Identity and Disguise

Characters frequently adopt false identities and disguises—Lupin appears as a clergyman, a friend, and a baron—highlighting the theme that identity is fluid and can be manipulated for advantage.

Isidore Beautrelet wears a false beard and poses as a reporter, while the murderer's identity remains unknown.

The plaster casts are a form of disguise, hiding the theft of the original statues and the crypt's entrance.

Lupin's elaborate scheme to fake his death and Mlle. de Saint-Véran's death highlights the theme of hidden identities and staged realities.

Lupin's alias as Étienne de Vaudreix and the concealment of Mr. Harlington's true role underscore themes of deception and false identities.