essay about the red death

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A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’

On Tuesday, we put together a brief plot summary of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ , Edgar Allan Poe’s short but terrifying story about a prince who retreats to his castellated abbey with a thousand of his courtiers, to avoid the horrific and fast-acting plague known as the ‘Red Death’. You can read Poe’s story here . Now, it’s time for some words of analysis concerning this intriguing story which, like many of Poe’s best stories, seems to work on several levels.

First, there is the literary precedent for the basis of Poe’s story: the Italian writer Boccaccio’s fourteenth-century work The Decameron is about a group of noblemen and noblewomen who retreat to an abbey to flee the plague, or Black Death. All that’s changed in Poe’s basic setup is the colour of the plague, to the fictional ‘Red Death’. Interestingly, Poe originally titled the story ‘The Mask of the Red Death’, which places the emphasis on the masked figure who shows up at the end; in replacing ‘Mask’ with ‘Masque’, Poe shifts the focus onto the masquerade which Prospero stages for his courtiers. (A masque doesn’t have to involve wearing masks: it was a private ball popular in Italy for many centuries. Masks were optional.)

The fact that Prince Prospero and his wealthy entourage all believe they can avoid the Red Death – that they can, indeed, cheat death itself – is obviously naive hubris (although they were very far from being wealthy, it’s worth bearing in mind that when Poe wrote ‘The Mask of the Red Death’ in 1842, his wife Virginia had recently been diagnosed with tuberculosis – another then incurable disease involving blood, specifically when victims coughed up blood). Nobody, young or old, rich or poor, can escape the clutches of plague (or tuberculosis). And, indeed, nobody’s riches will prevent them from death – and this is clearly what the masked figure symbolises at the end of the story.

Prince Prospero, the only named character in the whole of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’, has a name which immediately has two related meanings. ‘Prospero’ suggests prosperous and prosperity , reminding us that the character is a prince, wealthy, and able to shut himself away with a thousand of his closest friends to sit out the plague that’s ravaging the city. But the most famous Prospero in literature is the magician in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest . Is there an intertextual allusion going on here? Might Poe have intended to summon (as it were) Shakespeare’s island-dwelling mage?

We can almost certainly respond with a firm ‘yes’. For Poe’s Prince Prospero, like the exiled duke and magician of Shakespeare’s play, becomes insulated or ‘islanded’ in the abbey where he walls himself and his followers up: both Prosperos are thus set apart from the rest of the world, and both are noblemen who use their power to control those around them, to create their own world, in a sense. But the ironic twist in Poe’s tale is that it is ‘rough magic’, or at least some supernatural force, which destroys his Prince Prospero, in the form of the intangible masked visitor who breaches the walls of the abbey and kills everyone there.

But the thing about the Red Death is that it can strike people down before they’ve had a chance to experience all seven stages of their threescore years and ten, so there’s something unsatisfying about this analysis. Instead, perhaps the colour symbolism is where Poe wants us to place significance: the first room is blue, and then, we learn,

The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange – the fifth with white – the sixth with violet.

Although these colours don’t precisely correspond to the colours of the spectrum – the rainbow, if you will – the presence of violet, and the significance of the number seven, imply the idea of totality, of all colours being present. These colours are a reminder of the gaudiness of the Prince’s life: he has the money to be able to afford such rare colours as royal purple (and this cluster of rooms is called, remember, an imperial suite).

But it’s the presence of red in that seventh and final room which is the most significant detail:

The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet – a deep blood color.

Black for death; red for the Red Death. And the black velvet of those tapestries adorning the walls – the walls of the room in which Prince Prospero and all of his friends will meet their doom – suggests the softness of death, the ease with which life slips away from those afflicted by the Red Death (death can occur in as little as half an hour, we’re told at the beginning of the story).

But all of this assumes that the events in the story really happened . Did they? Obviously on a literal level they didn’t, because Edgar Allan Poe made them up. But did Prince Prospero actually dream or hallucinate everything: the masquerade, the abbey with its coloured chambers, the ‘intangible’ visitant who kills everyone? Is it probable that a prince, even a ridiculously wealthy one, would really be able to hole himself up in one of his residences with a thousand companions? Perhaps.

