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| Figure 1 "Westley & Buttercup" |
Summary
The 1987 film, "The Princess Bride," is a fairytale revolving around the main characters' love story. Essentially, main characters, Buttercup and Westley, fall madly in love before Westley leaves in order to become wealthy with the intention to return and marry his love. Things go very wrong for both Westley and Buttercup, as his ship gets captured and she gets kidnapped. The fairytale then follows Westley's quest to save his love, Buttercup, encountering many stumbling blocks along the way. Though the medievalism within the film can often be overlooked, as it is not necessarily obvious, medieval features are sprinkled throughout nonetheless.
Quest & Adventure
One of the largest aspects or plots of "The Princess Bride" is Westley's quest to rescue Buttercup after she is kidnapped. A quest is a reoccurring theme seen in medieval literature, often accompanied with knights as the heroes, as seen in this particular film. During his adventure, Westley does not have easy success, constantly hitting obstacles and encountering new characters, such as a thief. These obstacles and drawbacks are essentially physical and moral tests that Westley has to overcome, something that can be seen in traditional stories of the medieval time period.
Knights & Sword Fights
Westley, among others in the film, are knight-like characters. They embody the chivalry of knights from medieval times and literature. In particular, Westley is brave and committed to saving his love, both traits of a true knight. Further, sword fights, or duels, can also be seen, most notably between Westley and Inigo Montoya. Sword fights and duels are deeply rooted in medieval literature, especially when there is a quest and/or knights involved. In medieval literature, knights can usually be seen settling their arguments and issues by battling it out in a duel, something that is no doubt portrayed in "The Princess Bride."
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| Figure 2 "Westley in a Sword Fight" |
In medievalism, knights are consistently characterized by their chivalry, a code that is expected by a knight. Knights should be courageous, courteous, and honorable. All of these traits can be seen in Westley's character, as he is devoted to saving Buttercup, doing anything and everything he can to get to her, no matter how challenging. Westley represents knighthood exceptionally well.
Works Cited
"Westley & Buttercup." Entertainment Weekly. Accessed 4 December 2024.
https://ew.com/article/2014/10/03/13-things-cary-elwes-revealed-about-the-princess-bride-in-his-reddit-ama/
"Westley in a Sword Fight." Reactor. Accessed 4 December 2024. https://reactormag.com/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things-moral-ambiguity-young-adult-lit-and-the-princess-bride/
I love this blog but of course I'm biased because this was one of my favorite childhood films, I think you did a great job with all the detailing and showcasing each of the characters.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has yet to watch the film, you did a good job summarizing and nice job on discussing knights without going into Arthurian literature.
ReplyDeleteGood job making connections between the medieval period and this film. I've only ever seen this film once before and I liked it a lot. I loved the ties between the medieval period's chivalric code of knighthood and Westley as a character.
ReplyDelete