THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH A short

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH A short story by Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Meet the Author ■ Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809. ■ Poe was a poet, literary critic, and fiction innovator.

Meet the Author Haunted by Death ■ Once called one of literature’s “most brilliant, but erratic (unpredictable), stars” Poe is as well-known for his unstable life as for his impressive talent. ■ Poe was abandoned by his father as an infant. ■ Poe lost his mother to tuberculosis by the age of 3. – He was taken in by John Allan, a wealthy Virginia businessman, but the two had a stormy relationship. ■ At age 18, Poe got himself thrown out of college for gambling debts, beginning a lifelong pattern of self-sabotage.

Meet the Author Haunted by Death ■ Estranged from Allan as a young man, Poe formed a new family with his aunt and his young cousin, Virginia Clemm. In 1836, he and Virginia married publically, although they had probably married in secret the year before, when she was only 13. – Virginia died 11 years later, and the devastated Poe died 2 years after (1849). ■ Theories about the cause of his death range from alcohol poisoning to brain lesions to rabies (we don’t REALLY know he died…).

Meet the Author Making Ends Meet ■ For much of his adult life, Poe struggled to support his family. – He landed promising positions at a series of literary magazines, spoiling one opportunity after another with his erratic behavior. – At the same time, his scathing (hurtful/critical) reviews made him a feared and respected critic, and his inventive short stories brought him praise. ■ Poe’s stories were designed to reach a wide audience. – His successes with horror, science fiction, and detective stories proved his mastery of popular genres (types).

Meet the Author Tortured Soul ■ Poe’s distinctive themes included madness, untimely death, and obsession. ■ Given his troubled life, many critics have interpreted Poe’s deranged narrators as reflections of the author’s own state of mind. ■ His fractionation with the macabre (death/horror) was equaled by his interest in logic. ■ Poe’s life and work exemplify the deepest divisions of the self: the conflict of beautiful ideas and dark impulses.

Did you know? !? Poe… ■ invented the modern detective story. ■ inspired the name of the Baltimore Ravens football team (Poe wrote “The Raven” – his most famous poem). ■ wrote a literary gossip column for a newspaper.

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH Edgar Allan Poe

“The Masque of the Red Death” ■ “The Masque of the Red Death” is a gothic allegory, first published in 1842. – What is an allegory? ■ An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. – In an allegory, characters and objects stand for abstract ideas such as good and evil. – Allegories are often meant to teach us lessons. ■ Allegories feature simple characters and unnamed settings, somewhat like fairytales.

“The Masque of the Red Death” ■ In 1964, “The Masque of the Red Death” was made into a movie starring Vincent Price, a well-known horror-movie actor of the time.

Background ■ Around 1350, Europe was struck by an epidemic of bubonic plague (Black Death) that killed more than a quarter of its population. – The plague killed its victims quickly – within three to five days – and there was no cure. – Artwork from that time is full of haunting symbols like the Dance of Death, where Death, personified as a skeleton, whirls anonymously figures to their graves. ■ These grisly allegorical images spoke to the deepest fears of their audience, for whom death was a nearby presence. ■ Note how Poe borrows from this history in his own tale of death.

Dance of Death

The Plague Doctor “The nose [is] half a foot long, shaped like a beak, filled with perfume with only two holes, one on each side near the nostrils, but that can suffice to breathe and carry along with the air one breathes the impression of the [herbs] enclosed further along in the beak. Under the coat we wear boots made in Moroccan leather (goat leather) from the front of the breeches in smooth skin that are attached to said boots, and a short sleeved blouse in smooth skin, the bottom of which is tucked into the breeches. The hat and gloves are also made of the same skin…with spectacles

Background ■ Poe’s vision of the plague may also have been affected by the frequent outbreaks of yellow fever and cholera that afflicted American cities in the early 1900 s. – In 1832, while Poe was living in Baltimore, a cholera epidemic killed 853 residents of that city. ■ Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated A cartoon from a magazine published in 1866. The caption of the cartoon says ‘Death’s Dispensary – Open to the poor free. ’

The BIG Question: Is safety an illusion? ■ We like to feel that there are steps we can take to keep ourselves safe. – To protect ourselves from theft, we can install an alarm or add high-security locks. – To protect our health, we can exercise and eat healthy food. ■ But do our precautions really keep danger away, or do they just give us an illusion of safety? Identify examples from modern society in which people try to isolate themselves from situations or people they perceive to be dangerous. How successful have they been in these efforts?

