the masque of the red death introduction essay

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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!

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English Studies

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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

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

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.

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

Scholarly articles:.

• Dameron, George H. “Death’s Satire: Dance and Disease in Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death.'” Studies in Short Fiction 15.2 (1978): 147-152. [This peer-reviewed article explores the thematic significance of the masquerade ball and the Red Death itself.]
• Fisher, James E. “Space and Time in Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death.'” American Transcendental Quarterly 2 (1972): 71-79. [This article, potentially found in academic databases, delves into the symbolic meaning of the colored rooms and the role of time in the story.]
• Quinn, Arthur Hobson. “Poe’s Allegory.” The American Literature 19.1 (1947): 3-19. [This article, likely found in JSTOR or other academic databases, offers a broader analysis of Poe’s use of allegory, including a potential interpretation of “The Masque of the Red Death.”]
• Leary, Lewis. Edgar Allan Poe: A Biography . Rutgers University Press, 2009. [This comprehensive biography provides historical context for Poe’s work and explores the influences that shaped his writing.]
• Solow, Daniel. The Insanity of Language: Kierkegaard, Lacan, and Literary Theory . Princeton University Press, 2000. [This critical analysis, while not solely focused on Poe, offers a psychoanalytic lens that can be applied to “The Masque of the Red Death.”]
• Thompson, G. R. Poe’s Fiction: Mirrors and Madness . University of Wisconsin Press, 1987. [This book offers in-depth analysis of Poe’s short stories, including “The Masque of the Red Death,” exploring themes and literary techniques.]
• The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore: https://www.poeinbaltimore.org/ [This website, maintained by the esteemed Edgar Allan Poe Society, offers a wealth of resources on Poe’s life and works, including critical essays and interpretations of his stories.]

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The Masque of the Red Death

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T HE “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. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. 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. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.

But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the “Red Death.”

It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.

It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven—an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke's love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue—and vividly blue were its windows. 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. 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. Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire that protected its rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances. But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all.

It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock 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, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.

But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel. The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him 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.

He had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of the seven chambers, upon occasion of this great fete; and it was his own guiding taste which had given character to the masqueraders. Be sure they were grotesque. There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm—much of what has been since seen in “Hernani.” There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. 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. But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.

But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps, that more of thought crept, with more of time, into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled. And thus, too, it happened, perhaps, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise—then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust.

In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation. In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum. There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed. The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood—and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.

When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage.

“Who dares?” he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him—“who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him—that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!”

It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly—for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.

It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker. But from a certain nameless awe with which the mad assumptions of the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of the prince's person; and, while the vast assembly, as if with one impulse, shrank from the centres of the rooms to the walls, he made his way uninterruptedly, but with the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from the first, through the blue chamber to the purple—through the purple to the green—through the green to the orange—through this again to the white—and even thence to the violet, ere a decided movement had been made to arrest him. It was then, however, that the Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all. He bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of the retreating figure, when the latter, having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer. There was a sharp cry—and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer, whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form.

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

In Christian trinitarian doctrine, the spirit of God is split into three distinct but interconnected vessels: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the creator of the universe, the Son is embodied by Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells in the faithful. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the clock, the masked figure, and blood serve as an unholy trinity, representative of death rather than salvation. The clock is time, the indomitable presence that establishes the confines of reality and the inevitability of death. The masked figure is the dark judge who brings death to Prospero and his friends. Blood, established as an enemy from the start, is the source of the pestilence that led to Prospero’s arrogance and eventual downfall. Once the last of the masqueraders has died, the trinity dissolves, with the masked figure's proving intangible, the clock's ceasing to tick, and the blood's splattering the walls.

The final line of the story highlights the foolishness of Prospero and his friends in attempting to escape the Red Death. To hold “illimitable dominion” means to have unlimited or absolute control over something. Prospero and his friends had no chance of escaping death, no matter how hard they tried to fool themselves. The final line also completes the unity of impression that Poe strove for in all of his stories, ending on the same idea that it opened with when describing the swift and gruesome end met by those who contracted the disease.

The verb “bedewed” means to sprinkle something with drops of liquid. For the walls to be “blood bedewed” means that they are spattered with drops of blood. The visual image of blood-speckled halls recalls the symptoms of the Red Death described in the opening lines, where the “scarlet stains” marked the pores and faces of the infected. For the blood to have transferred to the “halls” speaks to the massive scale and violent nature of the deaths of Prospero’s friends.

The biblical book of 1 Thessalonians 5:2 reads: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 focus on the preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the prophesized apocalypse where all souls will be judged for their sins. By using the phrase “thief in the night,” the narrator casts the coming of the Red Death as both biblical and apocalyptic. Biblical theology states that the Second Coming will be preceded by the arrival of the antichrist and humanity's descent into sin. This allusion offers an interpretation of the story as an apocalyptic event in which Prospero has led his people to sin and folly and the Red Death has arrived to deliver its gruesome judgement.

