The Masque of the Red Death However, there is much dispute over how to interpret "The Masque of the Red Death"; some suggest it is not allegorical, especially due to Poe's admission of a distaste for didacticism in literature. If the story really does have a moral, Poe does not explicitly state that moral in the text. Blood, emphasized throughout the tale, along with the color red, serves as a dual symbol, representing both death and life. This is emphasized by the masked figure – never explicitly stated to be the Red Death, but only a reveler in a costume of the Red Death – making
Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales with a cover by Robh Ruppel. Rick Swan reviewed "Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales" for "Dragon" magazine #216 (April 1995). He declares that "Masque of the Red Death" is cause for celebration, especially for players whose "AD&D" game campaigns have gone stale. Not exactly the Ravenloft setting and not exactly a new game, Connors' little mutant is the most provocative "AD&D" variant since the Spelljammer campaign." He commented: "Balancing blood-soaked imagery with humorous flourishes [...] "Masque" deftly combines the gloom of White Wolf's "" game and the whimsy of R. Talsorian's "Castle Falkenstein" game. Though "Masque" would've