Text Analysis: Suspense ■ One of the most important elements of a Gothic story is suspense – the combination of excitement and anxiety that readers feel about coming events in a plot. In “The Masque of the Red Death, ” readers feel excited about an extravagant masquerade party, but they begin to feel anxious when Poe describes a clock that makes the guests nervous each time it strikes the hour. ■ As you read the story, notice the elements in the party that make you eager for more or that make you feel a sense of dread about the outcome.

Reading Strategy: Clarify Meaning ■ Poe’s unusual, archaic (old) vocabulary reinforces this story’s feeling of (antiquity) ancient times. ■ To help you clarify the meaning of difficult words and phrases, consult the side notes for helpful information. ■ In addition, use context clues in surrounded phrases to figure out unfamiliar words. ■ Finally, paraphrase difficult passages, using simpler language. ■ Remember, the best way to understand any suspense story is to become engaged in the author’s mixture of excitement and dread. ■ Use your Making Inferences Chart” to help you clarify meaning (Kristin will distribute).

Summary of… “The Masque of the Red Death” ■ This short story tells the tale of Prince Prospero, whose country is plagued by a horrible epidemic of the Red Death. To escape the disease, the prince and his friends lock themselves away in the prince’s abbey. Thinking themselves safe, the prince and his friends amuse themselves while the Red Death ravages (damages/destroys) the countryside. They hold a masked ball, where they discover an uninvited guest dressed as the Red Death. The guest turns out to be the plague itself, which brings death to all. Harry Clarke’s interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death” (1919).

Read With a Purpose ■ As you read the text, read to learn if the prince meets a fate he deserves. – Identify four synonyms for the word “fate. ” fate

Time to read!!!

Targeted Passage Reread lines 1 -11. ■ What is the Red Death? ■ How does Prince Prospero feel? Is he concerned about it? ■ When does he take action? ■ Whom does he summon (call/send for)?

Clarify Meaning Use the side notes to help you restate lines 1 -8. ■ What can you infer about the mood of the country from this description? – Record your answers on your Making Inferences Chart.

Tiered Discussion Prompts Reread lines 13 -26. Connect ■ Have you or someone you know ever tried to escape something that seemed unavoidable? How does that experience help you understand what Prospero was trying to do? Analyze ■ Why did Prospero choose to hold the ball just as the “pestilence raged most furiously”? Predict ■ Do you think the prince’s precautions will protect those inside the abbey? Explain.

Text Analysis: Suspense Reread lines 44 -60. Reread Poe’s description of the seventh room used by guests of the masquerade party. ■ Notice that the details establish an eerie mood – an important part of Gothic suspense. ■ Nothing frightening happens in these lines, but the setting itself gives the reader an unsettling sense that terror awaits. – How does the narrator’s description of the windows (lines 46 -48) add to the story’s suspenseful atmosphere? – What effect does firelight in the room have on Prince Prospero’s guests? – How does their reaction add to the suspense?

Text Analysis: Suspense Reread lines 71 -79. ■ How does the clock described in these lines contribute to the story’s developing suspense?

The BIG Question: Is safety an illusion? Reread lines 80 -111. ■ What details in these lines suggest that the partygoers feel an illusion of safety? ■ What detail suggests that they may feel less safe than before?

Clarify Meaning Paraphrase lines 104 -111. ■ Why do none of the guests venture into the seventh room? – Record your answers on your Making Inferences Chart.

Targeted Passage Reread lines 134 -152. ■ What does the uninvited guest’s costume look like? ■ How does the prince respond to the guest? ■ What does the prince order to be done to this masked figure?

Tiered Discussion Prompts Reread lines 134 -152. Recall ■ How do guests respond to the stranger dressed as Red Death? Interpret ■ Why does Prince Prospero respond to the stranger’s costume with “terror or distaste” and “rage”?

Clarify Meaning Reread lines 127 -143. Use context clues to determine the meaning of the words decorum, visage, and vesture. ■ Use the chart below to help you organize your thoughts. Words decorum visage vesture Context Clues Definition ■ What details help explain why the figure’s appearance is so shocking?

Targeted Passage Reread lines 170 -190. ■ What does Prince Prospero try to do, and what happens as a result? ■ What do the guests find when they seize the stranger? ■ What happens to the guests in the end?

Text Analysis: Suspense Reread lines 157 -190. ■ How does the quickening pace of the plot’s closing moments contribute to this story’s suspense?

The BIG Question: Is safety an illusion? Reread lines 185 -190. ■ What happens to the prince’s and the revelers’ illusions of safety? ■ What meaning does this outcome have for life beyond the abbey walls?

Read With a Purpose ■ Think about the prince’s actions throughout the story. Did the prince deserve his fate? Why or why not?