The description of the masked figure as “spectral” proves literal as Prospero’s friends unmask him only to find that there is no tangible form beneath the costume. This revelation can be read several ways: On a purely allegorical reading, the masked figure represents death itself. It can also be read more literally, with the disease entering by intangible means, like air or a delayed outbreak. Another interpretation is that the disease represents immorality and corruption, meaning that no external source can be blamed since the disease came from within Prospero and his friends. By this final reading, their own corruption eventually dissolves their insulated society, resulting in a violent overthrow of Prospero.

The symbolic significance of the clock and the black room is made explicit as the black room becomes the site of death for Prospero and his friends. The clock heralded the arrival of the masked figure, and the black room became its destination. The masked figure—death—stands in the shadow of the clock, emphasizing that the clock is the driving force behind mortality.

After watching Prospero drop dead, his friends are seized by the “wild courage of despair.” Rather than fleeing or attempting to ignore the masked figure, they rush the black room, trying futilely to avenge Prospero’s death and remove the intrusive presence. This course of action highlights Prospero’s role as the architect of the daydream. Now that he is dead, his friends cannot maintain the illusion and instead give into the “wild impulses of despair” that Prospero’s leadership staved off.

The word “prostrate” refers to the state of lying facedown on the ground, particularly in reverence or submission to a deity or person of higher rank. The visual image evoked here is that of Prospero lying face-down at the feet of the masked figure, who “turned suddenly and confronted [Prospero].” By falling “prostrate,” Prospero has been forced to submit to death both literally and figuratively.

Notice that the masked figure moves from the blue chamber to the black chamber. If the different rooms represent the process of aging, then the masked figure moves towards death. The intentionality of the figure’s “solemn and measured step” evokes images of a procession or ceremony, specifically a funeral. Poe employs anaphora, repeating the word “through” at the beginning of each phrase as the figure walks through each room. This builds suspense and mimics the way the masqueraders watch him progress, elongating the journey as he makes his way towards the final room.

The adjective “blasphemous” refers to something that is profane and violates religious doctrine, specifically Christian. For Prospero to call the costume a “blasphemous mockery” is hypocritical, considering the biblical verse in Hebrews 9:27: “and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” In Christian theology, all mortal things must die in order to obtain salvation in the afterlife. By defying death, Prospero proves himself the true blasphemer. Notice the additional hypocrisy in that the punishment for dressing up as the Red Death is a death sentence. Prospero is willing to condemn someone else to the fate he seeks to defy for daring to confront him with the reality of the Red Death.

Up to this point, the color red has been associated with death and disease. If readers maintain this association, Prospero’s face “redden[ing] with rage” can be interpreted in multiple ways. Recall that one of the symptoms of the red death is “profuse bleeding at the pores.” Though possible that Prospero’s anger has caused his face to flush, there is still an echo of the description of facial bleeding from the introduction of the disease. By another reading, Prospero’s own murderous thoughts have led his face to take on the color of death. He calls for the hanging of the figure and later rushes him with a dagger, indicating Prospero’s own deadly nature.

The adjective “spectral” refers to something that is ghostlike or incorporeal. Rather than the more figurative description of Prospero and his friends as “phantasms,” the masked figure seems to be more literally spectral in nature as it acts out its gruesome costume. The audacious nature of its costume and its sudden appearance at the masquerade combine to make it a seemingly inhuman and supernatural entity.

The noun “mummer” refers to an actor, typically amateur, who performed in masked plays or pantomimes. Mummers often performed for the poor in exchange for food or drink, especially around the holidays. Though masquerades were more for the nobility and mummers plays were more for the common people, the concepts stem from the shared desire to escape social conventions by acting out a different persona. The masked figure is likely referred to as a “mummer” because it is silent and because it appears to be acting out its costume. It may also be a way of degrading the figure for its poor taste.

Earlier in the story, the narrator refused to condemn Prospero as a madman. However, after the appearance of the masked figure, all of the revelers become “mad.” Now that they have been confronted by what they sought to escape from, their foolishness has become apparent. Rather than confronting mortality, they secluded themselves away and surrounded themselves with distractions, becoming mad in their denial.

The noun “habiliment” means clothing, specifically clothes worn as part of a uniform or for a specific occasion. The “habiliments of the grave” refer to the clothes or the shroud that a corpse was buried in. To be “gaunt” is to be lean and grim in appearance, often in reference to someone who is ill. This description of the masked figure evokes a visual image of the Grim Reaper, often depicted as a skeleton or corpse shrouded in the “habiliments of the grave.” The “terror, horror, and disgust” that the figure has inspired in the masqueraders stems from the fact that it is a physical embodiment, an avatar, of what they sought to avoid: the Red Death.

