The Masque of the Red Death

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

“The Masque”

Central to Poe’s development of tension and theme is his use of color symbolism. Today you’ll make your own masks that use the colors featured in “The Masque of the Red Death” to analyze one of Poe’s messages/themes.

• Part A: Complete the “The Masque of the Red Death” Color Symbolism Tracking Chart:

Color / Symbolic Meaning

Blue

Purple

Green

Orange

White

Violet

Black/Red

• Part B: Create Your Mask: Fill in the mask with any colors, images, or words that will help you create a mask that represents a theme or message:
• Part C: Write an Analysis Paragraph About Your Mask

o Analyze the symbolism of your mask.

o What theme or message does your mask portray?

o Why did you choose to include certain colors, images, words, or symbols in your mask?

Teaching Suggestion: To supplement their analyses, students can stage a “Masquerade Ball” in which they wear their masks around the classroom and other students interpret the symbolic meaning of the colors of their peers’ masks. Later, displaying the masks can serve as a great classroom post-activity.