Poe created a dark and ominous atmosphere in "The Masque of the Red Death" as he depicted a society decimated by a fatal disease. The castle where the wealthy and privileged elite had gathered was a surreal and macabre setting, with each of its seven rooms differently decorated but ultimately foreboding. The masked revelers moved through the rooms with an air of detachment and hedonism, which contrasted sharply with the horrors outside the castle walls. The looming presence of the Red Death, which ultimately infiltrates the ball and claims the lives of all, adds to the overall sense of dread and impending doom.