But several details give us pause. First, we are told of Prince Prospero, ‘There are some who would have thought him mad.’ Second, there is the dreamlike aspect to everything in those colourful rooms:

To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these – the dreams – writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away – they have endured but an instant – and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many-tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods.

Poe was attracted to the idea of the palace as a symbol of the mind: he even wrote a poem, ‘The Haunted Palace’ , which uses this very metaphor as a way of exploring his own troubled mind. Could the final surprise in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ be that the events which we are told never happened at all, except in the mind of the ‘mad’ Prince Prospero? Poe was a pioneer of the ambiguous supernatural tale, as ‘ The Tell-Tale Heart ’, ‘ William Wilson ’, and others testify. He often leaves a story open for doubt as to whether what we have been told is reliable, or whether the events of the story really were supernatural, or merely the product of a character’s unsound mind.

The story, then, is ambiguous: it invites both a supernatural and psychological interpretation. However, one final piece of evidence might be submitted in favour of a psychological analysis: Prospero’s name. If he does summon Shakespeare’s magician, he summons someone who is capable of dreaming up the world he inhabits, through magic. Does Prince Prospero dream up the abbey and its coloured rooms, through the power of his own troubled imagination? We’d be wise to remember Prospero’s own words from Shakespeare’s play:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.

If you found this analysis of ‘The Masque of the Red Death’ helpful, you might also enjoy our discussion of Poe’s classic story ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ .

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7 thoughts on “A Short Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’”

A pithy analysis of this fascinating story. I always enjoy the colour imagery, and your suggestion that the whole thing was a dream or hallucination is a new one for me.

Thank you, Audrey :) And I think Poe was a pioneer of that supernatural/psychological explanation for many of the phenomena in his tales. ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ is a great example of that ambiguity – later to be used to great effect by Henry James in his The Turn of the Screw.

I hadn’t connected the rooms with Jacques poem, instead I thought of the the seven deadly sins list: https://www.britannica.com/topic/seven-deadly-sins I wonder which one influenced Poe.

That’s a much more attractive interpretation – as you’ll see, I found something unsatisfying in the Seven Ages interpretation, but couldn’t think of a more convincing reason. I think the Seven Deadly sins makes much more sense. I’ll have to add that to the post. Thanks!

Knowing Poe, I think the Seven Deadly Sins makes sense.

Well done and interesting. What goes through my practical mind is, how many servants would be required to tend to 1000 guests,? But if it is a dream or a supernatural occurrence, no problem.

Thanks, Marie! That’s a very good point. I don’t know whether the servants are numbered among the thousand (as part of that extensive retinue of hangers-on, entertainers, and fellow nobles). As you say, if the whole thing is an elaborate dream/delusion, such a practical concern is easily explained away!

The Masque of the Red Death

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The Masque of the Red Death , allegorical short story by Edgar Allan Poe , first published in Graham’s Magazine in April 1842.

In a medieval land ravaged by the Red Death, a plague that causes swift, agonizing death, Prince Prospero retreats to his castle with 1,000 knights and ladies. There he welds the doors and windows shut, confident that he and his guests will escape death. Prospero gives a masquerade ball. At midnight, the grotesquely costumed courtiers find a fearful figure among them, costumed in shrouds and dried blood as the Red Death, which it proves in reality to be.

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“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe: A Critical Analysis

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe first appeared in 1842 within his collection, Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque.

Introduction: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Table of Contents

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe first appeared in 1842 within his collection, Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque . The story confronts the inescapable nature of mortality, particularly for those who delude themselves into believing they can outrun it. Poe crafts a hauntingly evocative atmosphere through his detailed depictions of the gruesome Red Death and the opulent, yet crumbling, abbey. The characters’ futile efforts to drown out the plague with merriment only amplify the pervading dread, solidifying “The Masque of the Red Death” as a tale both suspenseful and imbued with profound contemplation.

