“The Masque of the Red
Death”
Symbolism connects the Theme
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Symbol: a person, animal, thing, event, or idea
that represents something in addition to itself
heart = love
cross = religion or Christianity
skull = death
red = passion, blood
white = purity, innocence
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what could symbolize life? death? freedom? joy? hate?
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***symbols help readers understand the meaning of the
story by focusing on specific ideas related to the theme
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Symbolism Connects the theme
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Projected symbolism: The author
writers without the intent to make things
symbolic, but the reader can draw
symbols from the story.
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Intended symbolism: The author writes
with the intent to make things symbolic or
representative of something else
Allegory
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set of recognizable symbols whose
meanings combine to convey a message.
The underlying meaning has moral,
social, religious, or political significance,
and characters are often personifications
of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or
envy.
allegory is a story with two meanings, a
literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.
B. What is the allegorical
lesson in the story?
rd
(write in the 3 Person)
THEME: One cannot escape
his or her fate or death.
Prince Prospero
Wealth; prosperity
He represents mankind's futile
attempt to live forever.
The Masquerade
Fantasy; escaping from reality
The Masked Figure
Death in general;
More specifically, the Red
Death
The Clock
It symbolizes reality; their lives
slowly ticking away.
The Seven Rooms
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Color association
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7 phases of life
ending in death
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7 deadly sins
Going from East to West:
Blue
White
Purple
Violet
Green
Black/Red
Orange
Assignment
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With a partner you need to design an
illustration of one of the symbols
mentioned on your study guide
Prince Prospero
 The masquerade
 The masked figure
 The clock
 Any of the seven rooms mentioned in the
story
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Requirements
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Your poster should include:
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Front:
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1.Illustration of the meaning of the symbol (example: Do
not just draw a clock. Show how it represents reality.)
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2.Quote or passage of the symbol on the illustration
Back:
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1.Symbol you chose
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2. Explanation for the meaning and use of this symbol as it
relates to the theme.
Questions to Ponder
How does this symbol help develop the
theme that death is inescapable?
 What could this object represent and why?
 What is the purpose of this object?
 Who is affected by the object and how are
they affected?
 Do the colors or description help
symbolize the object further?
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