Ensayo Sobre Película: El Silencio De Los Inocentes

Setting: The story is set in Prince Prospero's luxurious "castellated abbey" (which is just a fancy way of saying it's an abbey built up with the fortifications of a castle), hidden somewhere in his kingdom. To call it "cut off" is an understatement. Not only is it "deeply secluded" (hidden in a hard-to-reach spot) . The action takes place in " [the] deep seclusion of one of [Prince Prospero's] castellated abbeys." The "masque" takes place in the imperial suite which consisted of seven, very distinct rooms.

the story's main action takes place in an elaborate suite of seven colored rooms within the abbey, where Prospero holds the masquerade ball. The suite, which Prospero designed, consists of seven rooms that run in a line from east to west.

Caracters: Prince Pospero, The red death.

Exposition: The exposition of "The Masque of the Red Death," of course, introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation as well as providing some background information: a plague, called "the red death" has "long devastated the country." It is hideous, fatal, and causes those around it much horror and fear of contracting it. However, the wealthy Prince Prospero, with his allegorical name, fears it not. For, he feels that his prosperity will provide a fortress against this death of pain and red stains. Summoning together a thousnad "light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court," they sequester themselves in the seculsion of one of his castellated abbeys, which were often used as fortresses.

Together with ample provisions, they decide to fortify themselves against this plague; they resolve to not despair or become hysterical so that they will neither open nor close any entry through which the red death can enter the abbey. Poe writes,

All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death."

The rising action in the story: is that the party is getting under way and everyone is forgetting about the world outside the castle that is suffering from the Red Death. The only reminder is when the ebony clock chimes ominously every hour.

The falling action: is when the party goers realize that the uninvited guest who appears at midnight is in fact the Red Death himself and they all begin to die. Falling Action: The knights must react to Prospero's death in the climax of of the story and they pull the sheet off the mummy only to find nothing there. They all fall dead.

The resolution: of the story is that no one can escape death no matter how fiercely they try to ignore it. The party goers tried to shut death out, but death will always find a way in when the time is right. Resolution: With all the knights and Prince Prospero dead, the conflict is resolved as the Red Death takes complete control of the kingdom. The read death held dominion over all.

The ebony clock: The clock symbolizes the passage of time, the onset of death, and the life of the party goers (revellers). Poe builds the symbol by giving details on how the party stops and the partiers get nervous every time they hear the clock chime, and he finishes the meaning of the symbol when he states "And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay." The clock stops when life stops.

consider the ticking clock in the story as a symbol of the party goer's lives ticking away as they approach that death.

EXPOSITION:

The Red Death covers Prince Prospero’s realm. It is a hideous, horrific disease symbolized by blood coming from every orifice of the victim. The disease ravages his people. The Prince decides to hide from the disease in an abbey with many of his friends.

RISING ACTION:

After a few months in the abbey, the Prince decides to give a masquerade party to break the monotony of the cloistered time. This is not the usual party; costumes of the partiers must be grotesque. Nothing is normal for the prince.

The hall will be decorated representing the passing of the day. Each room will have a different color scheme ending with the ebony room indicating the night time. Everything is weird at the party. The giant black clock threateningly chimes the hour and makes everyone freeze in place. Afterwards, the party goers laugh nervously and intend not to let it happen again.

As the people dance, there is a sense of wild frenetic energy throughout the hall.

The complication comes when a guest is seen covered in red as though he has been sprinkled with blood. He comes at midnight when the clock chimes the time. All of the partiers are scared senseless. Prospero orders the bloody guest to stop, and the others to grab him. Instead,the man rushes back toward the black room.

CLIMAX:

Prince Prospero runs after the ghastly figure, and this brings the highest moment of the story when the prince confronts the Red Death. The Red Death turns and faces Prospero, who immediately falls down and dies.

FALLING ACTION

The revelers try to capture the “spectral figure”; however, they discover that it is really the Red Death who came to kill the prince. It was only a costume.

CONCLUSION

“And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revelers in the blood bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.”

All of the party goers die and bleed all over the floor. The clock stops, the candles go out, and the party is over. The Red Death conquered everything.

Theme

No one escapes death. Human happiness (as represented by Prince Prospero) seeks to wall out the threat of death; however, the Biblical reference (I Thessalonians 5:2-3) at the end of the story reminds us that death comes "like a thief in the night," and even those who seek "peace and safety...shall not escape."

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