The Masque
of the
Red Death
Edgar Allan
Poe
Monday, Oct.
22
·Masque of the Red Death
background
·begin
reading
I CAN:
* define, understand, & apply
symbolism & allegory
* use the historical background &
biographical history of an author
to understand a short story
The Masque of the
Red Death
by Edgar Allan Poe
Pay
attention...Mrs.
Loomer is a
scary smart
lady!
Who is that freaky genius,
Edgar Allan Poe?
·born in 1809, died in 1849
·dad = deserted family
·mom = died when he was 3
·taken in by a foster family
more
·great athlete and very
Poe...
intelligent, but moody
and
irresponsible
·Foster-mom (who he was
with) also died
close
·did not get along with
foster
dad, who refused
to pay his
gambling debt at the univ. of WV
more Poe (and it
gets ugly!)
·early signs of alcoholism
·married his 13-year old cousin
·Wife died of TB, causing
complete mental breakdown
·Numerous rumors about his death
(including rabies, murder
and suicide)
So, what is
The Masque of the
Red Death
about?
Poe invented the "Red Death" for this story but he
bases it on both the Black Death and tuberculosis.
The Black
Death
In the 1300s, a plague called
Watch video
the Black
Death swept across Europe, killing as many
as 25 million people. Most of those who
caught the disease died within three to five
days after their symptoms appeared.
Subsequent outbreaks of plague continued
in Europe until recent times.
Tuberculosis
·TB = infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs, but
can attack almost any part of the body.
·spread from person to person through the air.
·When people with TB in their lungs or throat cough, laugh,
sneeze, sing, or even talk, the germs that cause TB may
spread throughout the air.
·Many of the women in Poe's life died from TB including his
mother and his wife.
· He realizes his wife has TB when she stands up to sing one
evening and a drop of blood appears on her lip.
·He later develops the story "Masque of the Red Death"
based on his fear of this life ending disease.
Allegory
An allegory is a story or tale with two levels of
meaning---a literal level and one or more
symbolic levels. The events, setting, and
characters in an allegory are symbols for ideas
or qualities.
In other words---symbolic story telling or when
you tell one story to represent or stand for
another.
Once a symbol is established it can be used
to represent another event...it becomes an
allegory. One example is this cover from
The New Yorker magazine after the economy
crashed.
Allegory in "Masque of the Red
Death"
Look out for characters and/or symbols that represen
something greater than themselves.
Two levels of meaning:
1. the literal elements of the plot (the colors of the rooms, for
example) and
2. their symbolic counterparts, which often involve large
philosophical concepts (such as life and death).
Symbols to watch
for:
·The use and importance of color
·the importance of numbers
·symbolism of East/West
·the number 7
Symbolic Numbers:
·Do you know the seven deadly sins?
·The seven ages of man?
·The seven cardinal virtues?
The Seven Deadly Sins:
·Pride
·Envy
·Anger
·Sloth
·Greed
·Gluttony
·Lust
Which of these sins will
Prince Prospero commit?
The Seven Ages of Man:
·infant
·schoolboy
·lover
·soldier
·judge
·pantaloon
·second childhood
Which stage might the ebony clock symbolize?
Symbolism:East to West
What direction are the rooms lined up in?
What color is each room?
What can color
symbolize?
Please
look at the paper in front of you and list on that sheet all of the
ideas, events, emotion, etc. that come to mind when you see that
color.
·Does the color remind you of a particular season/holiday?
·Have you heard phrases that use that color?
·What emotions does the color evoke?
List at least 10 images that come to mind.
The Meaning of Color:
·blue-peace, intelligence, stability, depression
·purple-royalty, spirituality
·green-life, growth, envy, youth, spring, health
·orange-energy, warmth, autumn
·white-purity, cleanliness, innocence
·violet-femininity, grace, elegance
·black-evil, death, night
·red - anger, blood, heat, love, power