Main Events in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Plague Ravages: The Red Death is described as uniquely horrific: “Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.” Symptoms include “sharp pains…sudden dizziness…profuse bleeding at the pores”. Death is swift, occurring within roughly half an hour.
Prince Secludes Himself: Prince Prospero isn’t just wealthy, he’s described as “happy and dauntless and sagacious”. In the face of the plague, he gathers “a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court” to isolate with him.
Iron Gates Sealed: The abbey is described as “an extensive and magnificent structure,” created by the Prince’s eccentric tastes. It’s surrounded by “a strong and lofty wall” with iron gates. The courtiers themselves “brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts.”
Provision and Entertainment: They resolve to “bid defiance to contagion” and stock the abbey with provisions. Crucially, the Prince brings in entertainment: “buffoons…improvisatori… ballet-dancers…musicians…Beauty…wine.”
Masquerade Ball: This isn’t just a party, it’s described as a “voluptuous scene”. The ball occurs as “the pestilence raged most furiously abroad”.
Seven Themed Rooms: The rooms aren’t in a line, but laid out “so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time”. Each room’s window is stained, matching the room’s color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet. Finally, the seventh is black with blood-red windows.
The Ebony Clock: This clock is “gigantic”, and its pendulum swings with “a dull, heavy, monotonous clang”. Each hour, its chiming is so loud and startling that it forces the musicians and dancers to pause momentarily.
The Figure of the Red Death: The uninvited guest is “tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave”. Most chillingly, his mask is so realistic that “the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat”. Crucially, his clothes are “dabbled in blood”.
Prospero’s Confrontation: The Prince is initially gripped by “a strong shudder either of terror or distaste” but ultimately is fueled by rage. Demanding to know who dares to mock them, he orders the figure seized and unmasked.
The Red Death Prevails: The Prince himself pursues the figure through the colored rooms. When the figure turns, the Prince lets out “a sharp cry” and dies. The mask and robes conceal nothing, the Red Death itself has infiltrated the party. The revelers follow and also die in the “blood-bedewed halls of their revel”.

Literary Devices in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe


	The entire narrative functions as an allegory for the inevitability of death. The Red Death itself embodies mortality, and Prince Prospero’s futile attempts to isolate himself and his guests from the outside world represent humanity’s struggle against the universal fate.
	* The Colors of the Rooms: The progression of seven colored chambers can be interpreted symbolically. Each hue might represent a different stage of life or evoke a specific emotional state, culminating in the darkness of death. * The Ebony Clock: The imposing clock with its monotonous chime serves as a constant reminder of the passage of time and the inescapable march towards death. * The Red Death: This horrifying plague stands not just for a literal disease but also symbolizes the ever-present threat of mortality.	Authors employ symbols to imbue objects or concepts with deeper meaning beyond their surface appearances.
	“Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores…”	Poe utilizes vivid descriptions that engage the reader’s senses, particularly sight and touch, to create a nightmarish portrayal of the Red Death’s effects.
	“And the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay.”	In this instance, the act of “going out” is attributed to the clock, giving it a human quality and further emphasizing the interconnection between time’s passage and the characters’ mortality.
	“The redness and the horror of blood”	Poe establishes a direct comparison between the color red and the emotion of horror, intensifying the symbolic connection between the Red Death and its devastating impact.
	“The external world could take care of itself.” (referring to the plague by its effect)	The story uses metonymy by referencing the plague’s impact (“external world”) to imply the existence of the disease itself.
	* The specific mention of them being halfway through the year (referring to “the close of the fifth or sixth month”) might foreshadow the characters’ own demise before the year’s end. * The ominous description of the ebony clock’s chiming that disrupts the revelry can be interpreted as foreshadowing the intrusion of death.	Poe subtly plants clues throughout the narrative that hint at the tragic events to come.
	The elaborate and extravagant revelry of the masquerade ball stands in stark contrast to the bleak reality of the Red Death that relentlessly stalks the characters. This sharp contrast serves to heighten the tension and emphasize the characters’ obliviousness to the impending doom.	The strategic placement of contrasting ideas or images creates a powerful effect, highlighting the characters’ folly and the pervasiveness of death.
	“A voluptuous scene, that masquerade.”	The use of an oxymoron, where “voluptuous” suggests pleasure and indulgence, creates a paradox when paired with the morbid undercurrent of the masquerade, foreshadowing the disruption of their merriment.
	* Alliteration: “…a strong and lofty wall…” (consonant sounds) * Assonance: “…blood-colored panes…” (vowel sounds) * Onomatopoeia: “…with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang…” (sound imitation)	Poe utilizes various sound techniques like alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia to create a specific sonic atmosphere that enhances the story’s mood and imagery.

