
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. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball in seven rooms of the abbey, each decorated with a different color. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey. " 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.

Illustration for "The Masque of the Red Death" by Harry Clarke, 1919
