The Princess Bride by William Goldman
"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman is a fantasy adventure novel that intertwines elements of fairy tales with a more nuanced view of love, heroism, and life’s challenges. The story follows Buttercup, a beautiful milkmaid, who falls deeply in love with Westley, a farm boy. After Westley leaves to seek his fortune, he is presumed dead, prompting Buttercup to reluctantly agree to marry the selfish Prince Humperdinck, who seeks her beauty rather than her love. The plot thickens when Buttercup is kidnapped by a trio of criminals, only to be rescued by a mysterious man in black, who ultimately reveals himself to be Westley, alive and well.
As the story unfolds, themes of friendship and loyalty are highlighted through the interactions between characters like Inigo Montoya, who is driven by a quest for vengeance, and Fezzik, a gentle giant. The novel challenges traditional fairy tale tropes by presenting flawed characters who face moral dilemmas and emotional struggles, illustrating that life is rarely as straightforward as fairy tales suggest. With its blend of adventure, romance, and humor, "The Princess Bride" resonates with readers of all ages and has maintained its popularity, particularly after its successful film adaptation in 1987.
Subject Terms
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
First published: 1973
Subjects: Death, friendship, and love and romance
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: An imaginary medieval time
Recommended Ages: 13-18
Locale: Florin, a fictional kingdom
Principal Characters:
Buttercup , a beautiful milkmaidWestley , a farm boyHumperdinck , the prince of FlorinCount Rugen , Humperdinck’s evil henchmanInigo Montoya , a Spanish swordsmanFezzik , a Turkish giantVizzini , a Sicilian assassin
Form and Content
Buttercup, a beautiful milkmaid, falls in love with Westley, a farm boy, who sails away to seek his fortune. She sinks into grief when she hears that he has been captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who never leaves survivors. When Humperdinck, the prince of Florin—who cares only for hunting but demands a good-looking bride to bear his children—orders Buttercup to marry him, she refuses, claiming that she will never love again. Because Humperdinck does not seek love and the alternative is death, however, they become engaged.
Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by Vizzini, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik, whom Humperdinck has paid to kill her and leave evidence that will incriminate the country of Guilder, Florin’s enemy, so that Humperdinck can declare war. Fezzik is a powerful giant, and Inigo is the best swordsman in the world, having spent twenty years becoming a master fencer in order to find and kill the six-fingered nobleman who murdered his father. They are pursued, however, by a man in black, who follows them up the Cliffs of Insanity and then bests Inigo in a swordfight, Fezzik in a wrestling match, and Vizzini in a battle of wits.
Buttercup is now in the power of the man in black, who insults her faithlessness and greed. When she pushes him down a ravine, she discovers that it is Westley, who was merely testing her love for him.
Humperdinck and the evil Count Rugen are hunting them, so Buttercup and Westley flee down the ravine into the Fire Swamp, where they are nearly killed by various dangers. Westley explains that he has actually been operating as the Dread Pirate Roberts for some time and that they will be safe when they reach his ship. When they escape the swamp, however, Humperdinck is waiting for them. Buttercup surrenders on the condition that the prince not harm Westley, who is promptly imprisoned in Humperdinck’s Zoo of Death once her back is turned.
Plagued by guilt and nightmares, Buttercup realizes that she can marry only Westley. Humperdinck promises to send a message to learn whether Westley will return to her, but he secretly joins Count Rugen to torture Westley each night. He also plots to strangle Buttercup on their wedding night, again to frame Guilder for the murder.
Fezzik finds Inigo and reveals that the six-fingered man is Count Rugen. Inigo decides to find the man in black in order to devise a way into the castle so that they can rescue Buttercup and kill the count. That night, Buttercup realizes that Humperdinck never sent the message. When she mocks him as a coward, the enraged Humperdinck storms to the torture pit and kills Westley. Inigo and Fezzik sneak into the Zoo and find Westley’s corpse, which they carry to Miracle Max, who resurrects him with a magic pill. During the wedding ceremony, Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik storm the castle and rout the guards. Inigo finds Rugen and kills him, Westley ties up the prince, and the protagonists escape on four white horses.
Critical Context
The Princess Bride assumes a familiarity with fairy tales and folktales, which commonly depict sorcerers, beautiful princesses, evil noblemen, and young heroes on quests. In this tradition, evil is thwarted, rightful kings are restored to their thrones, and the hero marries the beautiful girl. William Goldman’s book argues that things rarely work out so neatly in real life. He shows too that heroes do not possess endless strength or always make the right decisions. The admirable Inigo, for example, turns to drinking when he feels depressed, and Buttercup suffers terrible guilt over choosing to live without love rather than to die with Westley in the Fire Swamp. The book shows, however, that friendship can strengthen weakening resolve and rouse the courage to survive hard times. Inigo’s dedication of his life to avenging his father’s death is problematical, but his kindness and loyalty to the dim-witted Fezzik are poignantly portrayed and contribute to a depth in his character that the more conventionally heroic Westley lacks. Young readers will feel that these characters are more realistic than the one-dimensional figures of folktales, and they may take the next step of understanding that Goldman is contrasting fiction with real life.
Young people may not comprehend fully the parody of the novel, but they can enjoy the rapidly paced adventures and appreciate the “life is not fair” moral. The lasting appeal of Goldman’s novels and screenplays arises from his consistent emphasis on the importance of friendship and loyalty. The Princess Bride has retained its popularity, especially after its 1987 adaptation as a successful film directed by Rob Reiner.