Edgar Allan Poe: "The Masque of the Red Death" - Allegory, Symbolism

Question 1

analyzing symbols

Answer 1

• important to separate the literal meaning from the figurative meaning. sometimes, one object can even have several layers of symbolism such as the color, arrangement, and events that occur in the room of the abbey.

Question 2

in paragraph 13 of “The Masque of the Red Death,” the Prince tries to kill death, which is symbolic of

Answer 2

people’s anger toward death

Question 3

one of the symbolisms Poe uses in “The Masque of the Red Death” to describe the Prince is

Answer 3

his name – Prince Prospero

Question 4

the different rooms Poe describes in “The Masque of the Red Death” symbolize

Answer 4

the different stages or experiences of life

Question 5

In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the arrangement of the seven chambers in order from east to west symbolizes

Answer 5

life beginning and ending, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west

Question 6

the arrangements of the chambers, “irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time” (Paragraph 4 of “The Masque of the Red Death”), symbolizes

Answer 6

the revelers not seeing their future nor their past, but only focusing on the present