Masque of the Red Death Symbols

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Edgar Allan Poe used many symbols in the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.” One symbol from the story was the seven chambers. Each chamber has a different color and they represent different things. Additionally, the order the rooms are arranged are also symbolic. The chambers are mentioned, starting in the eastern part of the house. The east is known as new beginnings, as the sun rises in the east. This is significant because the first chamber would represent the first chapter of life, or your birth. As you move down the rooms, each has a different color. The second chamber was purple which is a color made when you mix blue and red suggests growth. The next color is green which is associated with growth and hope. Orange represents happiness and joy in which shows the peak of life. Then the color white can be associated with old age. The sixth room is violet which a shadowy color, very mysterious. The last room is black which represents death, with red panes which is the color of blood. These chambers can be symbolic of the cycle of life. Since there are seven chambers, they can symbolize the seven deadly sins as well. The guests of the masquerade were sinning because they were drinking and partying, while the rest of the world was dying of disease. This is ironic because the party is being held in a church. Additionally, you can notice that nobody went into the black room. This is a representation of people trying to avoid their death. However, by the end of the story, Prince Prospero ended up dying in the black room. This shows that people cannot decide their fate and you never know when you would die. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe is an allegory in which symbolizes the cycle of life. The seven chambers represent the different chapters of life and can also represent sin. The black room represents death, and the fact that Prince
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