Prospero’s sense of style verges on the macabre and his friends are “grotesque” phantasms, distracting themselves from their own mortality by treating everything as a joke. However, even amongst the hedonistic revelers, the masked figure has gone too far. The figure has tread on territory that even the most callous of people could not remain indifferent to. In doing so, the otherwise carefree revelers have been forced to situate themselves within a moral framework that they have otherwise neglected by abandoning the common people.

This phrase is taken directly from act III, scene II of Shakespeare’s Hamlet , where Prince Hamlet instructs a group of actors. Herod was the king of Judea who plotted to kill the infant Jesus Christ. It was prophesied that Jesus Christ would become the king of the Jewish people, overthrowing Herod. This led to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered the death of every child under the age of two in Bethlehem. The phrase “Out-Heroded Herod” refers to exaggerated portrayals of evil characters in stage performances. For the masked figure to out-Herod Herod means that the costume is so ghastly that it makes the grotesque excess of the rest of the attendees seem tame by comparison.

Horror writer Stephen King, who cites Poe as a major influence, describes the three levels of horror storytelling as disgust, horror, and terror. Disgust is the reaction to something shocking or gory, such as a blood splattered corpse. Horror is the reaction to something perceived as unnatural, like a reanimated corpse. Terror is the highest level of fear. Terror is the result of the imagination being put in conflict with reality, where people must decide whether to trust their own senses or not. The masked figure represents all of these levels for Prospero and his friends, instilling in them the sense of terror that Poe hoped to instill in his readers by playing on their fear and denial of the Red Death.

"Stephen King: Master of Horror" NBC News, New York, NY: NBC Universal, November 27, 1981.

Since “The Masque of the Red Death” serves as an allegory about the foolishness of trying to avoid death, the clock's striking midnight is what ultimately forces Prospero and his friends to recognize its presence. Death is no longer a vague threat from outside but has instead materialized as a guest at the party. Notice how the masked figure has not just arrived; it has simply gone unnoticed until now. The implication is that the guest—death—has been present the entire time, just unnoticed or willfully ignored. The escape that Prospero and his friends thought they achieved was an illusion.

The adverb “feverishly” refers to something done in a wildly energetic manner. For a heart to beat feverishly implies that the heart rate is accelerated. An accelerated heart rate is often associated with fear or exertion, and the exertion of maintaining the illusion of gaiety provides a potential cause. If one views life and death as continuities of one another, then “the heart of life” has been fighting against itself by refusing death. Rather than beating strongly and healthily, it is overworked and “feverish,” indicating that denial and fear have taken a toll on Prospero and his friends.

Time's prominent presence creates a sense of mystery regarding what the passage of time is building towards. This line foreshadows that revelation as it specifies that the masquerade is happening at night and that the “night is waning away,” establishing the destination as midnight, which marks the end of one day and the beginning of the next. The ticking of the clock transforms from a general reminder into a countdown.

“Dreams” refer to either thoughts and images that occur during sleep or to cherished ideals or ambitions. The “dreams” at the masquerade occupy both definitions. By one reading, they represent Prospero's desire to escape death. By another, Prospero and his friends are living in a daydream, imagining themselves as separate from the realities of death and decay.

In act IV, scene I of The Tempest , Prospero stages a play using spirits conjured with magic. As the play ends and the reality of Caliban’s plot to murder him resurfaces in his mind, Prospero says, “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, / As I foretold you, were all spirits, and / Are melted into air, into thin air.” In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the illusion of safety steadily unravels. The “dreams” stalking around the masquerade are the “hale and lighthearted friends” that Prospero conscripted to join his fantasy. Much like the actors in The Tempest were dispelled when reality set in, so too do these “dreams” dissipate when Prospero’s illusion breaks.

“Hernani” is an 1830 drama by Victor Hugo, a contemporary of Poe. It is known for its elaborate stage productions, which polarized critics with regards to whether it was excessive or spectacular. Poe appreciated the play and uses this allusion to refer to the magnitude and extravagance of Prospero’s masked ball. The final scenes of Hernani and “The Masque of the Red Death” are similar in that they both take place at an extravagant ball and are concerned with the intrusion of a masked stranger.

The noun “phantasm” refers to an apparition, ghost, illusion, or sensory deception. In this case, these meanings enhance the dream-like quality of the masquerade. Reading phantasm as ghost implies that the masqueraders are not grounded in reality but are instead caught in limbo between the reality of death and their desire to escape it. By reading phantasm as illusion, the entire masquerade becomes a farce. The illusion is twofold: the revelers are projecting the illusion of gaiety despite their fear, and the masquerade itself is an illusion conjured by Prospero to combat the reality of death.

