This death suggests the mental torment that Fortunato inflcited upon Montresor. It is indeed so gruesome and tortuous to bury a man alive that it can only be saved for someone guilty of something truly devious. Then he ends his deeds with "In Pace requiescat" which translates to "may he rest in peace". It is ckear he feels that he has fulfilled his vengeance and is free of his torment by knowing that Fortunato had suffered. There is nothing more completed in Gothic than a horrible death in a creepy tomb.

The following line, "A Mason?" and the use of "brotherhood" suggests that Fortunato is apart of the Freemasonry fraternal organization. The Freemasonry believe in morality, screcy and brotherhood. They protect one another as brothers unless breaking the law. This in a way puts Montresor as an outlier. Their beliefs do not align and he is not apart of something that Furtnato is and then lies about it. He lies because they believe in up-keeping the law while Montresors would break it in the name of vengeance.

This is the national motto of Scotland. Which translates to "no one attacks me with impunity". Yet again Montresor's actions are left out in the open for Fortunato to grasp onto but he won't due to his naive nature. It is ironic that they say this phrase aloud because this is a story based on revenge and that stems in the nature from his ancestors It is a value in his heart through generations to right his revenge. The setting of the catacombs really adds to the build up of the ending. The tombs along the walls and the dark and dampness of the atmosphere suggests a burial ground.

This is an example of dramatic irony. He is making fun of Fortunato and is mocking him while leading him to his death. He is feigning care as he know that his greed will carry him through the catacombs. That his drunkenness will hinder his ability to pick up the deceitful nature behind his action. Fortunato is not in danger of dying from a cold but from the hands of Montresor's hands. This is an example of dark humor. This feels like a story that is slightly a comedy. Especially from the point of view.

He uses their common love for wine to lure him to the catacombs. He feigns kindness and care for Fortunato as he did in the past. It is obvious that Fortunato is naive and susceptible towards treatment that directly benefits him. To be a outward drunk is to be selfish and unaware. The catacombs is a setting purely based out of Poe's imagination for the gothic. It is clearly a dark and sinister place where the screams, though they echo, cannot be heard above ground. He is burying his disposition for this man in his revenge tactics. The theme of revenge is also something belonging to the gothic genre. It is clear that the setting sets up the darkness of the theme. It is clear that it holds true to Poe's common style choices.

Fortunato is dressed up like a court jester. It is to symbolize the fool of his character as he lets his guard down and is lured to his death. He is greedy and had clearly insulted Montresor in some way or another. In such a way that caused him to seek such vicious revenge. I do wonder however if the insult or crime against him also stems from a bit of jealousy for Fortunato. He is later described as a character who is well liked. Even if it is a ploy to continue to lure him into the catacombs, it comes from a place of revulsion.

The masked figure represents death itself as he wears a mask of his victims on his face. He slowly spreads the "Red Death" amongst the partygoers until they can no longer run from it. They succumb to the seventh and final room. Fully accepting their fate in death and falling ill to the "Red Death". He represents the past, present and the future. He is described in horror to describe the unnerving feeling death brings to those trying to escape it. He wears the mask to make them notice all of those victims left to fend for themselves in the streets. He is representative of the inevitable and inescapable death that is menat to come.

The setting is held within a dark and lonely castle, but decorated to be vibrant and full of colors. These colors are shown through the windows described as "Gothic" which is the genre Poe is deeply familiar with. I believe that the setting adds to the context of the story. Mainly again hinting at the highest class having so much space but only providing for those of highest standing in the court. The "gothic" means that everywhere they look they see history among the walls. History of familial lines before them and age decaying amongst it. It shows darkness about the things they are hiding from and for the selfishness they so carefully wont admit to.

These rooms are designed to show different colors corresponding to the phases of life. The colors indicate birth, youth, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and imminent death. The seventh and final room is red and black. The room is avoided by all of the guests even though they spent a valued amount of time through the rest. It is representative of death itself. Death and the black plague and all of the deaths caused by their selfishness. The avoidance of the room shows how ignorant they are of reality of their situation. Another fact to consider is the fact that it is the "red" death. The red room is similar to the black plague but could also be a sort of representation of tuberculosis. During that time Poe's wife was suffering from and eventually died from the disease. Hence the involvement of blood. The grotesque details and imagery are yet again a hint at Poe's involvement of the gothic genre.

The ebony clock adds to the ambience of the entire scene. Adding a time constraint to a scene adds the tension. The clock chimes and the party stops altogether. It is their single acknowledgment that despair exists beyond their walls. It is the moment where they consider the time they have left until the Red Death takes them. It is desperate, loud and overwhelming causing the partygoers to be stunned into silence. Time creeps on them until they can no longer avoid its chime. It weighs heavy on their bizarre ball they are hosting. Time is the relationship to their death and it is slowly depleting as their deaths are inching closer. Such as the chime of the bell gets louder and the time between chimes feels shorter.

Although this story was written during the 19th century, it is believed to represent a time during the Dark Ages. In the 14th century Europe lost nearly fifty percent of their population due to the Bubonic plague. This story is aimed to enrapture this specific period and the elitist attempt to escape the inevitable. Through the enclosure of Prince Prospero and his hopes to find joy in this dark time, it is evident that one cannot escape death. This line alone shows the class distinction that sets the elite apart from the rest of the public. They have left innocent citizens to die and instead escaped to party and forget about the world. Not only suggesting they are above the general public, but also death, plagues, and any sort of natural punishment. It is a mere suggestion at the character of the elite community and how they might think to survive during this time. It is not surviving if the goal is ignore the plague as they do with the suffering public. Everyone is susceptible to death.