PLOT
Exposition: Poe uses the beginning of the story to offer important background information; Prospero's kingdom is under attack from the Red Death, and Prospero locks his friends and himself into his castle to escape the plague.
Inciting Incident: Prospero's decision to hold a masquerade ball starts the main conflict between he and the Red Death in motion.
Rising Action: The description of the rooms, the chiming of the clocks, and details of the party increase the tone of anxiety and fear in the story. The conflict intensifies when the mummer (mummy) dressed as the Red Death appears and angers Prospero. Prospero's decision to chase him when the other knights in the castle back away from the unexpected guest in fear leads to the climax.
Climax: Prospero has reached the point of no return when he falls dead while attempting to kill the mummy.
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.
Resolution: With all the knights and Prince Prospero dead, the conflict is resolved as the Red Death takes complete control of the kingdom.
SYMBOLS
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.
Prospero: Prospero's name can be a sign of sybolism occuring in the story. In actuality the name Prospero which comes from the word Prosperous is supposed to mean well off or furtunate. This acts as symbolism because his name hints towards what you might think will happen to Prospero, which is that he might live. This is what gives a good twist in the story.
East and West: We think of east and west as having to do with the sun: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. This can be compared to the Black Plague, the east the sun rises and all is well but by the time it arrives in the west you die. The ebony clock was on a western wall which was also a symbolism of the death to come. In the east of Prospero's house was a light and nice feeling with tapestries, windows and room color all matching, but in the west wing the room was a black room with scarlet tapestries which can symbolize the Black Plague's effect.
The abbey: An abbey is kind of like a church usually were monks or nuns work and live. This is a significant form of symbolism because this is where Prospero decides to throw his party while everyone is dying.
Room Colors: Room colors can stand for different feelings or moods when you enter them. In this story, the room in the west was black with red window planes. The black in the room symbolizes darkness, deep mourning and sorrow, deviation, and sin. The red color of the window planes was symbolizing the blood color and the color represents suffering and sorrow.
IRONY
Prospero: Prospero's name is an obvious allusion to the word Prosperity or Prosperous: the condition of being successful or thriving; especially : economic well-being. While Prospero is thriving at the beginning of the story, Poe creates irony when the Red Death is able to sneak into the party and kill the "most prosperous" man in the kingdom. Although Prospero thinks he is wealthy enough to escape death, he isn't.
Prospero locks himself in an abbey: By knowing that an abbey is a place similar to a church where monks were, it is ironic that this is where Prospero locks himself to escape the Black Plague. A place where people go to pray and have solitude is where Prospero has his party possibly to escape the Plague seeing as the abbey holds a sense of calmness and security.
Prospero "happy and dauntless and sagacious": By saying that Prospero is "happy and dauntless and sagacious" I think the author is trying to imply that the price believes that he can avoid the terror and illness and death of the outside world and maintain a nice life in spite of the terror outside of his home. Another reason why this is why this is ironic is because he waits until half of the people are dead until he locks himself in the abbey and has a party.
CHARACTERIZATION
Prospero: Prospero was probably afraid of the things that were occuring outside, he was prideful - thinking that he would not become ill, he had anger and envy as well.
Prospero's light-hearted friends: Had many of the same characteristics as Prospero except I think many of them were actually enjoying themselves at Prospero's party and were gay and happy for the time being.