The Masque of the Red Death

What is "The Red Death"?

An epidemic spreading across the kingdom

What are the symptoms of the red death?

Pain, dizziness, pores bleeding

Who is Prince Prospero?

The prince of the kingdom who is always happy, even when everyone is getting killed. He has a liking for things that are different.

What does Prince Prospero do in response to almost half the kingdom dying of red death?

He takes his closest hundred or so friends and goes into hiding to avoid getting disease. Take note, this is luxury hiding and they still have food and lavish lives.

What do the hiding nobles do after 5-6 months of seclusion?

They have a masquerade ball

What is the theme of the masquerade masques?

Scary, grotesque, etc.

What does the ballroom look like?

There are different sections of different colors- orange, purple, etc.

What is the last section of the ballroom like?

It is black with blood-red windows and no lights. In it is a huge ebony (bone) clock that has an eerie chime that silences everyone.

Who comes in at the chiming of the clock? What does he/she look like?

An uninvited guest appears whilst everyone is silent. He/She has a skull-like mask and burial clothes- making it look like it walked out of a grave. This is scarier than any of the masks the others were wearing and it makes them all uncomfortable. The face shows signs of the red death.

How does Prince Prospero react to the uninvited guest?

He demands that they be captured and hanged for mockery.

Why doesn't the uninvited guest get captured?

No-one is brave enough to touch it.

What is the uninvited guest carrying and what do they do with it?

They use the dagger they are carrying to stab Prince Prospero while in the black, creepy room.

What happens to the uninvited guest after they stab the Prince?

The party guests try to grab them, and find that it is just a mask and clothes, no body.

What happens to the party guests after they grab the uninvited guest?

They all die of red death

What happens after everyone dies?

The clock stops and all the candles go out.

What might the different sections in the room symbolize?

The different stages of life, the last, black one being death.

What might the ebony clock symbolize?

It is a clock made out of bone, so it may symbolize the time we have left on Earth.

What are some symbols of death found in this story?

The uninvited guest, the clock stopping, the fires going out, and the black room

What is one possible theme of the story?

No-one can hide from or escape death

What is the tone of the story?

eerie, creepy, foreboding