44 pages • 1 hour read
Edgar Allan PoeThe Masque of the Red Death
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1842A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Poe tells us that “there are some who would have thought [Prospero] mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not” (741). Do you think Prospero is mad? Why or why not? What is the significance of being able to touch him in proving his sanity? If he is mad, what is the significance of this to the story?
What is the significance of the “tall and narrow Gothic window[s]” (740) set with stained glass that illuminate each room?
Scholars are undecided as to whether Poe’s story should be considered an allegory, and if so, what exactly for. Where do you stand on this question? Should we take Poe’s story as having a moral beyond the text, and if so, what is it? Explain with references from the text.
Choose one of the following symbols: mask or clock. Describe its role and significance in the text, with references.
Poe writes in a highly ornate style. In your opinion, does this detract from or enhance the inherent terror of the story he constructs? Explain with references from the text.
Did Prospero bring his death on himself? Why or why not? Explain with references from the text.
Throughout the story Poe switches between first- and third-person narration. Identify two examples of each in the text and describe their significance to the passage and the story at large.
Related Titles
By Edgar Allan Poe