Characterization in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Major characters:.

Prince Prospero: He is the main character in the story and is portrayed as a wealthy and powerful man who invites a thousand of his closest friends to stay in his abbey to escape the Red Death. Prospero is arrogant and believes that he can escape death, but he ultimately dies from the disease.
The Red Death: The disease is personified as a figure that haunts the guests, adding to the overall eerie atmosphere. The Red Death is the main antagonist of the story.

Minor Characters:

The Courtiers: They are the wealthy guests of Prince Prospero who attend the masquerade ball in the abbey. They are described as being “unhappy, and withal proud” and are shown to be detached from the suffering of the people outside the abbey.
The Mysterious Guest: This character is a mysterious figure dressed in a blood-stained robe and a mask resembling the face of the Red Death. He appears in the ballroom and causes terror and confusion among the guests.
The Clock: The clock is described as “of ebony” and has a “loud and solemn and deep” sound. It represents the passage of time and the inevitability of death.
The Abbey: The abbey is the setting of the story and represents the attempt to escape death. It is described as being “secure” and “well-provisioned” but ultimately fails to protect the guests from the Red Death.

Major Themes in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Theme 1: The Inevitability of Death: “The Red Death” relentlessly emphasizes the unavoidable truth that death cannot be escaped. From the opening sentence, which starkly states “The Red Death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous,” Poe sets the stage for this inescapable theme. Prince Prospero’s attempts to seal himself and his chosen companions within an abbey merely emphasize this futility. His belief that he can “bid defiance to contagion” is fundamentally flawed. The relentless ebony clock, its chiming “a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical” yet forcing the revelers to pause, serves as a constant, ominous reminder of mortality’s inexorable approach.
Theme 2: Human Arrogance and Denial: Prince Prospero and his guests embody a deep-rooted human arrogance, believing they can circumvent the natural order of life and death. When the Prince “summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends” amidst a depopulated kingdom, he displays a profound disregard for the plague’s power. The characters’ obsession with pleasure – “buffoons…improvisatori… ballet-dancers…musicians…Beauty…wine” – underscores their denial of the reality raging beyond their abbey walls. This attempt to create a self-contained world of revelry within the face of death reflects their misguided belief in their own exceptionalism.
Theme 3: The Power of Fear: Poe masterfully evokes a chilling sense of terror in his portrayal of the Red Death. He describes its effects in graphic detail: “The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.” The disease’s swift progression instills a primal fear throughout the story. This fear reaches its peak with the arrival of the masked figure embodying the plague itself, interrupting the masquerade and casting the revelers into a state of panic and dread.
Theme 4: Mortality and the Futility of Pleasure: At its core, “The Masque of the Red Death” suggests that the blind pursuit of pleasure is no match for mortality. The characters’ initial stance, that “the external world could take care of itself”, shows a callous detachment and a belief that revelry can offer genuine escape. However, the intrusion of the Red Death shatters this illusion, proving that pleasure is fleeting and vulnerable. As the tale concludes with revelers dropping dead and “Darkness and Decay and the Red Death” reigning supreme, Poe delivers a sobering reminder that death ultimately triumphs over ephemeral attempts to defy it.

