Edgar Allan Poe was a famous American short story writer and poet who is notable for his contributions to the American Romantic movement. Although he is perhaps best known for his poem, 'The Raven,' Edgar Allan Poe wrote many poems and short stories before his untimely death in 1849 at the age of 40. Poe published 'The Masque of the Red Death' in 1942, and like much of Poe's work, it is considered an exemplar of the Gothic fiction genre.
The plot of 'The Masque of the Red Death' is actually quite simple. The Red Death is a fictional plague sweeping through the land. Prince Prospero, the main character in the short story, is hiding from the plague in an abbey, along with a bunch of other nobles. Despite the plague being quite horrific and consisting of symptoms like sweating blood and dying within 30 minutes, the nobles think they are safe in the abbey. In fact, they are so relaxed about their situation that Prospero hosts a big masquerade ball.
The only downside of the abbey, which is quite luxurious, is the decor. There are seven rooms which are color-coded and arranged east to west. The last of these rooms is a creepy room that is decorated in black and scarlet. This room contains a huge clock that scares the guests whenever it chimes on the hour.
The clock does not disrupt the masquerade for long, however. People keep partying until it strikes midnight. Then, a mysterious figure shows up, which is disturbing because the doors to the abbey are welded shut to keep all the plague-infested people out. The figure is dressed in a bloody robe, and the figure's mask is designed to look like someone who has died from the Red Death.
Prospero chases the figure through the abbey until he corners the figure in the creepy room, which is the room farthest to the west. When the stranger looks at Prospero, Prospero drops dead. The other noblemen corner the stranger and unmask him. Once he is unmasked, they realize that he does not possess a body. Everyone in the abbey catches the Red Death and dies.
Symbols and Motifs Let's take a look at some of the symbols and motifs of 'The Masque of the Red Death.' First, let's discuss the seven rooms.
Arranged in a row from east to west, the seven color-coded rooms in the abbey are considered symbolic of the progression of life. The stages they represent are birth (blue), youth (purple), adolescence (green), adulthood (orange), old age (white), imminent death (violet), and death itself (black/scarlet).
The seventh room, which represents death, is the room into which Prospero chases the stranger. It is also the room that everyone at the party avoids until the very end of the story. Once Prospero and the other nobles cross into the room, they all contract the Red Death and immediately die.
Now, let's talk about the clock.
Have you ever heard the phrase 'Time is running out'? Well, if the black room represents death, and there is a huge black clock in the room that marks each and every passing hour so loudly that all of the guests at the party take note of it, it seems fairly obvious that the clock is a symbolism of the fleetingness of life and the inevitability of death. You can hide in an abbey to escape a plague, but you can't hide from death itself, since even if you manage to avoid the plague, you will still die of old age eventually.
Finally, let's discuss the color red.
The color red features heavily in 'The Masque of the Red Death.' While sometimes red can symbolize passion or life-sustaining blood, red is exclusively associated with death in this story. The fictional plague is named the Red Death because it makes people bleed out of the pores on their face
Explanation: Once elevated, Hawaii is rapidly modernizing through a rapidly growing tourism-based economy. In the face of the threat of complete disappearance of local culture, efforts have been made since the 1970s to rescue and reaffirm local Hawaiian culture.
The writings of Jean Bodin provides us with an early theorisation of the idea of sovereignty even though the examples he uses are quite extensive. Essential to Bodin's notion of sovereignty is that the power the sovereign holds must be absolute and permanent. If a ruler holds absolute power for the duration of his life he can be said to be sovereign. In contrast, an elected official or some other person that holds limited powers can not be described to be sovereign. Although at times Bodin suggests that the people are sovereign, his definition of sovereignty as absolute, unlimited and enduring power points purposively towards a positive association of sovereignty and a singular monarchical, or even tyrannical, power.
Another qualification that Bodin introduces into the definition of sovereignty as absolute and perpetual is one that will become increasingly important in subsequent theorisations, culminating in the work of Carl Schmitt. For Bodin, a sovereign prince is one who is exempt from obedience to the laws of his predecessors and more importantly, those issued by himself. Sovereignty rests in being above, beyond or excepted from the law. Although it occupies a subordinate place in Bodin's theorisation, it could be said that this exception from being subject to the law is the quintessential condition of sovereignty in so far as it is understood politically.
Although for Bodin sovereignty is characterised by absolute and perpetual power he goes on to make a series of important qualifications to this concept. These come from two principle concerns. The first is real politics - Bodin seems to be aware that absolute power could licence behaviour injurious to sovereign authority. Hence for example a sovereign cannot and should not confiscate property nor break contractual agreements made with other sovereigns, estates nor private persons. The second reason is Bodin's underlying theological notion of divine authority and natural law. A sovereign may put aside civil law, but he must not question natural law (in which it appears right of property is sanctioned). Saying this, it is ultimately from this divine authority that the earthly right of sovereign power is legitimated. The prince literary does god's bidding, and yet by virtue of this can do wrong. Hopefully this helps out some :)
For the Pilgrims and other people in England who wanted to live according to their religious personal beliefs and convictions, they fundamentally had two options: to stay in England and accept the norms and practices of the Church of England, already separated from Rome; or leave, emigrate to a new place where they could freely live and practice their own religion.
The most likely tax that follows the principle that states that people should pay based on their ability is the federal income tax. This tax is progressive as the high income earners pay a higher percentage as tax when compared to he low income earners.
The sales tax and doctors license fees aren't progressive, as the rich and the poor all pay same amount. This doesn't align with the principle.
