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The Masque of the Red Death |
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 | The Masque of the Red Death study guide - Text 1. What is the “Red Death”? Explain how it affects its victims?2. Briefly describe the seven rooms in which the masked ball is held. 3. Describe the clock that stands in the seventh room. What happens each time the clock chimes? 4. How are the guests dressed for the ball. What are some words Poe uses to describe their appearance? 5. How does Prince Prospero react to the midnight guest? What happens to the prince? What happens to the guests? Interpret 6. In your opinion, what does Prince Prospero’s response to the “Red Death” reveal about his character? 7. Why do you think Prospero decorated the rooms the way he did? 8. What do you think the clock symbolizes? 9. How is the appearance of the “midnight guest” similar to that of the other guests? How is it different? 10. 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? Evaluate and Connect 11. In your opinion, what is the moral, or lesson, of this story? 12. How might people react today if their political leaders responded to a crises as Prince Prospero did? |
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| Extra Credit |
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| 'Modern plagues' prey on society's worst fears
Read the ideas of a contemporary sociologist on modern plagues. In a short paper, compare the description of modern society's attitudes and fears with those of the characters in Poe's short story. |
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