The Princess Bride Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
The Princess Bride is the story of Buttercup, the most beautiful woman in the world, and Westley, the farm boy who loves her. After he is believed dead, she is to marry the evil Prince Humperdinck, but a masked Man in Black and two unlikely heroes come to the rescue. The book presents itself as a shortened version of an old story by S. Morgenstern.
Goldman frames it with comic notes about the parts he says he cut out.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Buttercup | Farm girl turned princess-to-be |
| Westley | Farm boy who becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts |
| Prince Humperdinck | Scheming prince of Florin |
| Count Rugen | Six-fingered nobleman |
| Inigo Montoya | Spanish swordsman seeking revenge |
| Fezzik | Gentle giant |
| Vizzini | Arrogant Sicilian schemer |
| Miracle Max | Retired miracle worker |
How does the story begin?
Buttercup bosses around the farm boy Westley, who answers every command with as you wish. She realizes that this means he loves her, and she loves him back. He leaves to seek his fortune, and news comes that the Dread Pirate Roberts has killed him at sea. Years later Prince Humperdinck chooses Buttercup to be his bride.
↑ Back to the topWho kidnaps Buttercup?
Before the wedding, Vizzini, Inigo and Fezzik kidnap her. Humperdinck secretly hired them to kill her and blame the rival country of Guilder, as an excuse for war. A Man in Black pursues them. He defeats Inigo in a sword fight at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity, beats Fezzik at wrestling and outwits Vizzini in a battle of wits over poisoned wine.
↑ Back to the topWho is the Man in Black?
The Man in Black reveals he is Westley, now the Dread Pirate Roberts. They escape through the Fire Swamp, surviving flame spurts, lightning sand and giant rodents. Humperdinck catches them, and Buttercup surrenders to save Westley. Westley is taken to the Pit of Despair, where Count Rugen tortures him with a machine that sucks away years of life, and Humperdinck turns it up until Westley is dead.
↑ Back to the topHow is Westley saved?
Inigo has spent his life hunting the six-fingered man who killed his father, and learns it is Rugen. He and Fezzik find Westley's body and take him to Miracle Max, who says he is only mostly dead and gives him a chocolate-coated pill to revive him.
↑ Back to the topHow does The Princess Bride end?
The three storm the castle on the wedding night. Inigo duels Rugen and kills him, finally avenging his father. Westley, still too weak to stand, bluffs Humperdinck into surrender. With Buttercup, Inigo and Fezzik, he escapes on white horses. In Goldman's framing story, he says that the original book ends with things going wrong as the four ride off, but he chooses to believe they lived happily, while reminding readers that life is not always fair.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Princess Bride
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.