Setting’s Influence on Mood and Tone
The setting of “The Masque of the Red Death” gives an eerie feeling to the story. In the book, it mentions that the seven rooms all have “…windows…of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations in the chamber,” except for the last room, which is black with red windows. This builds suspense, as the reader can infer that there is something special about the room, especially because its windows are red, and that is the color of the “Red Death”. There is a sense of eerie unearthliness throughout the story because of this room as well; all the guests at the party are avoiding it. In conclusion, the setting lends a sense of expectation and bizarreness to the story.
Character Analysis
Prince Prospero is likely a stubborn person who is used to having his way. In the story, he is resisting accepting the reality of “The Red Death” by hiding away in his castle with his guests. In addition, he chases the uninvited guest with the intention of killing him. This shows that Prince Prospero is stubborn because he’s unwilling to allow things to vary from how he planned them. This can also be inferred because Prospero is the ruler of the …show more content…
In the story, all of Prince Prospero’s guests believe they are safe within the confines of his castle; however, after the Red Death has struck, not one is left alive. This is situational irony because, at least in this case, the people who weren’t in the castle were safer than the ones within, who believed they were protected. In addition, there is dramatic irony. One example in the book is when Prince Prospero goes after the uninvited guest, or the “Red Death”, he is killed; the revelers go after the killer, not knowing who he was, but the readers can infer that the guest wasn’t just dressed as the “Red Death”, it was the “Red Death”. Therefore, there are several examples of irony in this