Writing Style in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

From the opening line, “The Red Death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous,” Poe establishes a chilling atmosphere with stark imagery.
His portrayal of the disease’s effects is gruesomely detailed: “The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.”
The progression of colored rooms in the abbey can be interpreted symbolically. Each hue, “blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet,” might represent a different stage of life or evoke a specific emotional state, culminating in the darkness of death.
The ebony clock with its monotonous chime becomes a constant reminder of the passage of time and the inevitability of death: “And the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay.”
The repeated mention of the “Red Death” throughout the story reinforces its dominance and inescapable presence.
The ominous chiming of the ebony clock at each hour creates a sense of foreboding and punctuates the revelry with a chilling reminder of mortality: “a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause.”

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe


	“The Masque of the Red Death” exemplifies core elements of Gothic fiction. The story features: * A pervasive focus on death, decay, and the supernatural. (The Red Death itself embodies a terrifying supernatural force) * A dark and suspenseful atmosphere, built through vivid descriptions and symbolism. (The gloomy abbey setting and the characters’ futile attempts to escape foreshadow their doom) * Characters who grapple with fear, isolation, and the fragility of human life. (Prince Prospero’s descent into despair as the Red Death disrupts his revelry)	* The grotesque description of the Red Death’s effects: “The scarlet stains upon the body…” * The use of darkness and confinement within the abbey. * Prince Prospero’s desperate attempt to deny death.
	A psychoanalytic interpretation delves deeper, suggesting: * The characters’ denial of death (their retreat to the abbey) as a defense mechanism against the unconscious fear of mortality. * The Red Death as a manifestation of the characters’ deepest fears and anxieties about death itself. * The masquerade ball as a symbolic representation of the characters’ attempts to mask their fear and mortality through revelry.	* Prince Prospero’s decision to isolate himself: “They resolved to leave means neither of ingress nor egress…” * The grotesque figure representing the Red Death: “tall and gaunt…shrouded in the habiliments of the grave” * The extravagant masquerade ball: “There were buffoons, there were improvisatori…”

Questions about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

How does Poe use symbolism in “The Masque of the Red Death” to convey his message about the inevitability of death?
In what ways does the character of Prince Prospero embody the theme of hubris in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
How does the use of repetition contribute to the building of suspense and tension in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
What is the significance of the seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death” and how do they relate to the theme of time?
How does Poe use imagery to create a sense of horror and dread in “The Masque of the Red Death”?

Thesis Statements

Thesis Statement: In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses symbolism to convey his message about the inevitability of death. The colors, the clock, and the seven rooms in the story all serve as powerful metaphors for larger ideas and themes, ultimately underscoring the futility of trying to escape death.
Thesis Statement: Prince Prospero’s obsession with isolation and control in “The Masque of the Red Death” serves as a clear example of the theme of hubris. Prospero’s belief that he can cheat death through his wealth and power ultimately leads to his downfall, highlighting the destructive consequences of excessive pride.
Thesis Statement: The use of repetition in “The Masque of the Red Death” is a key element in the building of suspense and tension throughout the story. The repeated descriptions of the Red Death and the clock’s ominous chimes create a sense of dread and foreboding, ultimately contributing to the story’s haunting and unsettling atmosphere.
Thesis Statement: The seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death” serve as a powerful metaphor for the stages of life, highlighting the theme of time and the inevitability of death. The progression from the blue room, representing birth, to the black room, representing death, underscores the inescapable passage of time and the ultimate futility of trying to outrun death.
Thesis Statement: Poe’s use of vivid and macabre imagery in “The Masque of the Red Death” creates a sense of horror and dread that is central to the story’s impact. The descriptions of the Red Death itself, the gruesome fate of the party guests, and the haunting imagery of the ebony clock all contribute to the story’s enduring power and influence.

