The reader soon realizes that any attempt to escape death is futile, even for a wealthy prince like Prospero.Īs an extension lesson, ask students to create a storyboard that show multiple ways that Prospero tried to escape death! Examples of Allegory: Red Death Barricaded CastleĪn important principal of death which Poe addresses is Prospero's hubris in thinking that through his power he could escape death. He was segregating the wealthy from the peasantry to avoid death from the plague. Prospero thought he could cheat death by inviting all the wealthy people in his kingdom to the safety of his castle. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, Poe uses the allegory of Prospero’s actions to make a strong point: no one escapes death. Since allegories are works that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (usually moral or political), it is important that students engage not only with the surface details, but with this deeper level as well. An allegory is like an extended metaphor, where elements of the story are symbolic of a deeper meaning. When studying allegorical texts, it is important that students understand the concept as a foundation for the reading.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |