Symbolism
What does the blue room symbolize?
Birth
How is Prospero described at the beginning of the story AND is that description true by the end of the story?
"Happy and dauntless and sagacious"
No, by the end of the story he has shown that he is a coward with bad judgement and ultimately dies
Based on what happens in this story, what traits might Poe be trying to warn against?
Selfishness, vanity, materialism, pride
What does the word "sagacious" mean?
Having good judgement
What does the black room synbolize?
Death
How is the disease "the Red Death" personified in this story? (Hint: personification is giving human traits to a nonhuman object)
Poe has the Red Death walk into Prince Prospero's party as a masquerade guest.
How is Prospero's name ironic?
He doesn't prosper, he dies
What is the vocab word meaning "deadly disease"?
Pestilence
How is the ebony clock another symbol for the red death?
Each time it chimes, the revelers are reminded of more people dying outside the castle.
What is one way that Prospero shows his selfishness that doesn't involve barricading the rest of the country from his palace?
He uses his wealth to throw elaborate parties instead of using it to help the sick people outside of the castle.
What type of irony is occuring when the Red Death shows up to the masquerade party where Prospero and his guests felt safe?
Situational Irony
If a person is "hale" that means they are...
strong and healthy
What does the extravagance of the masquerade represent?
Prospero's wealth and selfishness
How does Prospero show that he isn't really "dauntless" when the Red Death enters the party?
At first, he tries to send his friends to kill the strange guest, as he is too scared to step forward himself.
How does the ending of the story make Prospero and his rich guests equal to all of the poorer people outside of the castle?
They die just like everyone else.
Who are courtiers?
people who are part of the royal family or court
What do all of the rooms in the masquerade represent when put in order? (from east to west)
The stages of life/ time passing
Is Prospero a sympathetic character? (Does the way Poe decribes him make the reader feel bad for what happens to him?) Why or why not?
No, he is not a sympathetic character because his own selfish actions are the cause of his fate.
What real-life disease was "The Red Death" symbolic of?
(Hint: what disease did Edgar Allan Poe watch many loved ones die from?)
Tuberculosis
What does the phrase "The Red Death held illimitable dominion over all" mean?
The Red death held unstoppable power over everyone