Short Question-Answers about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

What is the significance of the seven rooms in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
The seven rooms in the castle represent the stages of life, from birth to death. The progression from the blue room to the black room underscores the inescapable passage of time and the ultimate futility of trying to outrun death. Each room is also decorated in a different color, which serves as a powerful metaphor for the impermanence of life and the inevitability of death.
How does “The Masque of the Red Death” reflect the social commentary of Edgar Allan Poe?
The story reflects Poe’s critique of the relationship between wealth, privilege, and mortality. The wealthy and privileged guests at Prospero’s party are insulated from the suffering of the masses, but their indulgence and excess ultimately prove to be hollow and meaningless in the face of death. This commentary highlights the inequality and injustice of a society that allows the wealthy to isolate themselves from the suffering of others.
What is the main conflict in “The Masque of the Red Death”?
The main conflict in the story is the struggle of the characters to escape death. Prospero and his wealthy friends attempt to insulate themselves from the Red Death by locking themselves in a castle, but they ultimately fail to escape the inevitable.
What is the tone of “The Masque of the Red Death”?
The tone of the story is ominous and foreboding, with a sense of impending doom throughout. Poe uses vivid and macabre imagery to create a sense of horror and dread, underscoring the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape it.

Literary Works Similar to “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

“The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe: This classic by Poe complements “The Masque of the Red Death” with its similar atmosphere of decay and dread. It explores the decline of a reclusive family haunted by a mysterious illness and the crumbling walls of their ancestral home.
Frankenstein ; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) by Mary Shelley: A foundational work of Gothic fiction, “Frankenstein” delves into the dangers of scientific ambition. Like “The Masque of the Red Death”, it explores themes of mortality and the monstrous consequences of tampering with the natural order.
Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker: This iconic vampire tale stands as a cornerstone of Gothic literature. “Dracula” shares elements of the supernatural with “The Masque of the Red Death”, weaving a chilling story of seduction, danger, and the undead.
The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James: This psychological horror novella explores the nature of reality and sanity. Similar to the unsettling atmosphere in “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Turn of the Screw” leaves readers questioning the truth as a governess cares for two children in a possibly haunted mansion.
Carmilla (1872) by Sheridan Le Fanu: An earlier and influential vampire tale with a subtle lesbian subtext, “Carmilla” explores themes of isolation, desire, and the seductive power of the supernatural, mirroring elements present in “The Masque of the Red Death”.
“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” (1962) by Shirley Jackson: This unsettling tale follows two isolated sisters suspected of witchcraft in a decaying mansion. Similar to “The Masque of the Red Death”, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” creates a suspenseful and unsettling atmosphere.
“The Haunting of Hill House” (1959) by Shirley Jackson: Another chilling story by Jackson, “The Haunting of Hill House” follows a group of researchers who investigate a supposedly haunted mansion. This work, like “The Masque of the Red Death”, delves into the psychological effects of fear and the unknown.

The Masque of the Red Death

Background of the story.

The short stories of Edgar Allan Poe are written in the tradition of Gothic fiction. These stories are often analyzed as an allegory that shows the inevitability of death. Various interpretations of the story have been presented by critics and readers. The readers attempt to find the true nature of the disease.

The Masque of the Red Death Summary

After some months, Prince Prospero throws a masquerade party along with some other wealthy aristocrats. For the party, he decorates the seven rooms of his palace in seven different colors. He decorates the easternmost room in blue with blue windows. The other room is decorated in purple color with purple windows. Moving towards the westward, the rooms are decorated in the color order are green, orange, white, and violet.

Characters Analysis

Prince prospero.

The kingdom of Prince Prosper is devastated by the plague that results in the loss of the population. Instead of helping and supporting his people in such a difficult time, Prince Prospero locks himself in his palace to hide from the problems. He let the external world take care of itself.

Mysterious guest

Death as natural and inevitable, the red death as a moral decay, safety is an illusion.

The ebony clock functions as a reminder that they are constantly pushed towards death; even the black room is a symbol of death. Moreover, the aggressive reaction of the people to the masked figures shows how far they can go hide from death and preserve their illusion.

