[1] The story is set in an unnamed penal colony and describes the last use of an elaborate torture and execution device that carves the commandment that the condemned prisoner has transgressed on his skin as he slowly dies over the course of twelve hours.

However, the machine malfunctions because of its advanced state of disrepair; instead of its usual elegant operation, it quickly stabs the Officer to death, denying him the mystical experience of the prisoners he had executed.

[3] Accompanied by the Soldier and the Condemned, the Traveler makes his way to a tea house, in which he is shown the grave of the previous Commandant, who was not allowed to be buried in the cemetery.

The gravestone, which is set so low that a table can easily be placed over it, bears an inscription stating the belief of his nameless followers that he will rise from the dead someday and retake control of the colony.

[6] According to Geddes, however, interpreting the usage of the contraption in such a way could result in glossing over the story's lesson – dangers of viewing events as a form of a theodicy, secular or sacred.

[9] The officer could represent Christ, but in "Kafka's inversion of traditional Christian theology", he sacrifices himself to showcase his support for the former Commandant, as opposed to the new rules.

[15] Frank Zappa, in the liner notes of the Mothers of Invention album We're Only in It for the Money (1968), recommends reading the short story before listening to the track "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny."

At one point, when giving a tour of the facilities to a condemned prisoner, the head of the guild describes a device identical to the one presented in this short story.

The album Public Strain (2010) by Canadian rock band Women features the song "Penal Colony", which references Kafka's story.