Death Is Inevitable How The Masque Of The Red Death

Death is Inevitable: How The Masque of the Red Death Illustrates the Inevitability of Death. The Masque of the Red Death, written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1845, displays a certain theme about the irrevocability of death. The story follows Prince Prospero as he tries to use his wealth and power to elude a deadly plague by hiding away in an abbey with a thousand other guests; however, Death is the conqueror of this tale as the story concludes with the death of Prince Prospero and all of the guests. In The Masque of the Red Death, Poe describes a theme that death is inescapable as can be seen in the narrator, the irony of the plot itself, and the vast amount of symbolism in the story. The narrator adds to the theme of the story because†¦show more content†¦The fact that Death is the narrator of the story only builds up and intensifies the overall theme of the story that death is inescapable. Since Death is a plausible the narrator of the plot, the next contributor to the overall theme of the story is the sense of irony found in the plot of the story. In the story, Prospero has a title of nobility; however when word of the Red Death comes, Prospero flees, leaving the outside world to take care of itself (231). Prospero is irresponsible in the eyes of the reader, because he does not care about any of the subjects underneath him but considers his own life and the lives of his friends to be indispensable. The irony of the plot is seen in the superciliousness of Prince Prospero because he truly believes that his wealth and position in the world will allow to escape death. The irony of the story is rooted in this idea that death can be cheated because of money and power Throughout the course of the story, the Prince holds to this idea that he is above death; however, in the end of the story, allegorically, Death overcomes. The irresponsibility of Prospero becomes ironic becaus e locking themselves in this massive abbey in an attempt to escape the disease is what seals their fate in the end of the story. The abbey as described by the author, A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. ThisShow MoreRelatedComparative Essay- Rachel Orbach In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† by Edgar Allan Poe, and â€Å"To900 Words   |  4 Pages Comparative Essay- Rachel Orbach In â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† by Edgar Allan Poe, and â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London, both authors use similar protagonists who unwillingly have to face their death. Prince Prospero, in â€Å"The Masque of Red Death†, is avoiding a deadly plague by hiding in his castle with his kinsmen, and the man in â€Å"To Build a Fire† is traveling in the freezing weather trying to abstain from hypothermia and death. 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