Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque Of The Red Death

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The Masque of the Red Death: Plot Throughout the centuries, cultures, and civilizations, people have always loved a good party. Great achievements made great cause for celebration, and festivities have entertained the rich and poor alike. As a rule, parties are supposed to be fun, and not things to be dreaded. In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Masque of the Red Death, however, the masquerade turns out to be quite deadly. This deadly story starts with the introduction of a terrible plague, the ominous Red Death. It is described as a pestilence, and a “bloody horror” striking half the population. In the midst of this fatal epidemic, the ruler, Prince Prospero, is said to be “happy and dauntless and sagacious.” He has a plan to avoid fate by evacuating himself along with a thousand healthy friends to a fancy abbey the Prince has built, thus avoiding death while continuing in luxury.…show more content…
He decorates the rooms in single colors, and entertains his thousand. The guests enjoy themselves, but there are “none of the maskers who venture” towards the last room, a black room containing a huge scary-sounding ebony clock. This rising action is highlighted by the clock ringing until it strikes twelve, and the guests become aware of one particular guest. This guest is described to be wearing clothes resembling a funeral shroud, as well as wearing a mask resembling the face of a corpse. What upsets the guests even further is the “sprinkles of blood” around his face and clothes, somewhat implying the scary Red Death. A maddened and slightly scared Prince Prospero sees him, grabs a dagger, and goes to face him alone in the black room. However, the Prince falls dead upon the
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