The story takes place at a castellated abbey of the "happy and dauntless and sagacious" Prince Prospero. Prospero and 1,000 "hale and light-hearted" other nobles have taken refuge in this walled abbey to escape the Red Death, a terrible plague with gruesome symptoms that has swept over the land. Victims are overcome by "sharp pains", "sudden dizziness", and "profuse bleeding at the pores", and die within half an hour. Prospero and his court are indifferent to the sufferings of the population at large. They intend to await the end of the plague in luxury and safety behind the walls of their secure refuge, having welded the doors shut to ensure no one enters or leaves.
the story takes place at a castellated abbey of the "happy and dauntless and sagacious" prince prospero prospero and 1000 "hale and light-hearted" other nobles have taken refuge in this walled abbey to escape the red death a terrible plague with gruesome symptoms that has swept over the land victims are overcome by "sharp pains" "sudden dizziness" and "profuse bleeding at the pores" and die within half an hour prospero and his court are indifferent to the sufferings of the population at large they intend to await the end of the plague in luxury and safety behind the walls of their secure refuge having welded the doors shut to ensure no one enters or leaves