"The Masque of the Red Death", written by Edgar Allan Poe, is about a masquerade party, hosted by a man named Prince Prospero. During the course of a plague, Prince Prospero invites together his friends to come to his castle for fun. In the middle of the party, the gathering is interrupted by a guest dressed in garments associated with the plague of the "Red Death". Without explanation, all the guests begin to die as they acknowledge the "Red Death". The theme of the story is "No one can escape death, or predict it." This is evident in Edgar Allan Poe's use of symbolism used throughout the story to signify death. He used Prince Prospero, the seven rooms, the clock, and the title to show this theme.
             The character Prince Prospero is a good example of how no one can escape death. He's rich, successful and an upper class person. His name Prospero suggests happiness and of good fortune, characteristics which he possesses. Ironically, he's faced with a plague that he desperately attempts to avoid. He stays inside partying to give himself a sense of happiness and secludes himself to hide from the disease. He uses happiness to rule out the threat of death just like all other human beings. His eventual death shows that no one can escape death under all circumstances. Death is superior to all powers and can overcome anything, as it overcame Prospero's "impenetrable" wall.
             The seven rooms also symbolize how death cannot be escaped. The significance of the number seven suggests that the seven rooms represent the seven stages of life, from birth to death. The seventh room which is black symbolizes death and represents the end of time. It is the only room where windows do not correspond with the color of the room. Instead they're a "scarlet-a deep blood color." The constant reference of black and blood color in this room once again show the reference of death and the end of time in this room. Further evidence of the seven room's symbolism is
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