“Masque of the Red Death”
Teacher Resource Handout
- Pestilence: A deadly epidemic disease, bubonic plague.
In the opening lines of this story, the reader learns that the “Red Death” is a disease that has been active for quite a long time and has been killing the citizens of the region. No disease in this region had been as bad as this one in terms of the number of deaths it was creating and the way in which it killed people.
- Profuse: Abundant, in great amount.
This disease causes sharp pains, sudden dizziness, and abundant bleeding from the pores (which the reader can infer this probably means the sick person is bleeding from all over their body).
- Dissolution: Disintegration, breaking up.
After the sick person begins bleeding abundantly from their pores, parts of their body begin to disintegrate. This could tie to one of the symptoms of the Bubonic Plague where the skin in infected areas starts to decay or decompose.
- Dauntless: Fearless, not intimidated.
Even though the citizens of his region seem to be dying in mass droves, dying in truly hideous and painful ways, the narrator says the Prince is happy. Also, the Prince is not afraid or intimidated by this disease. The reader can infer that he thinks he has power over this disease or can keep it from harming him.
- Sagacious: Wise, showing keen practical sense, shrewd.
The Prince was fearless, as well as wise. The reader can make the inference that he is approaching this epidemic in a practical or shrewd way and this might involve creating a way to keep him from contracting this disease.
- Eccentric yet august taste: Eccentric- peculiar. August- supreme dignity, grandeur, majestic.
Prince Prospero has peculiar yet majestic taste in architecture and design. The reader can infer that his home, this “castellated abbey,” (built like a castle) was an impressive and unique structure. With the descriptions of his home, we can infer this man has some serious wealth.
- Girdled: Something that encircles or confines.
A strong and lofty wall encircles the Prince’s castellated abbey. The wall has gates of iron and the gates are sealed shut- no one can leave or enter. The reader can infer the Prince is trying to keep out the disease to keep himself and his guests safe.
- Provisioned- a supply or stock, especially of food or other necessities.
The Prince has prepared to close himself and his 1,000 guests off from the rest of the dying land. He has prepared them with food and other necessities so they can outlast this epidemic. They will all be taken care of while the rest of the land is being ravaged by disease.
- Voluptuous- characterized by pleasure, luxury, and sensuous enjoyment.
This masquerade (masked) ball is one of pleasure, luxury, and enjoyment for all of the senses. The 1,000 guests are living it up and partying in style while the people outside suffer and die.
- Emanating- to flow out or issue forth from a source.
There was no light flowing out of any lamps or candles in the black room with red window panes (the glass in the windows). This adds to the creepy mood.
- Countenances- facial expressions.
The black room truly freaks out anyone that enters it. The receptacle in the hallway that holds the live coals to heat the hallway casts just enough light into the room to make the blood-tinted window panes glow. The people who try to enter the room have such wild expressions on their faces that anyone who sees them won’t follow them into the room because they can see how scared they are.
- Harken- listen to something.
When the clock chimes at the start of each hour, everyone stops to listen to it. Even the musicians stop playing and the whole room goes silent to listen to the chimes of the clock.
- Revel- a noisy festivity where people are making merry (having fun). It can involve dancing and wearing masks.
Even though the seventh room, the black room, freaks everyone out and they generally avoid it, and the clock freaks everyone out when it chimes at the top of each hour, after the clock stops chiming they resume having fun and partying.
- Embellishment- ornament or decoration.
All of the rooms in Prospero’s castle are decorated according to his “peculiar” sense of style. Likewise, Prospero’s guests wear costumes that are so decked out with “beautiful”, “bizarre”, and “terrible” touchesthat the concept of Prospero as a “madman” is twice noted by the narrator.
- Cessation- a temporary stopping.
When the clock chimes again at the start of midnight everyone stops, including the musicians and the people dancing. It is an “uneasy cessation” meaning they are stopping with a bad feeling consuming them. The chiming of the clock makes the partygoers feel nervous/anxious/scared.
- Unimpeded- not stopping someone or something’s movement. Nothing gets in the way.
All the partygoers are afraid of this mysterious guest that has seemed to show up out of nowhere. He is moving closer to the Prince, seeming to come right at him, but no one approaches him or attempts to stop him from getting close to their host.
- Impetuosity- to act without consideration, rash, impulsive.
The Prince pulled out a dagger and rushed without plan, on an impulse, towards the mysterious guest to attack him. The narrator says he was acting out of rage and shame for having been scared of this guest. The reader can infer the Prince was trying to get his pride back by showing his other guests he could be brave and stop this strange man (or thing) from ruining their party.