High School

Select the correct text(s) in the passage.

Which three parts of this excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" highlight the suggestion that the powerful and wealthy in the story are insensitive toward the outbreak of the disease and those who are suffering?

1. "But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys."

2. "With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think."

3. "The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There wore buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the 'Red Death.'"

Answer :

Final answer:

The answer identifies three specific parts of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" that demonstrate the insensitivity of the wealthy regarding the plight of those suffering from the plague. The selected texts emphasize the detachment and disregard of the affluent, particularly Prince Prospero, in the face of widespread death and disease. These elements combine to illustrate a stark contrast between the experiences of the powerful and the afflicted.


Explanation:

Selecting Texts Highlighting Insensitivity in "The Masque of the Red Death"

The excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" illustrates the insensitivity of the wealthy and powerful towards the suffering caused by the plague. The following three parts highlight this theme:

  1. "The whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour." - This chilling description emphasizes the rapidity and horror of the disease, which the powerful choose to ignore.
  2. "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think." - This reveals the Prince Prospero's disregard for the suffering outside his walls, showing a blatant insensitivity to the plight of others.
  3. "But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious." - Despite the widespread mortality outside, the prince's happiness underscores his insensitivity and detachment from reality.

Together, these selections effectively convey the theme of apathy and privilege amidst the suffering of others.


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