Wealth can corrupt people and make them behave unethically. Wealthy people believe they have an edge over those who don’t. Edgar Allen Poe describes the arrogance of the wealthy prince towards his people in The Masque of the Red Death. Even though not all rich people act in an immoral manner, the majority abuse their position.
While it may sound nice to have a very wealthy prince rule a large country, the thought of locking death away is not a good idea. Prince Prospero of the Masque of the Red Death decided to throw the biggest party of all time in order to celebrate the fact everyone survived the disease. Invited were friends, family members and whatever else was left. Poe tells us that Prospero invited a thousand of the hale, light-hearted knights and ladies of his court to his party. Then he retreated to a crenelated monastery to be alone.
The prince also feels the power that comes with being really rich. Prince Prospero noticed a masked, rotten-looking corpse in the party room. The prince is disgusted by this and decides to murder the masked person on the spot. “There was an abrupt cry. The dagger fell on the carpet. Prince Prospero was instantly killed.”
It is evident that the story’s ending, with the death the Prince, shows you are not immortal because of your wealth. The fact that Prince Prospero was killed shows that wealth and money are not enough to make you immortal. After everyone has died, the story tells us that the Red Death is now known. The story tells us that the presence of the plague is acknowledged after everyone has died.
This article argues that wealthy people are often arrogant or believe they are immortal. Prince Prospero went to the party thinking that he was superior to everyone else. He held an event taunting his death as he approached it. If we are all too greedy and overbearing with our money, then we could all end up as Prince Prospero.
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