erik’s masquerade look is obviously based off of the title character from edgar allen poe’s masque of red death, which means leading up to and during the masquerade, erik definitely envisions raoul as prince prospero.
raoul/prospero characterizes everything erik/the red death is not. he is described as sagacious and happy, and is charming and surrounded by gaiety and companionship. he represents ignorance, namely of the suffering of those beneath him, and innocence.
erik/the red death, alternatively represents death, pestilence, disturbance, and is described as “(grotesque, ghoulish, horrifying, disgusting, tall and gaunt).” he is further described as having a mask that features “full countenance of the face (and a) broad brow”. not to mention, erik appears in a crimson, period-appropriate, dramatic garment.
he appears at the stroke of midnight to disturb the happenings of the prince’s masquerade, horrifying and offending the guests. the red death approaches with “slow and solemn movement”, just as erik walks down the stairs in such a manner. the prince demands, “seize him and unmask him– that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise!” – something erik has suffered through before. however, it is clear that erik has taken the remainder of the short as his inspiration for how he wishes the masquerade to play out. not a soul reacts to the prince’s commands, and the red death strikes the prince down during the brief confrontation prospero engages in with him. erik only does not kill raoul because he is painfully aware how it would hurt christine and lessen his chances for garnering her affections.
additionally, the masquerade occurs after six months (of relief of delight), and the ball in poe’s short is also thrown “toward the close of the fifth or sixth month” (of the prince’s seclusion). the ball itself is magnificent, “(beautiful, wanton, bizarre, and terrible)”.
the comparisons between poe’s short and the masquerade scene in phantom are endless, and the red death is quite clearly where erik sourced inspiration for his actions, words, and look.
one time when i was like 6-7 i was hanging out with a friend on one of these
and he told me a joke so funny (god i wish i could remember) that i lost control and pissed myself. but i was on the up side and so my pee stream trickled down and wet his pants and i couldnt stop laughing as i watched it happened. even when he noticed i had peed his pants and got off, sobbing, i couldnt stop cackling. i hit the ground and rolled off, giggling and probably still pissing myself. i peed someone else’s pants…. i never saw that kid again. sorry kid.
(i.e. can you believe Ben Solo cried for Rey’s pain yeah I can’t either)
I feel like this is getting waaaayyyy too little attention outside of the reylo fandom.
Ben’s literally crying along with Rey as she talks about her loneliness, but NOOOOO according to many people he just wants her to rule with him coz he wants an apprentice. JFC
Ben Solo is the caring, attentive listener we all deserve Rey deserves. No wonder she crossed the galaxy to go pick him up. Why can’t people understand this?
ladywriter94 