e privateworld of his dreams-in other words-in the world of his tales (Asselineau 413)."In the "Masque of the Red Death", Poe uses his imagination throughout the story (Rogers43). A plague has devastated the entire country. It takes only half an hour tofor the course of thedisease to run. At first one feels sharp pains and dizziness. Then one starts bleeding at the pores.The disease results in death. Prince Prospero has ordered one thousand lords and ladies to thedeep seclusion of one of his abbeys. The building was built by the Prince and is filled with hisexotic ornaments. It is sealed from the outside world by a huge wall with iron gates. Inside thebuilding are dancers, musicians, and everything they need in order to stay secluded until the plagueruns its course. After six months of seclusion, the Prince decides to hold a masked ball. The ballis held in a suite with seven rooms. Each room is decorated in a single color. The last room isdecorated in red. Within this room stands a huge clock that strikes the hour with a heavy clang. The rooms are very crowded for the ball. At the stroke of midnight, a guest is seen in a costumeof the red death itself and This frightens the other guests. The Prince is angered at what hebelieves to be a practical joke. He orders the stranger seized and hanged from the battlements. Prince Prospero follows the stranger into the red chamber. It is there that Prince Prospero fallsdead at the feet of the stranger. The others capture the unknown person in the costume. To theirhorror they find there is no living form in the costume. One by one they die until no one elseremains. Death is king of all (Rogers 41)."The horror abysmal darkness, and absolute helplessness befalling the victims aredescribed with vivid accuracy in tales such as 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' 'The Cask ofAmontillado,' and 'The Premature Burial' (Perry XI-XII)." In "The Fall of the House of Usher,"the narrator visit...
