Setting Analysis of “The Mask of the Red Death” In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Mask of the Red Death”, a cabalistic and secluded castle is delineated as a false sense of security for guests awaiting imminent death; this setting constructs an eerie mood throughout the story. The castle is isolated from the rest of humanity in an attempt to force the Red Death away. In celebration, Prince Prospero plans a masquerade party for his guest which consists of a thousand of his friends. The party was held within seven rooms. The seven rooms were placed in an unusual and scattered manner. There were twists and turns around every corner. In the center of each wall there was a “tall and narrow Gothic window” that overlooked a passageway connecting the rooms. Each window was colored according to the theme in each room. There was a window of blue, one of purple, one of green, one orange, one white, one violet, and the last red. The red window had panes that were “scarlet – a deep blood color”. Unlike any other room, however, this window neglected to match the color scheme or decorations of the room it was contained in. The room was covered in black …show more content…
Each stroke of the clock entranced the party-goers and forced everyone, not excluding the playing band, to completely halt until the noise faded. The extra strokes that were produced with each hour provoked even more nerves within the guest and made them more uneasy. It was almost as if the guests had understood that once the clock struck twelve, their time was up. It was like every stroke was reminding them they had less and less time until they reached the inevitable oblivion. Overall the seventh room just screamed death. Every person, including Prince Prospero, wanted nothing to do with this ebony