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The Masque Of The Red Death Analysis Essay

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The Masque of the Red Death Analysis Edgar Allen Poe’s use of vivid words and phrases in “The Masque of the Red Death” allows the reader to visualize the events as they unfold in the short story. In addition to these images, the reader is engaged by the use of irony that is built upon throughout the story. Also, the personification of the disease, the “Red Death”, causes the reader to feel fear as the masked figure walks through the rooms. These literary devices generate feelings in the reader that have him or her experience the characters security and dread. Therefore, the language used in the piece, along with the irony and personification, allows the reader to fully enjoy it. The language of “The Masque of the Red Death” is extremely elevated. …show more content…

While the people of his country die, Prince Prospero shuts himself and “a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court,” (The Masque, 2). He has a castle built for them all to reside in and wait out the epidemic. This, however, had a negative impact later when the Red Death came, as no one was able to leave due to the fortifications. Also, Prince Prospero created the abbey to protect himself from the Red Death which in turn came to him in the form of a humanoid and killed him. This shows that despite his attempts to foil deaths plans, Prince Prospero only challenged the Red Death to become more cunning. Since the prince’s plan backfired on him, he and his courtiers died just as the peasants outside the fortified walls of the abbey were. Thus, the irony in “The Masque of the Red Death” draws the reader’s attention to the appearance of the Red Death. It also serves to emphasize the fate of the courtiers, causing the reader to feel the futility in their actions as they attempt to capture the humanoid Red Death. Therefore, “The Masque of the Red Death” utilizes irony to elicit feelings of dread in the reader as he or she imagines the possibilities that could occur with the fortification of Prince Prospero’s

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