The Masque of the Red Death

Which statement best identifies a major theme in the story?

• Death is more powerful than life or growth.

• Death is unavoidable, regardless of one's wealth or power.

• People must confront their problems rather than try to hide from them.

• Fear is a strong tool that leaders can use to increase their power.

Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

• "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think." (Paragraph 2)

• "while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball" (Paragraph 3)

• "'Who dares?' he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him — 'who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery?'" (Paragraph 11)

• "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." (Paragraph 16)

What does the phrase "untenanted by any tangible form" in paragraph 14 suggest about the intruder?

• The intruder has no physical form and therefore cannot be restrained, which makes it similar to death and disease.

• The intruder is able to vanish when it is attacked, which implies that it comes from another world, possibly the land of the dead.

• The phrase conveys the extreme violence with which the revelers handle the intruder, who is seemingly left without a body.

• The intruder's body consists of disease-ridden vapors, which the Prince and other revelers unwittingly release by attacking it.

The narrator describes the courtiers as resolving "to leave means neither of ingress or egress" in paragraph 2. What does this description reveal about the courtiers' attitudes?

• The courtiers' decision to allow people to leave the abbey but never to re-enter shows that they value collective security over individual freedom.

• The courtiers believe that the plague will never make it into the abbey, and in their arrogance they leave no options for escape.

• The courtiers have no desire to ever reconnect with the outside world and wish to build a new society in complete isolation.

• The courtiers take advantage of the rule that all homes be locked up in times of plague because it gives them an excuse to ignore the people's suffering.

How does the description of the clock contribute to the development of the story's theme(s)? Cite evidence in your answer.

What can be inferred from the following quote? "...And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."

• All those in the castle die, and the Red Death remains all powerful.  

• The company could not escape death and they died from the Red Death.

• Both

Which of the following suggests that the revelers will not live long in “The Masque of the Red Death”?

• The white room

• The locked gates

• The red window panes

• The ebony clock

Prince Prospero's guests seem happy and carefree, but they stop celebrating and get very quiet every time the clock chimes. What does this tell you about how they are really feeling?

• They love to watch NFL football on Sundays

• He is stabbed with a dagger.

• Under their happy exterior, they are still worried about the Red Death. It's the "elephant" in the room.

• the peasants' revenge

Which of the following quotes best supports the Major Theme of the story?

• “The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think.” (Paragraph 2)

• “while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball” (Paragraph 3)

• “‘Who dares?’ he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him — ‘who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery?’” (Paragraph 11)

• “And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.” (Paragraph 16)

What does the phrase “untenanted by any tangible form” in paragraph 14 suggest about the intruder?

• The intruder has no physical form and therefore cannot be restrained, which makes it similar to death and disease.

• The intruder is able to vanish when it is attacked, which implies that it comes from another world, possibly the land of the dead.

• The phrase conveys the extreme violence with which the revelers handle the intruder, who is seemingly left without a body.

• The intruder’s body consists of disease-ridden vapors, which the Prince and other revelers unwittingly release by attacking it.