Final answer:
The rooms in the abbey in 'The Masque of the Red Death' represent the stages of life, with the final black room symbolizing inevitable death, emphasized by a ticking clock that reminds revelers of their mortality.
Step-by-step explanation:
In The Masque of the Red Death, the rooms in the abbey symbolically represent the stages of life. Prince Prospero's abbey features seven colored rooms arranged from east to west, mirroring the sun's path and the life cycle from birth to death. The progression through the rooms can be seen as a journey through life, with the final black room representing inevitable death. The presence of a clock in the last room adds to the symbolism, with its ticking reminding the revelers of the passing of time and their mortality. The story's conclusion, where the Red Death itself enters the abbey and claims all lives, reinforces the theme that no one can escape death.