This book contains the following story:
"The Masque of the Red Death" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. It is a gothic tale that explores themes of death, disease, and the inevitability of mortality. Here's a plot summary of "The Masque of the Red Death":
Introduction: The story is set in a fictional country during a time of rampant disease known as the "Red Death," which is highly contagious and deadly. The disease causes victims to bleed profusely and die quickly, and there is no known cure. Prince Prospero, a wealthy and eccentric ruler, decides to lock himself and a thousand of his closest friends and courtiers in his secluded abbey to escape the plague. The abbey is well-provisioned and luxuriously decorated, and Prospero believes that by isolating themselves, they can avoid the suffering and death outside.
The Masquerade Ball: After six months of seclusion, Prince Prospero decides to host a masquerade ball within the abbey's seven interconnected and colorfully decorated rooms. Each room is designed in a different color, starting with blue and ending with black. The final room, decorated in black and scarlet, is the most extravagant and is illuminated by a large ebony clock that strikes each hour with a loud and ominous sound.
The Uninvited Guest: As the clock strikes midnight during the masquerade ball, a mysterious and uninvited guest appears among the revelers. This guest is dressed in a grotesque and blood-spattered costume resembling the Red Death itself. His attire is so terrifying that the guests are afraid to confront him, and he moves unhindered through the rooms.
The Climax: Prince Prospero, angered by the intrusion and believing that the guest is mocking him, pursues the figure with a dagger. However, when Prospero reaches the final room, he is confronted by the uninvited guest, who turns out to be a personification of the Red Death. Prospero drops dead on the spot, and the other guests are horrified. They confront the figure, but when they remove its mask and find nothing underneath, they too fall victim to the Red Death.
The Conclusion: The story ends with the clock striking its final chime, and the flames of the torches are extinguished. It becomes clear that the Red Death has infiltrated the abbey, and all the guests have succumbed to the disease. The abbey, once a symbol of wealth and indulgence, is now a house of death.
"The Masque of the Red Death" is a cautionary tale about the inevitability of death and the futility of trying to escape it through wealth and seclusion. It is a dark and atmospheric story that reflects Poe's fascination with themes of mortality and the macabre.
