Themesofbetrayalandrevengeclearlyinform"TheCaskofAmontillado,"butthepervasiveironyofMontresor'snarrationcomplicatesattemptstounderstandhismotivesandotherconflictsattheheartofthetale.Atthesametime,layersofironyalsocontributetothestory'stoneofhorror.WhileFortunatoremainsblissfullyignorantofMontresor'strueintentionsformostofthestory,theevidentpleasureMontresortakesinrelatinghisstory,proudlyrecallingeverydetailfiftyyearsafterthefact,suggestsastateofmindfreeofremorseanddetachedfromanysenseofconscience.TheironicconnotationsofthestoryalsoinspiredarklycomedicmomentsandevincePoe'ssatiricsenseofhumor.Montresor'spursuitofrevengeagainstFortunatorepresentstheenactmentofanelaborateritualthatresemblestheprofaneritesofthe"BlackMass"oraparodyofarchetypalevents,suchastheconflictbetweengoodandevil,repletewithbiblicalechoes;theimplicationsofthestory'slastline,"Inpacerequiescat"("mayhe/itrestinpeace"),whichderivesfromtheRomanCatholicfuneralrite,proliferateintheironiccontextofthenarrative.Likewise,thepropernounsinthestory—Amontillado,Montresor,Fortunato,Luchresi—demonstratePoe'sdispositiontowardpunsandfascinationwiththemultiplemeaningsofforeignwords.Thetraditionalaristocraticcodeofpersonalhonorandsocialobligationshapesotheraspectsofthetale.Althoughviolationsofthecodewereusuallyredressedintheformoftheduello,hereinsultsareexpressedbyaduelwithwordsinformofMontresor'sdialoguewithFortunato.Otherthematicconcernsinvolvetheprevalenceofmasonicimageryinthestory,perhapsgesturingtowardtheMasonic-CatholicconflictthatswepttheUnitedStatesatthetimeofthestory'scomposition,aswellasthethematicdeviceofenclosure,whichPoeusedinmanyotherstories,althoughitspresencein"TheCaskofAmontillado"mayalludetothepopularityoflive-burialliteratureinPoe'sera.