27 Elements of Fiction
Setting
The Masque of the Red Death
In the following passage from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The
Masque of the Red Death,” Poe describes the castle where Prince Prospero and
his friends seclude themselves in an attempt to escape the plague that is
threatening the community. Notice how the physical details of the description
create a sinister and foreboding atmosphere.
It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But
first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven — an
imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight
vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand,
so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was
very different; as might have been expected from the duke’s love of the
bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced
but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or
thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the
middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed
corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained
glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the
decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity
was hung, for example, in blue — and vividly blue were its windows. The second
chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapes[1]tries,
and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the
casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange — the fifth with
white — the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in
black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls,
falling in heavy ELEMENTS OF FICTION 67 JAG_88063_03_ch03_pp0059-0122.in67 67
4/29/10 12:08:31 PM 68 CHAPTER 3 • THE BIG PICTURE folds upon a carpet of the
same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows
failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet — a deep
blood color. Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or
candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and
fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from
lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed
the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a
brazier of fire that projected its rays through the tinted glass and so
glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and
fantastic appearances. But in the western or black chamber the effect of the
fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes
was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances
of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set
foot within its precincts at all. It was in this apartment, also, that there
stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung
to and fro with a dull, heavy, monoto[1]nous
clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was
to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was
clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and
emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were
constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the
sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a
brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock
yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and
sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery or
meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once
pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at
their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other,
that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion;
and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes (which embrace three thousand and
six hundred seconds of the Time that flies), there came yet another chiming of
the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation
as before. [1845]
Answer
In this passage from Edgar Allan Poe’s The
Masque of the Red Death, the physical details of the castle’s seven rooms
create a sinister and foreboding atmosphere, reflecting the themes of death,
time, and the inevitability of mortality. Poe uses vivid imagery, symbolism,
and sensory details to evoke a sense of unease and impending doom. Here’s how
the passage achieves this effect:
1. The Seven Rooms and Their Colors: Symbolism and Foreboding
- The
Progression of Colors:
The seven rooms are arranged from east to west, each decorated in a distinct color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black. This progression mirrors the stages of life, from birth (blue, often associated with innocence and beginnings) to death (black, the color of mourning and finality). The seventh room, shrouded in black velvet with blood-red windows, stands out as a stark symbol of death and the inevitability of the Red Death itself. - The Seventh
Room:
The black room, with its scarlet windows, is particularly ominous. The blood-red color of the windows contrasts sharply with the black decor, evoking images of violence and mortality. This room is described as "ghastly," and its effect on the revelers is profound: few dare to enter, and those who do are visibly disturbed. The room’s oppressive atmosphere foreshadows the story’s tragic conclusion.
2. The Absence of Natural Light: Artificiality and Decay
- No Lamps or
Candles:
The absence of any natural or internal light source in the rooms creates an eerie, unnatural atmosphere. Instead, the rooms are illuminated by firelight from braziers in the corridors, which projects through the stained-glass windows. This indirect, colored light produces "gaudy and fantastic appearances," suggesting a world that is artificial, distorted, and disconnected from reality. - The
Firelight’s Effect:
The firelight streaming through the blood-red windows of the black room creates a "ghastly" and "wild" effect, further emphasizing the room’s association with death and terror. The unnatural lighting contributes to the sense of unease, as it distorts the appearance of the revelers and the space itself.
3. The Ebony Clock: Time and Mortality
- The Clock’s
Description:
The gigantic ebony clock in the black room is a central symbol in the passage. Its "dull, heavy, monotonous clang" and the "clear and loud and deep" chimes that mark each hour serve as a constant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of death. The clock’s presence is oppressive, and its chiming disrupts the revelry, forcing the guests to confront their mortality. - The Revelers’
Reaction:
The clock’s hourly chimes cause the musicians to pause, the dancers to stop, and the entire company to grow pale and uneasy. This interruption of the festivities underscores the tension between the revelers’ attempt to escape death and the inescapable reality of time. The guests’ nervous laughter and attempts to dismiss their fear only highlight their underlying dread.
4. The Irregular Layout: Disorientation and Entrapment
- The
Unconventional Arrangement:
Unlike the typical straight vista of palace suites, the rooms in Prince Prospero’s castle are arranged irregularly, with sharp turns every twenty or thirty yards. This layout creates a sense of disorientation and confinement, as the guests can only see one room at a time. The winding corridors and hidden turns suggest a labyrinth, symbolizing the inescapable nature of death and the futility of the revelers’ attempts to evade it. - The Closed
Corridor:
The Gothic windows look out onto a closed corridor that follows the windings of the suite, further emphasizing the sense of entrapment. The guests are enclosed within the castle, cut off from the outside world and the plague, but also trapped in a space that mirrors their psychological and existential confinement.
5. The Atmosphere of Decadence and Doom
- Voluptuousness
and Decay:
The passage opens with a reference to the "voluptuous scene" of the masquerade, suggesting an atmosphere of excess and indulgence. However, this decadence is undercut by the sinister details of the setting, such as the black room and the ebony clock. The juxtaposition of opulence and decay reflects the story’s themes of the futility of wealth and privilege in the face of death. - The Ghastly
and the Fantastic:
Poe’s use of words like "ghastly," "wild," and "fantastic" creates a dreamlike, almost surreal atmosphere. The vivid imagery of the colored rooms, the blood-red windows, and the oppressive clock contributes to a sense of dread and foreboding, as if the castle itself is a manifestation of the Red Death.
Conclusion
Through his meticulous description of the castle’s
seven rooms, Poe creates a setting that is both visually striking and deeply
symbolic. The progression of colors, the absence of natural light, the ominous
ebony clock, and the irregular layout all contribute to a sinister and
foreboding atmosphere. These physical details reflect the story’s central
themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the inevitability of death,
underscoring the futility of Prince Prospero’s attempt to escape the Red Death.
The passage immerses the reader in a world that is both opulent and oppressive,
beautiful and terrifying, capturing the tension between life and death that
lies at the heart of the story.