Edgar Allan Poe

The Masque of the Red Death

Die Maske des Roten Todes

While a deadly plague ravages the land, Prince Prospero seals himself and a thousand friends inside a walled abbey with iron gates, certain the sickness cannot reach them. At his lavish masked ball, a tall stranger in a gravecloth costume appears among the dancers at midnight, while the seventh chamber, hung in black, glows with blood-red windows.

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.

Der „Rote Tod“ hatte das Land schon lange verwüstet. Keine Pest war je so tödlich oder so abscheulich gewesen. Blut war sein Avatar und sein Siegel – das Rot und der Schrecken des Blutes.

There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution.

Es gab stechende Schmerzen und plötzlichen Schwindel, und dann trat aus den Poren reichlich Blut aus, gefolgt von der Auflösung des Körpers.

The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men.

Die scharlachroten Flecken auf dem Körper und besonders im Gesicht des Opfers waren das Pestmal, das den Betroffenen von der Hilfe und dem Mitgefühl seiner Mitmenschen ausschloss.

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Languages

The Masque of the Red Death · English (original)C1 Advanced · 2,399 words · ~15 min · Audio
Die Maske des Roten Todes · GermanC1 Advanced · 2,282 words · ~15 min · Audio
Η Μάσκα του Κόκκινου Θανάτου · GreekC1 Advanced · 2,317 words · ~15 min
La máscara de la Muerte Roja · SpanishC1 Advanced · 2,452 words · ~15 min · Audio
Le Masque de la Mort rouge · FrenchC1 Advanced · 2,483 words · ~15 min · Audio
द मास्क ऑफ़ द रेड डेथ · HindiC1 Advanced · 2,559 words · ~15 min
Topeng Kematian Merah · IndonesianC1 Advanced · 2,216 words · ~10 min
La maschera della Morte Rossa · ItalianC1 Advanced · 2,259 words · ~15 min
赤死病の仮面 · JapaneseC1 Advanced
붉은 죽음의 가면극 · KoreanC1 Advanced · 1,693 words · ~10 min
Het masker van de Rode Dood · DutchC1 Advanced · 2,444 words · ~15 min
Maska Czerwonego Moru · PolishC1 Advanced · 1,928 words · ~10 min
A Máscara da Morte Rubra · PortugueseC1 Advanced · 2,322 words · ~15 min
Masca Morții Roșii · RomanianC1 Advanced · 2,283 words · ~15 min
Kızıl Ölümün Maskesi · TurkishC1 Advanced · 1,782 words · ~10 min
Mặt nạ Thần Chết Đỏ · VietnameseC1 Advanced · 3,410 words · ~20 min
红死魔的面具 · ChineseC1 Advanced

Questions

Which languages can I read The Masque of the Red Death in?

English, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

What level is it?

The original English is C1 Advanced. In translation, German, Greek, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish, Vietnamese and Chinese are C1 Advanced. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from Pre-A1 (starter) to C2.

How long is it?

About 2,399 words: around 5–20 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Is it free?

Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

The Masque of the Red Death

How it begins

Languages

Questions

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