Short Story 3: “The Masque of the Red Death” KEY

By: Edgar Allan Poe

Part 1: Vocabulary Chart

Directions: Look up the following provided terms AND 5 unfamiliar terms of your choosing from the story

Word / Part of Speech
(Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Verb) / Definition / Sentence
  1. allegory
/ Noun / a story in which the characters or events represent a deep moral or spiritual meaning / Animal Farm and “The Masque of the Red Death” are both considered allegories, due to their symbolic characters and events.
  1. blasphemous
/ Adj. / profane; disrespectful, as in religion; irreverent / It was considered blasphemous to not attend church during Shakespeare's lifetime.
  1. cessation
/ Noun / stop; ending / The cessation of the snowstorm was a relief after a whole week of non-stop snow.
  1. dauntless
/ Adj. / fearless; courageous / The dauntless heroes were inclined to rush to danger, not away from it.
  1. disapprobation
/ Noun / disapproval or dislike / There was widespread disapprobation of their inter-racial marriage in that narrow-minded community.
  1. impede
/ Verb / to prevent, interfere with or obstruct / The new body searches at the airports are impeding quick entry onto the airplanes.
  1. impetuous
/ Adj. / impulsive; having great force / His impetuous decision didn't show any careful thought or concern.
  1. reverie
/ Noun / daydreaming / I was lost in reverie and didn't realize my flight was boarding until it was too late.
  1. robust
/ Adj. / showing strength or good health / The robust man worked out daily and ate vitamins as part of his health regimen.
  1. sagacious
/ Adj. / wise; insightful. / The girl was praised for her sagacious judge of character which revealed she had wisdom beyond her ten years.
  1. sedate
/ Adj. / quiet and solemn / He remained sedate under pressure, which was the opposite of his easily agitated peers.
  1. tangible
/ Adj. / able to be touched; palpable. / Tables and chairs are tangible; emotions are not.
  1. tremulous
/ Adj. / shaken; fearful / Her tremulous hands revealed her overwhelming nervousness during her speech at graduation.
  1. visage
/ Noun / appearance; countenance / Santa Claus is well known for his noticeably happy visage.
  1. voluptuous
/ Adj. / full of delight or pleasure; luxurious; suggesting fullness in shape (usually body shape). / Marilyn Monroe was well known for her voluptuous figure; she had many more curves than female celebrities today.

Part 2: Study Guide Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions

  1. What is the Red Death? Explain how it affects its victims (symptoms?).
  • A plague
  • Sharp pains, sudden dizziness, and profuse bleeding at the pores
  1. Briefly describe the seven rooms in which the masked ball is held.
  • Blue -> purple -> green -> orange -> white -> violet -> black (7th room)
  • Only the 7th room had a different colored window (red); made the room look like a blood color
  • Everything in each room was all the same color as the room, including a window of the same color
  • Each had a tripod with fire shining light through the window
  1. Describe the clock that stands in the seventh room. What happens each time the clock chimes?
  • Large black grandfather clock with a monotonous clang
  • Let out a particular and very annoying sound; everyone would stop when they heard it
  1. How are the guests dressed for the ball? What are some words Poe uses to describe their appearance?
  • In very odd/peculiar and grotesque costumes (with “glare and glitter”)
  • Bold, fiery, grotesque, glare, glitter, piquancy, phantasm
  1. How does Prince Prospero react to the midnight guest?
  • 1st frightened and disgusted; then enraged at the bad taste of the costume
  1. What happens to the Prince?
  • He falls down dead after chasing the stranger in the 7th room
  • He dies on the plague/”Red Death”
  1. What happens to his guests?
  • They all die of the plague
  1. What do you think the clock symbolizes?
  • The passage of time & time running out as death approaches
  1. How is the appearance of the “midnight guest” similar to that of the other guests? How is it different?
  • He’s in a scary and grotesque costume
  • He looks like someone sick with the Red Death
  1. At the end of the story, Poe alludes to a biblical prophecy that the day of judgment will come “as a thief in the night.” Why do you think Poe makes this allusion?
  • He suggests sudden and swift destruction especially for someone so callous about life like Prince Prospero

Part 3:Short Story Elements

Directions: Fill out the chart; use quotes from the text

Setting
(where the story takes place; can create mood) /
  • Prince’s castle [pages 121-122 of book]

Point of view
(1st, 3rd limited, 3rd omniscient) /
  • 3rd omniscient

Plot
(what happens; sequence of events) /
  • Prince Prospero secludes himself and 1000 guests to avoid the plague/Red Death
  • Masquerade party; masked stranger shows up at midnight
  • Everyone dies from the plague

Characters
(people in the story; static OR dynamic) /
  • Prince Prospero
  • Masqueraders (friends)
  • Masked stranger (Red Death)

Internal Conflicts
(conflicts within yourself; man vs. self) /
  • Prince Prospero: at 1st disgusted with stranger & then angry [page 124 right column]

External Conflicts
(conflicts between 2 oppositional forces) /
  • Prince and friends versus the Red Death [pg. 125 of book]

Resolution
(ending) /
  • Everyone dies of the plague [last page]

Themes
(what the story illustrates about the world/how people behave /
  • Death is inevitable no matter how rich you are