Versions of Reality

Prince Prospero is an unconventional artistic figure. He appears to be mad as everything in the throws in the masquerade ball bears the mark of his artistic genius. The ball is held in the seven elaborated colored room in a writhing, whirling, costumed masquerades. Everything in the party appears to be imagined and fantastic, just like a dream or world of art that has spun out of control.

In the fantastic world of the story, there is nothing that makes the readers feel home. There is no source of comfort and stability. Everything is dreadful and horrifying. The fear of the readers is reflected in fear of the guests of the masquerade party towards their death and the things that remind them of their death. The fears of the characters are built in a noticeable manner. Their fear starts as a nervous discomfort to an “unutterable horror” at the climax of the story.

Foolishness and Folly

Literary analysis.

Considering “the Masque of the Red Death” as an allegory of life and death and the helplessness of humans to avoid death, the Red Death is the symbol of both literal and allegorical death. The story illustrates the idea that no matter how large and beautiful the castle is, how much luxurious food and clothing you have, humans are mortal, and every mortal has to die one day, whether you are a prince of an ordinary human being.

The “Red Death”

At the time the story “The Masquerade of the Death Red” was written, Poe’s wife Virginia was suffering from the disease of tuberculosis. This disease could have been a source for the Red Death in the story. Just like Prince Prosper, Poe ignored the true nature of the disease. Poe’s brother William, his mother Eliza, and his foster mother Frances, died because of tuberculosis.

Title of the Story

Writing style.

Most of the paragraphs of Poe are either very short or very long. Even the long paragraphs deal with only a single thing. For example, the first paragraph deals with the Red Death, the second paragraph deals with Prospero’s castle retreat, the third is short; the fourth describes the suite, and so on.

The sentences of Poe are identical because of their simple structure and appear to be small.

Edgar Allan Poe then fills the clear and simple structure with color. The word choice he has in his stories makes his writing colorful. Sometimes it also depends on the dramatic quality or vividness of the words, for example, “arabesque figures” and delirious fancies.” Also, in the figurative language, he used it in his stories.

The spot-on word choice adds feelings to his works and shows how well put-together his work is. Everything appears to be selected with great care.

This sentence is the perfect example of how Poe puts the details in his writings. Poe loves to use lots of descriptive words, even if the sentence is short. For example, while describing the swing of the pendulum, he uses more than one adjective as “a dull, heavy, monotonous clang.”

Ultimately, one can say that the writing style of Edgar Allan Poe is extremely elegant.

Narrator Point of View

Symbolism, imagery, allegory, the seven colored rooms.

Considering this reading, the blue room in which the easternmost symbolizes birth. The color proposes the “unknown” from which a human arrives into the world. The next room is decorated in the color purple, which is the combination of blue and red. The purple color suggests the start of the growth. The next room is decorated in green color. It suggests youth, the spring period of life. The orange color symbolizes the summer and the autumn of life. The next color is white, which suggests old age i.e., white hair and weak bones. Violet is the combination of purple and blue and results in shadowy color representing darkness. And the color black is for death.

The “Castellated Abbey”

The red death.

Poe also portrays the hierarchical relationship between the peasantry and Prospero. He shows how unfair the feudal system is. He also points out the lavish lifestyle of the aristocracy and the suffering of the poor. The way Poe uses the feudal imagery in the story is historically accurate. When the actual Bubonic plague overwhelmed Europe in the fourteenth century, the feudal system was at its peak. The disease the Red Death shows radical egalitarianism as it attacks both poor and rich.

A scholar also gives an explanation by describing the Red Death, not as a disease but the weak man that is shared by humankind.

The Masquerade/Dream Imagery

The short story is set in the luxurious “castellated abbey” Prince Prospero which is hidden somewhere in the kingdom. The doors of the castle are shut so that no one can enter the house. Everyone in the house is having a party while poor people outside the castle are dying.

Art Imagery

The shakespearean connection.

There is one well-designed connection that appears to be really important for some of the scholars. There is the mention of “red plague” in the play The Tempest. The Cabilan characters early in play utter a curse, which shows up as “red plague.”