The noun “piquancy” refers to the quality of being pleasantly stimulating or intriguing. For wealthy people in the 18th and 19th centuries, masquerades were piquant because they provided the opportunity to escape the rigid social conventions of the nobility. For Prospero and his friends, morbid or scandalous costumes, lavish decorations, and a night of drinking and revelry would have helped stave off the “impulses of despair and frenzy” that the gates of the castle were sealed to prevent.

The adjective “grotesque” typically refers to something that is repulsive or ugly. It can also refer to something that is shockingly excessive or inappropriate, such as a grotesque display of wealth. Building off of the “barbaric lustre” of Prospero’s artistic vision, the costumes and masks worn by his friends are similarly grotesque. Traditional 19th-century masquerades were events of excess, full of drinking, gambling, and sex. Creativity and wit were highly encouraged when it came to designing the opulent costumes. Both of the meanings of grotesque likely come into play when describing this scene; the costumes were both lavish and designed to evoke controversial reactions.

Prospero refuses to give a definitive answer regarding whether or not he is mad. That his followers do not believe he is mad means little considering they are also caught in the collective escapist daydream. This marks the transition from discussing the masquerade as an event grounded in some semblance of reality to an event grounded in dreams. By indicating that Prospero’s madness can only be judged through direct sensory perception, the corporeal body is given a nebulous quality and divorced from the physical realm. For Prospero’s followers, caught between the reality of the Red Death and their fabricated safehaven, Prospero cannot mad because if he were, they would be too.

The phrase “barbaric lustre” contains a contradiction. The noun “lustre” refers to a soft glow and suggests a sense of sophistication. By contrast, the adjective “barbaric” refers to something harsh and unrefined. For Prospero’s designs to glow with “barbaric lustre” means that they have an aggressive and uncultured appeal. This description is consistent with Prospero’s colorful rooms, which produce a variety of “gaudy and fantastic” images. It also further situates him as someone who has artistic vision and also as someone who is at least somewhat mad.

“The Masque of the Red Death” oscillates between descriptions of unease and descriptions of revelry. The more extravagant descriptions of parties and decorations emphasize the terror and tension that underlies the festivities. Readers already know that the “gay and magnificent revel” is a facade meant to provide a distraction from the clock and the Red Death. The title of the story foreshadows that the Red Death will make its appearance at the “masque.” Narrative tension builds to the inevitable appearance of the Red Death; it is only a matter of when it will arrive.

By dividing each hour into seconds, Poe highlights Prospero and his friends’ heightened awareness of the passage of time. There is no more of the willful ignorance that allows them to lose track of how long they’ve been in the castle. Now, every action is overseen by the clock and every second is measured by how much closer it places them to death.

After the clock chimes each hour, Prospero and his friends attempt to laugh off their unease, promising not to react the same way the next time. However, rather than living up to their oaths, they continue to be disconcerted by time's intrusion into their revels. The party has come under the control of the clock, starting and stopping each hour as the passage of time asserts its presence, shattering the illusion each time. The “light laughter” is a futile attempt to retain the sense of timelessness and immortality that Prospero and his companions seek.

A “reverie” is a daydream, typically a pleasant one removed from the stresses of reality. Prospero’s castle, with its willful ignorance of the outside world, is like a daydream. Prospero and his companions can pretend that death does not exist and instead enjoy the luxuries of their health and riches. The clock intrudes on their collective “reverie,” a physical testament to time’s passage and the encroachment of death. The “more aged and sedate” masqueraders likely feel the impact of the passage of time more strongly than the young and lively, thus their confusion as the reality of time’s passage collides with the daydream that Prospero has created.

The auditory imagery in this passage describes the sound from the clock and the cessation of all other sounds. The masquerade is a lively event, with musicians, dancing, and conversation. However, whenever the “brazen lungs” of the clock let out their “clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical” note, everything else stops. The repetition of “and” in the description of the clock chime emphasizes the oppressive nature of the sound. It also adds a musical feel to the prose and extends the description across the page, mimicking the way the masqueraders perceive the rhythmic echo of the sound.

In Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence, Sonnet 12 conflates Time with the grim reaper: “and nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence…” That the clock is located in the black room establishes a relationship between death and the passage of time, increasing the unease of Prospero and his friends. Every tick of the clock is a reminder that they are one step closer to death. As a result, the masquerade transforms into a tense and nervous scene as the looming presence of death intrudes on Prospero’s fabricated reality.

The verb “to shroud” means to cover or envelop something. It is most commonly used to refer to the act of wrapping a corpse for burial. The visual imagery in the description of the black room is heavy and oppressive, with phrases like “shrouded” and “falling in heavy folds” adding a sense of weight. Furthermore, the carpet and the ceiling being the same color gives the sense of darkness enclosing all sides. Overall, the visual imagery evokes the idea of being buried in a coffin, which were often lined with dark fabrics.

