Hawthorne & Poe: Dark Romantics

What is a symbol?

• A musical instrument.
• Something that stands on its own and represents something else.
• It's always a flag.
• Something people do.

In "The Masque of the Red Death", Why do Prince Prospero and his guests lock themselves in an abbey?

• to pray in seclusion
• to celebrate his birthday
• to escape an invading army
• to escape the Red Death

The revelers' masks and costumes symbolize their attempt to hide from the Red Death. What detail from the story supports this interpretation?

• The music stops each time the ebony clock chimes.
• The uninvited guest has blood on his mask and costume.
• The revelers look like dreams moving from room to room.
• There are seven chambers, each decorated in a different color.

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What do the red windows in the last chamber symbolize in "The Masque of the Red Death"?

• blood and death
• love and hope
• jealousy and fear
• elegance and wealth

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Which of the following is a symbol that suggests that the revelers will not live long in "The Masque of the Red Death"?

• the white room
• the locked gates
• the prince's dagger
• the ebony clock

The tripods' flames go out when the last of the revelers dies. Based on this detail, what might the tripods' flames symbolize in "The Masque of the Red Death"?

• the revelers' lives
• the peasants' revenge
• that it was all a dream
• Prince Prospero's wealth

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In "The Masque of the Red Death," what does the uninvited guest symbolize?

• anger
• wealth
• celebration
• death

What message is Poe trying to convey in "The Masque of the Red Death"?

• God punishes sinners.
• Time passes slowly.
• No one, not even the wealthy/privileged, can escape death.
• Never trust an uninvited guest.

In "The Masque of the Red Death," the location of the black chamber at the western end of the suite

• suggests the end of daylight and life.
• indicates a fascination with the bizarre.
• minimizes the presence of natural light.
• suggests a mood of exploration and excitement.

Why is "The Masque of the Red Death" an allegory?

• Everyone dies in the end.
• The theme is ambiguous.
• All of the characters and settings are symbolic.
• The story teaches a lesson about good and evil.