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.

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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.