The Masque of the Red Death: Can’t Keep Death Out

Mumu continues their revisiting of the works of Edgar Allan Poe with the Masque of the Red Death

TITLE: “The Masque of the Red Death” (pgs 55-63 from Great Tales And Poems Of Edgar Allan Poe)

AUTHOR: Edgar Allan Poe

GENRE: Gothic Dark Fiction                                                             

PAGES: 7

FORMAT: Paperback Book

PRICE: US $5.95 / CAN $6.99

I find it funny that a common trope I’ve read about is how the rich or the wealthy always think they can cheat death by locking it out. Life doesn’t work that way; death is a consequence of being. In “The Masque of the Red Death”, sure locking death out worked for a small time, but in the end, death came for them all regardless. 

First off, this death, or Red Death, is a disease that causes the victim to bleed from their pores for 30 minutes, effectively draining them of their blood and killing them painfully. This Red Death spread throughout the kingdom, but Prince Prospero decided to lock up himself and a bunch of his friends/acquaintances and threw a huge lavish party with them all. They had food and drink for months, figuring they could wait out the infection.

However, Edgar Allan Poe did describe the layout of the area where they partied; seven rooms- each with a different color and a different vibe- except the last one that hosted crimson-colored windows while everything else was shrouded in dark velvet. There was an Ebony clock in this room that made a terrible sound every hour on the hour. It made everyone and everything pause until the sound stopped. After about 6 months of this never-ending party, while many died outside the walls and the people inside just insisted it was outside forever, a masquerade ball was planned. 

Now, I have a theory that the seven rooms are stand ins for the seven deadly sins:  pride, lust, wrath, envy, greed, sloth and gluttony. It’s apparent that many of these are glossed over but implied during the six-month span of partying going. However, I am pretty sure the last room with the Ebony clock represents wrath. Reason being is the climax of this story.

One person wore a mask that looked like a skull, but it was covered in blood; the person was wearing a scarlet robe to match as well. The Prince, feeling like he was being mocked, demanded he be hung in the morning. His followers and him charge ahead to catch the person, only to wind up in the last room with the Ebony clock. The person stood there as the clock chimed midnight three times; no one could move, the sound paralyzed them. Then, when the Prince touches them, he dies instantly. The rest of the people in the room tear the costume off, but no one was there and slowly, they all died from the Red Death. 

I do want to mention that the Red Death was from the imagination of Edgar Allan Poe; it is theorized it was based on tuberculosis, but ultimately this disease does not truly exist. With that being said, it does seem like this disease was more of a karmic hit to humanity. Especially at the end when all the rich or wealthy people partying still died from the illness, even though they thought that they were safe. To quote Edward Young, an English Poet, “Death joins us to the great majority.” Everyone dies, no matter what they do to prevent it from happening. No one can keep death out; it’s a consequence of being, after all.

Mumu the Tricked loves to read and write. It’s easier to sit still and work with their eyes and hands than move around some days. They are hoping to become a successful author and book reviews are quite fun, too. Thank you!

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.