The Masque of the Red Death
by Edgar Allan Poeliterary work· published 1842
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"The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. Prospero dies after confronting this stranger, whose "costume" proves to contain nothing tangible inside it; the guests also die in turn.
Adaptations (2)
The Masque of the Red Death has been adapted into 2 films (1989). The most recent is Masque of the Red Death (1989).
Masque of the Red Death1989 · film · 85 min · dir. Larry Brand · IMDb ↗IMDb4.0With a deadly plague ravaging his Renaissance kingdom, Prince Prospero invites his friends to retire to the protection of his castle for ongoing revels, leaving the peasantry to die. But fate is not so easily escaped by the debauched nobility.
The Masque of the Red Death? · film · IMDb ↗A noblewoman's exile leads her twin to assume her identity in a plague-sealed medieval kingdom. As she navigates deadly court intrigue with her daughter, she questions whether safety behind castle walls is worth the price of brutality.