The presence of the black room suggests the inevitability of death, but the inclusion of the “blood red” window panels serves as a reminder that death is not divorced from life, but rather a natural part of it. Blood, which is the “Avatar and seal” of the Red Death, is a vital component of life. No amount of walls or iron gates can protect people from their own bodies. Though “The Masque of the Red Death” casts death as gruesome and villainous, it also highlights the foolishness of those who try to escape it.

The rooms are ordered from east to west, matching the sun's path across the sky, beginning with blue and ending with black. The course of a day is a common metaphor for the transience of life. The color blue, associated with the sky, can represent vitality and the start of a new day. Black is commonly associated with death and night. The ordering of the rooms can be read as a metaphor for the stages of life, with blue representing birth and black representing death.

Notice that the description of the windows has them facing inside the castle, not outside. Poe’s Prospero does not have magic like Shakespeare’s Prospero, so he cannot alter reality in a literal sense. In order to maintain the illusion of separation, Prospero has crafted his castle so that the world outside cannot intrude on the world inside. The windows are also made of stained glass, and the light allowed through the windows takes on the color of the glass, while obscuring what is on the other side. The lack of visibility prevents the companions from looking too closely at their situation, instead losing themselves in the “voluptuous scene” crafted by Prospero.

The adjective “novel” refers to something that is new or interesting. In such an insulated community, novelty would likely be hard to come by. Prospero designs the party in such a way that there are new, distracting novelties at every turn, keeping his companions lighthearted and happy. This display of creativity speaks to Prospero’s artistic sensibility and “august taste” as he creates an interactive art installation designed to capture the imaginations of his guests.

The adjective “voluptuous” means that something is characterized by luxury and decadence. Masquerades in 17th-century Europe were characterized by escapism; the costumes were a way of altering one’s reality. Things like gender, sexuality, and class were blurred by luxury and anonymity. For Prospero and his friends, the masquerade is yet another way to stave off the reality of death. Rather than dwell on mortality, they can indulge in opulent festivities and shirk off their humanity by putting on masks.

A masked ball, or masquerade, is a party where guests wear costumes and masks as a part of the festivities. Masks have a variety of connotations with deceit and concealment since they cover the face, preventing others from discerning one’s identity or emotions. Attendees of masquerades often used the anonymity provided by their masks to express risky political opinions or behave inappropriately. This abandonment of identity and license to act without consequence was used as a form of escapism by the upper classes. Masks were also famously worn by 17th-century French and Italian plague doctors, who stuffed the beak-like protrusions of their uniform masks with herbs and medicines in the hopes of staving off the diseases they were treating.

The time jump, which moves the story ahead by “five or six month[s],” approaches the matter of how much time has passed with a degree of imprecision not seen elsewhere. Time governs the progression of the disease and the patterns of the “masked ball,” so the inexact nature of a description like “the fifth or six month” stands out. Prior to entering to castle, mortality and the marking off of each half hour were at the forefront of the public consciousness. However, now that Prospero and his friends have sealed themselves away, the illusion of immunity from the plague has taken hold and they are no longer as diligent about tracking time.

The contrast between “within” and “without” in these two sentences emphasizes the disparity between the disease-ravaged world and Prospero's insulated retreat. The “within” and the “without” represent two different realities, one of nature’s making and the other of Prospero’s making. In a sense, Prospero and his friends have created an entirely different reality within the castle, one that seeks to reject death and suffering in favor of a facade of safety.

“Improvisatori” were improvisational poets popular in 14th-century Italy, providing a possible setting for the story. The buffoons, dancers, musicians, and improvisatori represent the luxury that Prospero and his friends enjoy as well as their need to be distracted from mortality with earthly pleasures. Wine and other forms of alcohol are frequently depicted as instruments of distraction in literature, capable of silencing lingering worries or fears. The decadence of Prospero’s castle is made possible by wealth and privilege, but the need for such extravagance appears to be born from fear and the need to forget, even if only momentarily, that the Red Death rages on outside.

To “leave means neither of ingress or egress” means to leave no way to enter or exit. During historical plagues, the practice of separating the sick or potentially contaminated from the healthy became a common precaution. This practice, called "quarantining," is meant to reduce the spread of disease. Note that rather than quarantining those already suffering from the Red Death, Prospero and his friends lock themselves away. In attempting to avoid becoming sick, Prospero and his friends treat themselves just like historical plague victims. This also furthers the metaphor around the moral “pestilence” of privilege, which needs to be quarantined away from the rest of society.

In describing the symptoms of the Red Death's victims, the narrator states that they serve as "the pest ban." The term "pest" here is likely a shortening of "pestilence," or "disease," and "ban" refers to a prohibition. In effect, the narrator says that the symptoms of the Red Death are so obvious that anyone can see the affected and keep their distance.

