History Literature / TheMasqueOfTheRedDeath

* AssholeVictim: Prospero and his cronies certainly aren't good people; they hide themselves away so they won't have to deal with dying peasents. [[AdaptationalVillany Some adaptions even present extended scenes of the revelers committing sinful acts or generally not being good people in order to demonize them.]]

* AssholeVictim: Prospero and his cronies certainly aren't good people; they hide themselves away so they won't have to deal with dying peasents. [[AdaptionalVillany Some adaptions even present extended scenes of the revelers committing sinful acts or generally not being good people in order to demonize them.]]

* AssholeVictim: Prospero and his cronies certainly aren't good people; they hide themselves away so they won't have to deal with dying peasents. When everyone succumbs to the disease, no one sheds a tear.

* BloodFromEveryOrifice: The most notably symptom of the Red Death is profuse bleeding from the pores, especially the face.

* {{Allegory}}: Some scholars read the tale as one of these for the progression of life, with each sucessive colored room representing another stage (fittingly, Prospero dies in the final room, which is draped in black). On the other hand, Poe was noted for his disdain of reading too much into works, so some scholars advise against an allegorical reading, just taking it as a straightforward horror story.

* ThePlaguemaster: PlayedWith. The figure in the Red Death costume appears to just be a form the disease took on to spread itself into the abbey; it dissolves once it's done its job.

* ThePlague: The Red Death, obviously.

One night, Prospero decides to hold a masquerade ball in a procession of differently colored rooms. The final room is black and has a large clock in it. Over the course of the ball, guests notice a strange figure with a corpse-like mask and a red cloak. Upon finding out, [[IdiotBall Prospero is less concerned about the possibility of something sinister going on and moreso about a fashion faux-pas being made at his party]] and chases the figure into the final room, who thereby removes its mask to reveal itself [[AnthropomorphicPersonification to be a personification of the Red Death.]]

[[AuthorAppeal Sounds like a regular trip of Poe, no?]]

* TickTockTerror: The seventh room is pitch black and lit only with crimson lighting It is actively feared by the guests and features a looming and ominous black clock. Its bong is so peculiar and intimidating that each time it chimes, the orchestra stops playing and the partygoers stop dancing. When the clock strikes midnight, the Red Death arrives. It even stops ticking when the very last person alive succumbs to the disease, as if it was inextricably linked to the tragedy.

Not wanting to be troubled by the dying peasants, Prospero takes himself and a few hundred of his closest friends and sequesters everyone inside one of his secluded abbeys. Well stocked and with lots of entertainment, they hope to ride out the plague.

* TickTockTerror: The seventh room is pitch black and lit only with crimson lighting It is actively feared by the guests and features a looming and ominous black clock. Its bong is so peculiar and intimidating that each time it chimes, the orchestra stops playing and the partygoers stop dancing. When the clock strikes midnight, the Red Death arrives. It clock stops ticking when the very last person alive dies, as if it was inextricably linked to the tragedy.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[RememberTheNewGuy And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night.]]'']]

* EldritchLocation: Prospero's abbey is plaed up to be this, what with its maze-like design and the highly stylized rooms complete with gothic windows and overwhelming color palettes.

* {{Allegory}}: Some scholars read the tale as one of these for the progression of life, with each sucessive colored room representing another stage. On the other hand, Poe was noted for his disdain of reading too much into works, so some scholars advise against an allegorical reading, just taking it as a straightforward horror story.

* DownerEnding: The Red Death successfully infiltrates the abbey and kills everyone inside it. The lat lines of the story are particularly chilling:

* DownerEnding: The Red Death successfully infiltrates the Abbey and kills everyone inside it. The lat lines of the story are particularly chilling:

* TickTockTerror: The seventh took is pitch black and lit only with crimson lighting It is actively feared by the guests and features a looming and ominous black clock. Its bong is so peculiar and intimidating that each time it chimes, the orchestra stops playing and the partygoers stop dancing. When the clock strikes midnight, the Red Death arrives. It clock stops ticking when the very last person alive dies, as if it was inextricably linked to the tragedy.

One night, Prospero decides to hold a masquerade ball in a procession of differently colored rooms. The final room is black and has a large clock in it. Over the course of the ball, guests notice a strange figure with a corpse-like mask and a red cloak. Upon figuring out, [[IdiotBall Prospero is less concerned about the possibility of something sinister going on and moreso about a fashion faux-pas being made at his party]] and chases the figure into the final room, who thereby removes his mask to reveal himself [[AnthropomorphicPersonification to be a personification of the Red Death.]]

Prince Prospero's home country isn't doing too well. A horrible plague called The Red Death is ravaging the countryside. The symptoms most notably include [[BloodFromEveryOrfice massive bleeding from the pores, especially the face,]] and death within a half-hour.

* BloodFromEveryOrfice: The most notably symptom of the Red Death is profuse bleeding from the pores, especially the face.

Prince Prospero's home country isn't doing too well. A horrible plague called The Red Death is ravaging the countryside. The symptoms most notably include massive bleeding from the pores, especially the face, and death within a half-hour.

* IdiotBall: You'd think Prospero would be more concerned about the strange figure who appeared out of nowhere during the party rather than what he was wearing.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Prospero's first instinct, upon seeing the figure dressed as the Red Death, is to hang him for reminding them of the plague going on outside.

* AnthropomorphicPersonification: The man in the Red Death costume turns out to be the Red Death itself!
* DisproportionateRetribution: Prospero's first instinct, upon seeing the man dressed as the Red Death, is to hang him for reminding them of the plague going on outside.

* IdiotBall: You'd think Prospero would be more concerned about the strange man who appeared out of nowhere during the party rather than what he was wearing.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[RememberTheNewGuy And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night.]]]]

One night, Prospero decides to hold a masquerade ball in a procession of differently colored rooms. The final room is black and has a large clock in it. Over the course of the ball, guests notice a strange figure with a corpse-like mask and a red cloak. Upon figuring out, [[IdiotBall Prospero is less concerned about the possibility of something sinister going on and moreso about a fashion faux-pas being made at his party]] and chases the figure into the final room, who thereby removes his mask to reveal himself [[AnthropomorphicPersonification to be a personification of the Red Death.]] [[EveryonesDeadDave And then everyone dies.]]

* IdiotBall: You'd think Prospero would be more concerned about

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[RememberTheNewGuy And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night.]]