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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. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress nor egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within.

3. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were 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:

In Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," the wealthy are depicted as insensitive to the suffering caused by the plague through their extravagant behavior and disregard for the outside world. Key excerpts highlight the prince's detachment and the courtiers' prioritization of pleasure over empathy. This reflects a significant moral issue regarding the responsibilities of the powerful during a crisis.


Explanation:

Examining Insensitivity Among the Powerful in "The Masque of the Red Death"

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," several passages suggest the insensitivity of the wealthy towards the suffering caused by the Red Death. The following excerpts highlight this theme:

  1. "But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated..." - This sentence indicates how the prince remains unaffected and indulgent even as his realm suffers from the disease.
  2. "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think." - This part demonstrates the refusal of the prince and his courtiers to acknowledge the plight of the outside world, prioritizing their own pleasure instead.
  3. "With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion." - This phrase implies a willful ignorance and detachment from the suffering of those outside their walls, suggesting they believe their wealth affords them protection at the expense of others.

Together, these parts illustrate a lavish celebration amidst tragedy, underscoring a stark contrast between the wealthy's indifference and the suffering of the populace, highlighting their moral bankruptcy in times of crisis.


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