The most common element on Earth, iron is a frequent symbol of vitality and protection in folklore. When humans discovered that iron could be extracted from veins in the ground, it became a symbol for the lifeforce of the earth. It is considered the most human metal and is thought to be able to repel ghosts and other supernatural entities. Most graveyards are built with iron gates in order to prevent the spirits of the dead from getting out, providing a sense of separation between the living and the dead. Prospero and his friends built the gate to keep death out, but now they are the ones who are fenced in.

The adjective “august” means respected or impressive and is derived from the Latin augustus , which means "venerated." This once obscure term became well known in 27 BCE when Julius Caesar’s adopted son Octavius adopted the title, becoming the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus unified the Roman government under his own rule and left a lasting legacy of peace and prosperity. His rule was viewed as blessed and he was deified after his death, symbolically defying mortality to join the pantheon of immortal gods. For Prospero to have “august” taste indicates that he is respected by his people, despite his eccentricity.

The adjective “castellated” refers to a structure with battlements, or slots that arrows can be shot through. A “castellated abbey” conjures images of a fortress, an idea reinforced by the inclusion of the guard walls and gates. Superficially, the fortress is designed to keep the plague out. However, no amount of arrows can defend against a disease, indicating that perhaps the fortress also acts as a barrier between the wealthy courtiers and the less privileged masses seeking refuge. This emphasis on class division highlights the arrogance of Prospero and his friends, who believe that they can use wealth to protect themselves from the Red Death.

Poe is considered one of the defining influences on Gothic literature, and “The Masque of the Red Death” blends traditional tropes and Poe’s own style to establish an unmistakably Gothic setting. Of particular note is the secluded nature of the abbey and the decision to lock the castle from the inside. The idea of being trapped or surrounded creates a sense of isolation and claustrophobia, a concept also explored in Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Cask of Amontillado” . Though they locked themselves away to avoid the plague, Prospero and his friends have also trapped themselves with no way to escape should anything go wrong.

Though the narrative shifts away from its focus on the Red Death in favor of recounting Prospero’s attempts to circumvent it, symbols and reminders of death permeate the entire story. “The Masque of the Red Death” has been read as an allegory for the inescapability of death and the foolishness of trying to avoid it. This is foreshadowed in the title and the opening of the story, both of which emphasize the Red Death itself rather than Prospero. Though Prospero and his friends provide the action for the story, readers are told from the beginning that the Red Death is the true subject.

The adjective “dauntless” means fearless, and the adjective “sagacious” means to be wise or have good judgement. The introduction of Prince Prospero shifts the tone of the story away from the hopelessness and fear of the introduction. Rather than give up, Prince Prospero takes action: he secludes himself and his wealthy friends inside a castle, leaving the rest of the world to fend for itself. This action suggests that Prospero seeks to protect only those whom he prefers and that he uses his wealth and status to avoid the same fate as the less privileged.

The name “Prospero” is derived from the adjective “prosperous,” meaning successful and wealthy. Prince Prospero is introduced as “happy,” somehow remaining optimistic in the face of the plague. Prospero is also the name of a character in Shakespeare’s 1610 play, The Tempest . Both are figured as artists with the ability to reshape reality, with Shakespeare’s Prospero wielding magic to shape his surroundings, and Poe’s Prospero using his wealth to create a privileged refuge from the horrors of the plague. Additionally, they are both portrayed as arrogant, viewing themselves as invulnerable and using their power and wealth to shield themselves from consequences or undesirable realities.

Time, specifically the passing of it, plays a significant role in building the tension in “The Masque of the Red Death.” In emphasizing that it only takes “half an hour” for the disease to run its course, the hopelessness of combatting it becomes clear: there is no time for doctors or religious rites, just pain before death. The rapid rate at which the disease claims its victims serves to reinforce the inevitability of death and the shortness of life, since everyone in Poe's story knows that their life could be over within a mere half an hour.

In describing the symptoms of the Red Death, the narrator blends kinesthetic and visual imagery to emphasize the disease's gruesome nature. The “sharp pains” and “dizziness” appeal to readers’ awareness of their own bodies, and the “profuse bleeding at the pores” and the “dissolution,” or decomposition, of the skin paints a stark visual image. Combined with the emphasis on the horrific “redness” of the blood, the body is further estranged as a source of pain, dying and rotting even as those with the disease are still, briefly, alive.

In addition to its more literal definition, “blood” can refer to the idea of family bloodlines. The idea of a “pestilence” transmitted through bloodlines becomes a potential criticism of the moral failings of the nobility, who tend to emphasize the importance of family lines and perpetuate classism.

