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Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic short story “The Masque of the Red Death” tells the tale of a wealthy prince named Prospero who locks himself and 1,000 of his companions in his palace to avoid a deadly plague known as the Red Death. However, he is eventually punished for his selfishness when death comes for him and the rest of the castle’s inhabitants
. Published in 1842, “The Masque of the Red Death” is celebrated as a chilling allegory for the inevitability of death.Read a full story summary, a full story analysis, and explanations of important quotes from “The Masque of the Red Death.”