Understanding the Symbolism of “The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allan Poe’s story The Mask of the Red Death, is a complicated and upsetting story that shows a factual side of human denial. The story contains vast and extensive descriptions in telling the story of Prospero’s masquerade, held in his secluded and bizarre castle. This tale has great symbolic content, representing the period of the “Black Death” or the bubonic plague of …showed first 75 words of 711 total…

…showed last 75 words of 711 total…clangs of the clock. The story ends showing the unsuccessful attempts of Prince Properso, of avoiding the epidemic, because death will eventually and in time conquer all whom oppose. His ultimate enemy was his refusal of accepting death as it comes. Poe is successful in illustrating the significance of language and symbolism to envision death. “ The Masque of the Red Death’s” mastery of this helped bring the story to life and Prospero’s Masquerade.