Outside of his career as a poet and short story writer, Edgar Allan Poe was also a literary critic. In 1846, he wrote an essay titled “The Philosophy of Composition” in which he details his writing process. According to Poe, in order to create a good story, an author should strive for a “unity of impression” where the diction, imagery, and themes of a story all work towards a central purpose. In the case of “The Masque of the Red Death,” that purpose is evoking horror.

On top of building the visual landscape of the “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe includes color for symbolic purposes. The title and introduction directly associate “redness” with death and disease. Historically speaking, red is either the color of power and vitality or the color of fear and danger. Its associations with blood are likely what leads to this conflict, since blood is associated with both life and death. Though the narrator primarily uses red to represent death, its associations with blood and vitality serve to remind readers that life and death are irrevocably connected.

The noun “Avatar” refers to the physical manifestation of something, often an idea or deity. The Red Death manifests in and uses the blood to “seal” itself to the body. The result is that blood, despite being natural and vital to life, becomes a source of fear. This description serves to estrange the physical body by casting it as an uncontrollable source of anxiety rather than a comfortable constant, enhancing the horror elements of the story.

The noun “pestilence” typically refers to a fatal epidemic or plague, but it can also refer to corruption and moral decay. By the former definition, the Red Death is presented as a gruesome and deadly disease, eclipsing the worst plagues in history with its destructive power. However, the latter definition provides a different potential reading of the story: the “pestilence” is not only the disease but also the moral climate of the unspecified country.

Poe’s gruesome “Red Death” could be based on tuberculosis, commonly called "consumption" in the 19th century. Tuberculosis typically affects the lungs, leading sufferers to cough up blood. Poe’s wife, Virginia, contracted tuberculosis in January, 1842, the same year that “The Masque of the Red Death” was published. Poe also lost several other family members to tuberculosis. The “Red Death” also may be meant to recall the 1347 outbreak of the bubonic plague across Europe and Asia, commonly referred to as the “Black Death.” The devastation wrought by the bubonic plague and the resulting existential anxiety it inspired brought mortality to the forefront of medieval literary thought.

Symbolically, light equates to life and darkness equates to death. Thus, the "expired" flames are a metaphor for the absence of life due to the Red Death. That final, dramatic line of the short story voices its theme nearly explicitly: "...Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." From the grotesque description of the Red Death's effects on the human body to the massacre at the masque, it is clear that death befalls all. Under even ostensibly joyous occasions as a masque, death cannot be escaped or ignored.

Once again, the ebony clock's symbolic nature comes into play to put into words one such emotion and idea that no other object could. The reader has no trouble imagining this grandiose ebony clock whose chiming can be heard through all seven chambers; its toll and perpetual grinding of gears characterize its "life," the life that gets drained out of it just as the "revellers" are killed.

The author's description of the "mummer" and its very cadence- a "solemn and measured step"- are reminiscent of the ebony clock. The ephemeral nature of mortality, as alluded to by the clock, may also be interpreted as the inevitability of death, a theme supported by the fact that "none...put forth hand to seize [the mummer]".

Imagery is once again Poe's friend; the reader can easily picture a "tall and gaunt" figure with the "countenance of a stiffened corpse." This description is meant to evoke disgust in the reader. Evidently, this being is a symbol of death as Poe all but spells out that it is the Red Death, another indicator being that it looks exactly like a corpse. Such an obvious symbol supplements the motif of death and human deterioration.

Herod the Great was Roman royalty, known for his great feats of construction and architecture. The allusion to Herod is not altered significantly, if at all, for it is used in reference to "decorum." This allusion helps the author communicate the magnitude of the new masked figure's presence, for it has more of an effect on the crowd than the elaborate party itself.

This selections includes elements of symbolism and imagery that contribute to an overarching disquieting tone. The chamber's location- "most westwardly of the seven"- holds symbolic significance; in primitive cultures as well as in the Christian faith, west represents darkness and death. That tenet is reinforced through imagery as the reader can effectively picture that waning night, the ruddy light in the "blood-colored panes." All of these factors are meant to unsettle the reader or beget some vaguely anxious sentiment, fully realized once the Red Death makes an appearance.

The "gigantic clock of ebony" is symbolic of mortality, a conclusion drawn due to the tone of this particular section of the passage as well the context of the events in the passage. Its "dull, heavy, monotonous clang" cannot be ignored by those in attendance at the masque, a reminder that time marches on and perhaps their time in this life is almost up. The fact that the musicians and "whole gay company" pause, that the "giddiest grew pale," makes for a foreboding tone, which is plausible in the sense that the clock serves as a reminder of their own inevitable deaths.

The word choice of this selection creates a clear picture of the chamber, a setting that bolsters the motif of death. The phrases "blood-tinted panes," "ghastly," and "wild a look" allow the reader to visualize a dark, gloomy room, a room one would naturally avoid as its countenance is less than welcoming. Thus, the use of imagery contributes to the sinister mood of the story.

