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------------------------------------------------ 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?

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The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress, and termination of the disease were the incidents of half an hour.

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. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. 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. The abbey was amply provisioned. 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. 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."

It was towards the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.

Answer :

Final answer:

The excerpt from Poe's work illustrates the insensitivity of the wealthy during a disease outbreak. The Prince Prospero's disregard for the suffering of others is highlighted through his carefree attitude and focus on pleasure. This serves as a critique of societal detachment in times of crisis.


Explanation:

Excerpt Analysis from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death"


In this excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," there are several parts that highlight the insensitivity of the wealthy and powerful towards the suffering caused by the disease:



  1. "The Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious." This statement shows that while the rest of the country suffers from the ravages of the plague, the prince exhibits a carefree attitude, emphasizing the disconnect between his happiness and the plight of his subjects.

  2. "The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve or to think." This reflects a blatant disregard for the suffering of others, illustrating how the elite have isolated themselves from the harsh realities of the world, prioritizing their own enjoyment over the plight of those affected by the disease.

  3. "But the Prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure." This phrase underscores the notion that the prince and his courtiers indulge in lavish festivities while ignoring the suffering outside their walls, emphasizing their detachment from the consequences of the plague.


These sections collectively portray the lack of empathy and accountability from those in power, reinforcing a critical commentary on wealth and privilege during crises.


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