More than the similarity between “red plague” and Red Death,” there are other connections too. These connections between the two are explored by observing the “Prosperos” of the two works. There are great similarities between the two characters. However, the two characters are unique in their own way; Shakespeare’s Prospero is soccer, while Poe’s Prospero is a great artist.

Apocalyptic Symbolism

Poe applies the phrase of Paul about Jesus to Red Death. While doing so, he makes the Red Death as an “apocalyptic figure.” Apocalyptic figure symbolizes the end of the world. Prince Prospero and his friends, like sinners, foolishly ignore the inevitable end of life and engage themselves in the pleasures of life. Like sinners, Prince Prospero and his friend, pay the price for their ignorance.

More From Edgar Allan Poe

Short stories.

The Masque of the Red Death

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Discussion Questions

Poe tells us that “there are some who would have thought [Prospero] mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not” (741). Do you think Prospero is mad? Why or why not? What is the significance of being able to touch him in proving his sanity? If he is mad, what is the significance of this to the story?

What is the significance of the “tall and narrow Gothic window[s]” (740) set with stained glass that illuminate each room?

Scholars are undecided as to whether Poe’s story should be considered an allegory , and if so, what exactly for. Where do you stand on this question? Should we take Poe’s story as having a moral beyond the text, and if so, what is it? Explain with references from the text.

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Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story Essay

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Edgar Alan Poe’s short story The Masque of Red Death is a unique piece, allowing the reader to experience Gothic fiction and analyze death’s inevitability through the author’s allegoric instruments. The central topic of the plague sets a specific mood to the story, helping a reader better understand the content and writing setting. The spirit is reflected through the writer’s tone, which directly represents their subjective perspectives.

The tone of The Masque of Red Death starts to translate from a story’s title, anticipated to be dark and grievous. Indeed, the opening lines indulge a dreadful mood, followed by a permanent feeling of intimidation: The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal-the redness and the horror of blood” (Poe 1). The narration sets a mysterious tone, with Poe’s vivid imagery easily controlling the reader’s attention through suspense.

One of the most mysterious symbolist elements in the story describes the seven coloured rooms. Each reader may elaborate on their perception of the colors; however, a common point of view is the representation of seven life stages, starting from birth to death. For instance, black and blood-red rooms exemplify death and life intensity. However, with no Poe’s elaboration on the symbolism, each reader is left to reckoning on the individual meaning, which induces mystical and somewhat anxious tones.

The Red Death is one of Poe’s primary symbolist elements, which unmistakably is a representation of death. The author’s detailed portrayal of death attracts and simultaneously intimidates the reader, setting a frightful and ominous mood of the overall story: “And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night” (Poe 4). The Red Death image haunts the reader through the short story, constantly leaving a haunting feeling of inevitable death.

The tone of the story is an essential tool for each writer for setting the correct atmosphere for readers, which Edgar Alan Poe masterly did in The Masque of Red Death. Throughout the story, the mysterious and dreadful symbolism retains the reader’s attention, constantly anticipating the next plot twist. The overall dark and menacing tone of the piece manifests itself, especially in the ending, where everyone dies. Thus, the mood is easily identified, expressing a frustrating deadly mood.

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Alan. The Masque of the Red Death . 1850. ASU Public Library . Web.

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Literary Analysis of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque Of The Red Death"

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The Masque of the Red Death

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Main Events in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Literary Devices in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Characterization in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Minor Characters:

Major Themes in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Writing Style in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Questions about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Short Question-Answers about “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Literary Works Similar to “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

Suggested Readings: “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

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The Masque of the Red Death

The Masque of the Red Death Summary

Characters Analysis

Mysterious guest

Versions of Reality

Foolishness and Folly

The “Red Death”

Title of the Story

Narrator Point of View

The “Castellated Abbey”

The Masquerade/Dream Imagery

Art Imagery

Apocalyptic Symbolism

More From Edgar Allan Poe

The Masque of the Red Death

Essay Topics

Related Titles

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Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story Essay

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Literary Analysis of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque Of The Red Death"

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