{
    "href": "/post/2011/12/19/the-real-hero-of-the-princess-bride-is-inigo-not-westley/",
    "relId": "2011/12/19/the-real-hero-of-the-princess-bride-is-inigo-not-westley",
    "title": "The Real Hero of \"The Princess Bride\" Is Inigo, Not Westley",
    "author": "pmjones",
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            "title": "Books",
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    "created": "2011-12-20 00:27:28 UTC",
    "updated": [
        "2011-12-20 00:27:28 UTC"
    ],
    "html": "<p>Almost everyone who knows me has had to suffer through me talking about <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces\">Hero With A Thousand Faces</a> by Joseph Campbell. The short version: all hero stories share common elements, character types, and motifs; these elements are present in mythology, religion, and in movies today.</p>\n<p>For example, have you ever noticed in cinematic hero stories that it\u2019s always \u201ctwo guys and a girl\u201d?  Harry, Ron, and Hermione; Luke, Han, and Leia; Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity; hell: Bo, Luke, and Daisy.  There\u2019s usually an \u201cold man as mentor\u201d: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Professor Dumbledore, Uncle Ben.  There is the death of a father.  There is a gift of magical assistance.  And so on, and so on.</p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been wondering for a long time now how \u201cThe Princess Bride\u201d fits into the Campbell analysis.  I have recently realized that <strong>the real hero of \u201cThe Princess Bride\u201d is not Westley; it is, in fact, Inigo Montoya.</strong></p>\n<p>To illustrate, let\u2019s compare the characters of \u201cStar Wars\u201d to those of \u201cThe Princess Bride\u201d:</p>\n<pre><code>Character Type              Star Wars       Princess Bride\n--------------------------  --------------  --------------\nThe Pirate                  Han             Westley\nThe Swordsman               Luke            Inigo\nThe Girl                    Leia            Buttercup\nThe main villain            Darth Vader     Count Rugen\nHis overseer                The Emperor     Humperdinck\nWhose father gets killed?   Luke's          Inigo's\nWho does the killing?       Darth Vader     Count Rugen\nWho avenges his father?     Luke            Inigo\nWho gets the girl?          Han             Westley\n</code></pre>\n<p>The one whose father is killed, learns swordplay, seeks out his father\u2019s murderer, and confronts him as part of a final attack: that is the hero.  That means Luke/Inigo are the heroes, and Han/Westley are the pirate characters who get the girl in the end.  Westley is central to the plot, and the main story is about Westley and Buttercup, but Westley is <em>not</em> the hero; Inigo is.</p>\n<p>Here\u2019s another fun bit:  for the final attack, it is the pirate who plans it, but it is the swordsman who must confront the villain.</p>\n<pre id=\"scroll_to_here\"><code>Plot Element                Star Wars       Princess Bride\n--------------------------  --------------  --------------\nThe target                  Death Star 2    The castle\nAttack planned by           Han Solo        Westley\nVillain killed by           Luke            Inigo\n</code></pre>\n<p>Once again, the hero appears to be Inigo, not Westley.</p>\n<p>I know, it\u2019s heresy.  But still.</p>\n"
}