Setting

In this section of the study guide, we discuss the setting of the story “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Time and physical setting

The short story is set in a fictional setting in the time of a devastating plague, in which neither the country nor the exact date of the events are revealed. However, the main character’s name “Prospero” along with other Italian words such as “improvisatori” and the references to castles and knights may suggest that the events are set sometime in medieval or pre-modern Italy.

The action spans over six months, but the main event takes place during a single evening.

The main physical setting is the “castellated abbey” which is a fortified castle belonging to the main character. The way the castle is fortified is outlined in detail:

This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts.

...

Social setting

The social setting of the short story is one in which the people of a country become victims of a plague, in which chaos and despair seem to rule over the land. However, the society of the castle is initially sheltered from the outside destruction and continues to enjoy the advantages of wealth.

...