The Masque of the Red Death | Historical Context
Tuberculosis
Three of the most important women in Poe's life died of tuberculosis. Although the "pestilence'' in the story ‘‘Masque of the Red Death’’ is not defined, it seems reasonable to assume that it is inspired in some ways by Poe's experience with tuberculosis. The distinguishing mark of the "Red Death'' is profuse bleeding, just as the distinguishing sign of tuberculosis is the coughing up of blood. According to Britannica Online, tuberculosis, often referred to in literature as "consumption," is ‘‘one of the great scourges of...
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