Block’s constant internal struggle with his loss of faith pervades the film. His service in the crusades was not based in strong political conviction, but he had been convinced he could serve God. His experiences in the wars, however, had the opposite effect. Although he professes to have lost his faith, at numerous junctures we see him acting in a noble or Christian way. The squire Jöns, with a much bleaker outlook, embodies the complete loss of faith. Two actors, Jof and Maria, seem to represent Joseph and Mary; Jof even has a vision of the Holy Family. In turn, their child, Mikael, can be seen to embody hope for renewed faith.

The personification of Death, a prominent motif in medieval culture, is a dominant visual and performative trope in the film and highlights the theme that it is impossible to escape mortality. The idea that Death is both skilled and capricious is represented through the chess game. Both the war from which Block has returned and the plague that is taking lives throughout the land are major concerns. The arbitrary quality of Death is shown in random occurrences, such as Skat’s death in the tree, which occurs after he apparently rejects suicide. The sacredness of the dead is shown through the evil grave-robber Raval, who is challenged by Jöns and then dies of plague. Despite the ultimate victory of Death, he can be temporarily deflected, as the knight proves by upsetting the chessmen.

The artificial quality of life itself is reflected through the numerous types of performance that Bergman employs. The troupe of actors puts on several performances, which sometimes parallel the actions of the characters. Interaction with Death is presented using a standard medieval representation, the Dance of Death. Jof recounts his vision of this dance at the film’s end.