The masked ball at the Opera

The masked ball at the Opera is a pivotal event in Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, where Christine Daae secretly meets Raoul de Chagny, only to be interrupted by the terrifying appearance of Erik disguised as Red Death. This encounter reveals Christine's fear and her complex bond with Erik, setting the stage for the tragic climax of the novel.

The Setting and the Invitation

The masked ball was an exceptional affair, given some time before Shrovetide in honor of the anniversary of the birth of a famous draftsman. It was expected to be much gayer, noisier, and more Bohemian than the ordinary masked ball, with numbers of artists accompanied by a whole cohort of models and pupils, who by midnight began to create a tremendous din. Raoul received a note from Christine, covered with mud and unstamped, bearing the words "To be handed to M. le Vicomte Raoul de Chagny," with the address in pencil. It had been flung out in the hope that a passer-by would pick it up and deliver it, which is what happened on the pavement of the Place de l'Opera. The note instructed him to go to the masked ball, to be in the little room behind the chimney-place of the big crush-room at twelve o'clock, to stand near the door that leads to the Rotunda, to wear a white domino and be carefully masked, and not to let himself be recognized. Raoul, who had been in despair over Christine's mysterious absence, read the note with fevered eyes, and it revived his hope, replacing his somber picture of a deceitful Christine with that of an unfortunate, innocent child, the victim of imprudence and exaggerated sensibility.

The Encounter with Red Death

Raoul climbed the grand staircase at five minutes to twelve, ignoring the motley dresses and the jests of the crowd. He crossed the big crush-room, escaping a mad whirl of dancers, and entered the room mentioned in Christine's letter, which was crammed with people going to and from supper in the Rotunda. He leaned against a door-post and waited. A black domino passed and gave a quick squeeze to the tips of his fingers; he understood it was she and followed her. As they passed through the great crush-room, Raoul noticed a group crowding round a person whose disguise caused a sensation: a man dressed all in scarlet, with a huge hat and feathers on top of a wonderful death's head, and an immense red-velvet cloak trailing like a king's train, embroidered in gold letters with "Don't touch me! I am Red Death stalking abroad!" When one daring person tried to touch him, a skeleton hand shot out of a crimson sleeve and violently seized the rash one's wrist, causing him to cry out in pain and terror. Raoul recognized the death's head of Perros-Guirec and nearly exclaimed, but the black domino, also seemingly excited, caught his arm and dragged him away.

The Confrontation in the Box

The black domino led Raoul up two floors to a private box, where Christine, whom he recognized by her voice, closed the door and warned him to remain at the back and not show himself. She kept her mask on and listened at the partition, then opened the door ajar and looked out, saying "He must have gone up higher" and then "He is coming down again!" Raoul saw a red foot on the staircase, followed by another, and then the whole scarlet dress of Red Death. He exclaimed, "It's he! This time, he shall not escape me!" and tried to rush out, but Christine slammed the door and repelled him with surprising strength. Raoul, losing his temper, accused her of being in league with the man behind the hideous mask, calling him her "Angel of Music" and her "friend." Christine, in a tragic gesture, flung out her arms and said, "In the name of our love, Raoul, you shall not pass!" Raoul, in a fit of childish hatred, accused her of lying and deceiving him, and burst into tears. Christine allowed him to insult her, thinking only of keeping him from leaving the box. She told him he would beg her pardon one day, and that she would forgive him. When he sarcastically said he would come and applaud her, she replied, "I shall never sing again, Raoul!" and when he asked where she was going, she said, "I came to tell you, dear, but I can't tell you now... you would not believe me! You have lost faith in me, Raoul; it is finished!" She then took off her mask, revealing a face with a mortal pallor and sorrow-furrowed features, and said, "Dear, it is a tragedy!" She put her mask back on and left, forbidding him to follow.

Aftermath and Revelation

After Christine left, Raoul went down among the crowd, asking if anyone had seen Red Death, but he could not find him. At two o'clock in the morning, he turned down the passage behind the scenes that led to Christine Daae's dressing-room. He entered, found it empty, and hid in the inner room when he heard footsteps. Christine entered, took off her mask, and sighed, murmuring "Poor Erik!" Raoul, hidden behind the curtain, heard her repeat the name and then saw her write several sheets of paper, which she hid in her bodice. Suddenly, a faint singing seemed to issue from the walls, and a beautiful, soft, captivating male voice came into the room. Christine addressed it as "Erik," saying "Here I am, Erik. I am ready. But you are late." The voice sang the Wedding-night Song from Romeo and Juliet, and Christine stretched out her arms to it, as she had done in Perros churchyard. Raoul, struggling against the charm, drew back the curtain and walked toward her, but as she moved toward the great mirror, the reflection multiplied into twenty Christines spinning around him, and then she disappeared. Raoul rushed to the glass, struck the walls, but found nobody. He sat down, and with tears streaming down his cheeks, he asked aloud, "Who is this Erik?" This moment marks the first time Raoul learns Erik's name and confirms Christine's mysterious connection to him, deepening the mystery and his despair.