History WMG / ThePrincessBride

** This is exactly the sort of relationship Buttercup's parents have in the book. They wake up early every morning in order to start arguing with each other and keep a running tally of which of them is winning that day, but underneath it all, they love each other precisely because there's no one else they could have this sort of relationship with and they're having a ball. If that's the case, then perhaps they started off like Wesley and Buttercup--passionate, pure, but shallow youthful love--and grew into something more personal and meaningful. So there's hope for these kids.
** "S. Morgenstern" seemed to have a thing for relationships where constant bickering masks profound connection. Not only are Max and Valerie and Buttercup's parents this way – so were [[VitriolicBestBuds Domingo Montoya and his childhood friend Yeste]].

However, there regular implications in the novel that Wesley and Buttercup's "true love" is actually a shallow thing based on appearances. As times passes, and Buttercup is not quite so attractive, they won't be quite so lovely-dovey. However, their relationship will deepen in more meaningful ways. So then they are as old as Miracle Max and Valerie, they will still be together and working together. They'll just bicker and drive each other bonkers.

*** Jesus Loves You [[LoveYouAndEverybody And Everyone]], so there's the affection... ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'' is well known... Jesus=Purity... So it must have been a short kiss, or there's no way the one in the story could surpass them ''all''.

** [[Myth/GreekMythology Cupid and Psyche.]]

Fezzik’s initial appearance in the movie, as an oaf being manipulated by the little booger Vizzini, clearly parallels the history of colonialism in the third world. For example, Vizzini keeps Fezzik in check by threatening to “return him to Greenland.” British, Dutch, French, and Spanish colonial overlords often justified their colonial conquests by saying that they were bringing civilization to them in the form of medicine, trains, and Christianity. It is obvious to see the similarities between Vizzini “rescuing” Fezzik from Greenland, and European powers “rescuing” the third world from primitiveness. Of course however, Vizzini does not actually care about Fezzik’s safety and just spends the better part of the beginning of the movie manipulating him to do his evil bidding, such as kidnapping Buttercup. And of course, most of the colonizers did not care about their colonies, rather they manipulated them for natural resources and cheap affordable labor. Vizzini’s wicked actions reach a climax when he forces Fezzik to defeat the man in black (Westley, Buttercup’s lover.) This leads to the next phase in the 20th century history of the third world: decolonization.

The defeat of Fezzik at the hands of Westley is both a low point and a high point for him, just as decolonization was for the third world. When Vizzini orders Fezzik to defeat Westley, he fails and is rendered unconscious, and Westley goes on to kill Vizzini. The high point of this is that he is no longer under control of the bloodthirsty and genocidal Vizzini, but the low point is that he was defeated and is unconscious. After World War 2, Britain, France, and the Dutch all agreed to give up their colonial possessions due to the fact that the war meant that they could no longer financially support maintaining them. While this may seem like a high point for the third world, it was also a low point. The rapid retreat of the Europeans meant that racial, religious, and economic tension reached its breaking point; and most of these regions became unstable and racked with civil strife. For example, India was split into India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims at a great cost of life that is still a problem even today. In Uganda, several evil warlords took control until they were overthrown by the bloody Hitler-esque Idi Amin who engaged in a terrifying revenge crusade of mass murder against certain ethnic groups. Even today, in places like Sudan and Darfur, the effects of decolonization can still be seen in the mass murder and ethnic cleansing. However, the biggest problem after decolonization, and for Fezzik after being defeated, is to figure out what to do now that they were on their own.

The answer for the third world was to become entangled in the Cold War, and for Fezzik was to become entangled in Westley’s quest. When the Cold War really brewed up, it was often third world countries like Ethiopia, Iran, and Afghanistan that served as the battleground between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, even though they really had nothing to do with either country: they were just being used as pawns to achieve each country's greater goal (communism vs. capitalism.) In the movie, after Fezzik is defeated by Westley, he could begin afresh and live a new life, but rather, he returns to the delusional paranoid Inigo, and ends up getting entangled with his quest of revenge, and Westley’s quest to overthrow the royal family and bring political and economic instability to the country. However, Fezzik obviously has nothing to do with either quest, just like third world countries had nothing to do with George Washington or Vladimir Lenin. The USA and USSR used the third world for natural resources, military training, and basically to do the harm to each other that they couldn’t do directly. In the movie’s climax, Westley and Inigo force Fezzik to smash doors, scare enemies, find transportation, and even carry the lazy “paralyzed” Westley. The poor third world and Fezzik were simply not strong enough, however, to overthrow their puppeteers and be truly independent.

* Except Harry Potter wasn't first published until 1997, ten years after the film came out. J.K. Rowling didn't even think of the character until 1990, according to Wiki/TheOtherWiki. So why would the Grandfather be about to read a parody of a franchise which didn't even exist yet?

** Jimi Hendrix and [[{{Mondegreen}} this guy]].

* [[OlderThanTheyThink Aristotle knew cetaceans were not mammals.]] However, maybe the Shrieking Eels are too dangerous to catch, and everyone thinks they're fish as a result.

Not only was Morgenstern's original big on satire, but also of the Deconstruction of faerie tales-- Westley actually does die, and Humperdinck ''does'' win. But after seeing how distraught The Kid was about the 'real' ending, he made up the rest of the story so The Kid would feel better.

** That is a very intriguing possibility...

During the duel he got stabbed in the stomach with a knife yet despite that he is still alive and managed to kill Rugen. This troper saw earlier that when he gave The Man In Black the Miracle pill, that he held it in his own mouth briefly before force feeding it to him. I at first thought he merely kissed it for luck, but now I think he took a bite out of it so he could have his own miracle.

** By that point in the movie Buttercup was still living in the castle. But she wasn't supposed to be Queen anyway 'til Lotharon resigned. I guess that was just a simplification.

No, really, [[LordOfTheRings Rohan.]] She's a wonderful horseback rider, and loves riding her horse more than any other activity. We know that Middle-Earth eventually becomes Europe, and ''The Princess Bride'' is set ''before'' Europe. More to the point, look at the words that all the Rohirrim use. ''Théoden'' means "king" in old English, and ''Meduseld'' means Mead-Hall. "Hello. I am King King. This is my mead-hall. I like to call it, Mead-Hall." The book states that Buttercup named her horse "Horse" (she was never long on imagination.) Could it ''be'' any more obvious?

[[WMG: Westley is an Immortal. ]]

** Robin and Starfire in ''TeenTitansTroubleInTokyo''.

* Inigo Montoya is Harry Potter and Count Rugen is Voldemort. After all, Voldemort killed Harry's father, and Inigo and Westley are as good friends as Harry and Ron.