Use Of Irony In The Masque Of The Red Death

In the harrowing and atmospheric short story The Masque of The Red Death Edgar A. Poe uses many literary techniques to create a chilling and dark story, creating deep and meaningful metaphors and using deep symbolism to create powerful imagery that grips the reader with every word. In the story a clear location and time frame is never given, however the important characters in the story are outlined from the very start. Prince Prospero is the ruler of a dying and plagued land, his country has fallen under the dreaded spell of the pestilence known as the Red Death and it has claimed the lives of half of his nations population. Fearing the plague would work its way close to him he shows his own true colors and selfishly gathers a thousand of

It is expected that the prince does his job to try and keep the nation together, however he does the opposite and uses his power to seal himself and his friends away from his dying people. This is the start of the irony that leads to the prince’s demise. Poe sets the tone for the irony of Prince Prospero’s rule at the beginning of the story stating “the prince was happy… when his dominions were half depopulated he summoned the presence of a thousand of his friends… and with them retreated to the deep seclusion of the castled abbey.” (Poe ). The Prince is shown to be a selfish ruler placing himself over his own people unlike he should. While his own people are suffering instead of doing the thing that is expected wherein he attempts to help his dying people, Poe uses irony to convey that Prospero is a coward by attempting to save himself. After half of his own people have died he decides the best action to take is to bring his closest peers with him and lock themselves away in order to try and survive the pestilence on their own. However as the Prince will soon learn no one may escape their own destiny, especially someone who has committed egregious wrong. The second use of irony comes much later in the story very near the end, when a unwelcome guest is discovered amidst the party goers. Finally this mysterious figure brings about the realization that the party was finally going to be coming to a close, and the first member out would be the Prince himself. After the party stops at the sight of this new and mysterious party goer, the Prince no longer is distracted and becomes angry at this figure who when spoken to says nothing in return. Furious, the prince takes rash action “He bore aloft a drawn dagger and had approached in rapid impetuosity, to