A prosperous prince isolates himself in his castle along with 1,000 revellers, while a plague devastates the country-side.
This is the essence of this very short story by Poe.
When, today, we have the King of Thailand ordering arrests for people who go outside, while he holds up in a harem with 20 women, this story seems more real than fantasy.
Yet, I will be arguing there is a much deeper psychological story being told right under our eyes. It is one of fear and terror of course. Unfortunately, it will hit much closer to home than Thailand.
Enjoy this discussion and reading of a masterpiece by Edgar Allan Poe.