The Masque Of The Red Death
written by Edgar AllanPoe
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“The Masque Of The Red Death” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe that was originally called “The Masque Of Red Death: A Fantasy”. It is considered a masterpiece of Gothic Fiction that reads that is also an allegory of our struggle against Death and inevitable loss at this force of nature. There have been many film, comic book, audio and stage adaptations of this story, the most famous film adaptation being the 1964 one with Vincent Price. “The Masque Of red Death” is, in my opinion, one of Edgar Allan Poe´s best stories.

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The story begins where a plague called the `Red Death´ is devastating the lands of one Prince Prospero. It is a horrible plague with horrific symptoms that seems unstoppable. The fact that Prospero and his court don´t care about the people afflected and dying make this story even more horrifying. Prince Prospero and his court of the people he likes the most barracade themselves in an Abbey to let the plague run its course and escape a horrific death. He has seven rooms designed. Each room is one color, the last room being the color black. While Prospero and his court are hiding away from the devastation outside they throw lavish parties and rejoice while everyone outside the Abbey suffers the plague.

This is a strange story about the inevitability of Death and the hubris of some in front of it. Whether it was cowardice, pure self interest or legitimate fear, Prospero has given up in his struggle against the plague. What do we the reader think of a king or authority figure who abandones his duties to save himself? Keep in mind that Prospero is the person best able to fight the plague. In any case the personification of the plague shows up at Prospero´s ball and horror ensues.

This is one of Edgar Allan Poe´s best works and has been used in various forms by many other story tellers. The personification of Death coming to a masqued ball to do its handy work is really an archetype in story telling now and that is in large part thanks to the author. Another thing I really like about it was how cryptic it was. does this story have a moral message? You know a king who abandones his lands and people to save himself and throwing strange and lavish parties in his hide away. I also think that his parties and tastes really seemed to foreshadow what was to come or maybe they were his way of taunting death. Is this story about the inevitability of Death or the stupidity of taunting forces greater than us? This is a master work.

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