The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe is a short story written in the early 19th century, during the Romantic era. This allegorical tale delves into themes of mortality and the inevitability of death, set against a backdrop of a plague-ridden society. The narrative emphasizes the futility of trying to escape death, as it ultimately prevails over all. The story begins with the devastating effects of a deadly plagueknown as the "Red Death" that ravages the land. In an attempt to avoid the contagion, Prince Prospero retreats to a lavishly decorated abbey with a thousand of his wealthy friends. There, they indulge in a grand masquerade ball within a suite of seven uniquely colored rooms. Amidst the festivities, a mysterious figure appears, clad as a victim of the plague, provoking horror among the guests. When Prince Prospero confronts this apparition, he meets a tragic demise, revealing the futility of his attempts to escape death. In the end, the revelers succumb to the very disease they sought to evade, emphasizing the story's central message: that no amount of wealth or power can shield one from the grasp of death. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Masque of the Red Death |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masque_of_the_Red_Death |
| Note | Reading ease score: 73.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | Produced by Levent Kurnaz. HTML version by Al Haines. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Horror tales, American |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 1064 |
| Release Date | Jun 6, 2010 |
| Most Recently Updated | Oct 18, 2020 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 2285 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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