The Masque of the Red Death Essay Introduction
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” first published in 1842 in Graham’s
Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine, tells of Prince Prospero, who attempts to escape a
devastating plague by isolating himself and a group of wealthy guests inside a fortified
abbey. While the disease ravages the surrounding country, the privileged guests occupy
themselves with an elaborate masquerade intended to distract them from the suffering
outside. Poe’s carefully designed sequence of seven colored rooms, the ominous ebony
clock, and the mysterious masked figure gradually undermine the guests’ confidence in
their apparent safety. By placing wealth, pleasure, and isolation against the unavoidable
presence of death, the story explores the limits of privilege and the impossibility of
escaping mortality.
