) in the streets of Baltimore, dying four days after, on the 7th. ("Poe's Life." Poe's Life. 2014. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

Open Document