Use of Setting in The Masque of the Red Death          

"...In the black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the black hangings through

the blood-tinted panes was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the

countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot

within its precincts at all" . This quote serves to demonstrates Edgar Allan Poe's descriptive

abilities. In "The Masque of the Red Death" Poe gives much detail about the setting. Poe uses

detail about the setting to make the story believable, to add irony to the story, and to create an

atmosphere appropriate for the appearance of the "Red Death."   In retrospect, "The Masque of

the Red Death" is not a vary believable story. However, Poe's description of the setting presents

the reader with such a realistic image of the scene that the reader cannot help but believe the story

when first it is first read.