The masque of the red death characterization

We don't have very many characters to learn about in this story…just Prince Prospero and the Red Death (who's barely a character anyway). But what little we do know of them we often learn through action. Prospero abandons his kingdom to live a life of wanton pleasure with 1,000 of his friends in a secluded hideaway. He's a party animal, as we can guess from his wild masquerade. And he's also quite the hothead: when he's offended by the guest in the Red Death costume, he orders him to be unmasked and publicly hung. When that doesn't work (because everyone's too nervous), he loses his cool and charges the Red Death with a knife.

As for the Red Death, he just "stalks" around and kills people.

The narrator tells us straight up that Prospero's might be a little bit "unhinged," though he doesn't tell us precisely whether he really is or not. As he puts it at one point: "There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not" (6). He also tells us of Prospero's fanciful but artistic tastes, and his love of the bizarre.

Prospero's character is reflected in the abbey and the suite he's designed. The abbey, completely cut off from the world, displays his own lack of concern for his subjects. As for the suite, it's daring, dramatic, imaginative, and perhaps a bit deranged. More than anything else, it's through the brilliant inventiveness of his masquerade that we see Prospero's artistic side. And his madness.

The only real details we have of the Red Death are the details of his appearance. He looks like a dead body wrapped in burial clothes, wearing a corpse-mask, and he's covered in sprinkled blood. Oh, and there happens to be nothing under the costume, so he's got the whole "spectral" thing going on in a big way.

Prince Prospero's name makes us think of prospering – of wealth, wine, and festivities. In short all those things associated with living life to the fullest. That sets him against the Red Death. No big question about what his name means.

Prospero's name may also be an allusion to Shakespeare's character of the same name. The connection is surprisingly rich.

awnser: the oxford dictionary of quotations (oup 1970) has 66 pages of quotations

attributed to the writings of william shakespeare in which there are 2369 quotations,

which may reflect well over 5000 speeches, discussions, observations and comments

that are present in shakespeare’s work. it is largely from those speeches and discussions

on shakespeare’s 37 plays, as well as his, and others’ poems, that examples have been

taken here.

in this book all quotations from his poems and plays have been taken from various

editions of the arden shakespeare.

the writer is very much indebted to the rapid response provided by his son, henry

audley-charles , for cries of , guidance, advice and repairs to his ageing pc, that

henry provided at all hours. without this assistance over the last 3 years this book

could not have been written.

in addition, the writer is much for the kind by discussion and proof readings from

elizabeth macbeth and janet hulse; and for his knowledge of shakespeare’s plays and

poems in discussions with monsieur francis saillart; and especially for years of proof

reading, support and with this book from my wife brenda amy cordeiro. above

all, the debt i owe is to professor david price, vice provost research. he has acted as

the editor and the guide for the whole project. this has been far from easy with

changes repeatedly being made by the author and which continued after professor price

had provided all the editorial structure for this project.