Prince Prospero reacts to the midnight guest with shock, horror, and rage. Initially shuddering with fear, he becomes infuriated by the figure dressed as a victim of the Red Death, demanding it be unmasked. His anger leads him to chase the figure through his chambers, only to die upon confronting it. The guest is revealed to be the embodiment of the Red Death, which ultimately claims Prospero and his guests, demonstrating the futility of trying to escape death.

The foreshadowing in "The Masque of the Red Death" is evident in various elements, such as the prince's callousness towards his subjects, the imagery of the seventh room with its blood-tinted panes, and the ominous chiming of the ebony clock, which induces fear among the guests. Additionally, the presence of a mysterious stranger dressed as the Red Death at the ball foreshadows the inevitable doom. Edgar Allan Poe also draws a parallel with the Spanish court in Victor Hugo’s "Hernani," hinting that Prospero, like the protagonist of "Hernani," is doomed to die, underscoring the theme that death is inescapable, no matter the precautions taken.

"The Masque of the Red Death" features several gothic elements, including a gloomy setting, dark imagery, and a grotesque ending. The story begins with a fatal plague and includes a mysterious, corpse-like guest who represents the Red Death. The setting in Prince Prospero's castle, with its eerie rooms and suspenseful atmosphere, further enhances the gothic tone, culminating in the inevitable, cursed demise of the characters.

The Red Death in Poe's story is a fictional, highly contagious and deadly disease that devastates Prince Prospero's kingdom. It is named for the profuse bleeding from the pores of its victims, leaving red stains on their bodies, especially faces, which leads to their social isolation. The disease is more lethal than historical plagues like the Black Death, with a rapid progression from infection to death in just thirty minutes.

The irony of the Red Death's appearance at the abbey lies in Prince Prospero's futile attempts to escape the plague by secluding himself and his courtiers in a fortified abbey. Despite his elaborate precautions, the Red Death infiltrates the abbey, highlighting that wealth and status cannot shield one from fate and mortality. Prospero's desire to kill the stranger quickly mirrors the plague's merciless nature, underscoring his failure to escape human vulnerability.

The black chamber in "The Masque of the Red Death" represents death, symbolizing the inevitable end of life, as it is the room where Prince Prospero meets his demise. The music, akin to a heartbeat, signifies life's vitality but stops with the chiming of the ebony clock, symbolizing the fear of death and the passage of time. This represents the futility of trying to escape death, as it ultimately prevails over life.

The revelers' masks and costumes in "The Masque of the Red Death" symbolize their futile attempts to hide from death. Despite their elaborate disguises, they cannot escape time's inevitability, highlighted by the ebony clock striking midnight. Prospero's guests, hoping to mask life's finality, are confronted by the uninvited guest, the Red Death, whose costume mocks their efforts, revealing their vulnerability and the futility of their attempts to evade death.

"The Masque of the Red Death" features a fictional disease, the red death, which causes profuse bleeding and leads to death within half an hour. This contrasts with the historical Black Death, which involved black swellings and progressed more slowly. Poe's tale uses the red death to symbolize the inevitability of death, regardless of wealth or status, highlighting a central theme that death cannot be escaped.

Prince Prospero and his guests lock themselves in the abbey to escape the deadly plague known as the Red Death, which kills its victims swiftly and gruesomely. Believing they can outlast the epidemic, they seal the abbey and indulge in revelry. However, their attempt to defy death is futile, as the personification of the Red Death infiltrates the abbey and kills everyone, illustrating the theme that no one can escape death.

In "The Masque of the Red Death," the Red Death is a deadly plague that kills its victims within half an hour. Edgar Allan Poe uses this rapid, horrific disease to symbolize the inevitability and fear of death. The story's allegorical elements, such as the colored rooms and the tolling clock, emphasize themes of mortality and the futility of trying to escape death, culminating in the arrival of the mysterious figure representing the Red Death.