This particular section of the passage elucidates the contrast of "Beauty," ostensibly represented by Prince Prospero's party, and "the 'Red Death'". That contrast is truly the difference between what is presented and what is reality, the frivolous party being the facade or superficial appearance with death being the reality. Interestingly enough, Poe describes how "security [was] within" the masque; by the end of the story, death itself has thoroughly infiltrated the scene, alluding to the theme that even the most vibrant aspects of life succumb to death.

The author's implementation of descriptive language in one of the first sentences of the passage sets an underlying macabre tone from the short story's beginning, characterized by the negative associations readers make with "sharp pains," "dizziness," and "profuse bleeding." The picture this evokes a sense of deep-seated discomfort in the reader, a response also elicited by the story's own ironic title.

It might be contended that the people inside the abbey were not the least bit unaware of, or indifferent to, the Red Death, but were indulging in all of their pleasure and dissipation in order to keep from thinking about death. Poe seems to be comparing Prince Prospero and his guests with many of us who are alive today. We know we are going to have to die someday, but we don't want to think about it.

In one of Director Ingmar Bergman's "existential" films, Through a Glass Darkly  (1961),* *David (Gunnar Bjornstrand), the father of Karin, a girl who has recently been released from a mental hospital and is desperately searching for God, says:

We draw a magic circle around ourself and shut out everything that doesn’t agree with our secret games.

One of the messages implicit in "The Masque of the Red Death" is that no matter how rich you are or how important you may be, there is no escaping death. 

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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.

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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IvyPanda. (2022, September 17). Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mood-in-poes-the-masque-of-red-death-short-story/

"Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story." IvyPanda , 17 Sept. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/mood-in-poes-the-masque-of-red-death-short-story/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story'. 17 September.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story." September 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mood-in-poes-the-masque-of-red-death-short-story/.

1. IvyPanda . "Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story." September 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mood-in-poes-the-masque-of-red-death-short-story/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story." September 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mood-in-poes-the-masque-of-red-death-short-story/.

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Introduction & Overview of The Masque of the Red Death

The Masque of the Red Death Summary & Study Guide Description

Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death" was first published in 1842. In the original publication, the title was given the English spelling of "mask," yet it was changed to "masque" in 1845. In this macabre tale, a Prince Prospero seals himself and a thousand of his friends into the abbey of a castle in order to protect them from a deadly pestilence—The Red Death—that is ravaging the country. But when the group indulge in a lavish costume ball in order to distract themselves from the suffering and death outside their walls, the Red Death, disguised as a costumed guest, enters and claims the lives of everyone present. The story is narrated in a manner which gives it the quality of a myth, allegory or fairy tale, exploring themes of man's fear of death, sin, madness, and the end of the world.

This tale is a prime example of Poe's Gothic horror fiction. Poe evokes a dark and eerie mood in a story that focuses on images of blood and death, while the personification of the Red Death lends an element of the supernatural. "The Masque of the Red Death" embodies Poe's mastery of the short story; in addition, it illustrates his literary philosophy. According to Poe, a short story should be tightly focused so that every word, from beginning to end, contributes to the overall effect. In "The Masque of the Red Death," powerful imagery and an illusive narrative voice are tightly woven into a macabre tale of horror with insight into the human condition.

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The Masque of the Red Death

by Edgar Allan Poe (published 1850)

   THE "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avator and its seal -- the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. 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. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.     But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious . When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons , there were improvisatori , there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death."     It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.     It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven -- an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke's love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows. 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. 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. Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum , amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire, that projected its rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances. But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all.     It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock 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, momentarily, in their performance, to harken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused revery or meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.     But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel . The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him 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.     He had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of the seven chambers, upon occasion of this great fête; and it was his own guiding taste which had given character to the masqueraders. Be sure they were grotesque. There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm -- much of what has been since seen in " Hernani ." There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There were much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. 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. But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.     But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps that more of thought crept, with more of time, into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled. And thus too, it happened, perhaps, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise -- then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust.     In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation. In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod , and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum . There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed. The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood -- and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.     When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage.     "Who dares?" he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him -- "who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him -- that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!"     It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly -- for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.     It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who, at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker. But from a certain nameless awe with which the mad assumptions of the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of the prince's person; and, while the vast assembly, as if with one impulse, shrank from the centres of the rooms to the walls, he made his way uninterruptedly, but with the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from the first, through the blue chamber to the purple -- through the purple to the green -- through the green to the orange -- through this again to the white -- and even thence to the violet, ere a decided movement had been made to arrest him. It was then, however, that the Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all. He bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of the retreating figure, when the latter, having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer. There was a sharp cry -- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer , whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form.     And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood- bedewed halls of their revel , and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

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