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  • Essay / Allegory, Symbolism, and Climax in The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe

    Many people are afraid of death, which is why some will do anything to escape it. Few things in life are impossible to live without, one of those things is death. It is impossible to live without death. Death is a requirement. Edgar Allen Poe is known for exploring and shedding light on this universal truth. Poe is known for highlighting the inevitability of death through his 1842 short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” This story is about the wealthy Prince Prospero who desperately tries to avoid the Red Death. The Red Death, which symbolizes physical death, sweeps across the country. Prince Prospero believes that he has effectively hidden himself from the Red Death by hiding in his isolated abbey. The prince had no idea that the danger he was trying to escape would appear during his masked ball. Everyone at the party was having fun when the Red Death suddenly arrives and kills Prince Prospero and everyone at the party. “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe reveals to the world that suffering cannot be avoided through the use of allegory, symbolism, and climax. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Edgar Allan Poe alludes to brutal illness to create a meaningful allegory. By presenting the Red Death as a disease that "had long devastated the country", the true inspiration for this short story is revealed to readers. The Bubonic Plague, similar to the Red Death, invaded the world in the 1300s. At the time, there was no cure for the Black Death, leaving people without hope. The Black Death killed everyone, regardless of social class and wealth. This specific allegory relates to the theme because it shows that regardless of a person's social position and wealth, death and suffering cannot be escaped. Death eventually reaches everyone and devastates all who encounter it. The two illnesses draw parallels because they show that pain and agony cannot be avoided in any way. Death cannot be cured, it must be endured. Poe uses symbols to apply theme to many scenarios. The ebony clock is a symbolic element of this short story. Each time the clock struck the hour, “we noticed that the most dazed turned pale”. During the party, the clock was still ticking. Every hour the clock struck and panic and fear filled the party guests. The fear was quickly forgotten and the party continued happily. The clock symbolizes the life of the party participants. As the hours passed, their lives became shorter. Even though the partygoers tried to ignore the clock, it was impossible to forget its presence. There is nothing that can be done to prevent death from reaching them. As the clock struck midnight, the Red Death appeared. "And the life of the ebony clock was extinguished...". The ticking and chiming of clocks ended with the end of the partygoers' lives. Although they locked themselves in the abbey, trying to keep death out, the Red Death eventually found them and they all died. Finally, the Red Death is said to wear a “corpse-like mask”. This embodies the theme because it shows that although death may be hidden, it is still there and can strike at any time. Leaving readers with the universal truth that death is inevitable and unavoidable. The climax turns out to be the most important part of this short story. Prospero's masquerade took place to celebrate with his fellow nobles who willingly and willingly left suffering and.