History Characters / ThePrincessBride

* SmarterThanYouLook: Fezzik doesn't show it much, but he is able to annoy Vizzini with expert wordplay in his rhymes and is very resourceful. He provides the cloak needed to disguise himself as the Dread Pirate Roberts. Plus he explains ConservationOfNinjutsu to the Man in Black during their fight. He seems to be actually smarter than Inigo, whose obsession with revenge (and alcoholism) often causes him to make dumb decisions.
* ScarecrowSolution: "The Dread Pirate Roberts" rig that Fezzik wears. The Dread Pirate Roberts is a legendary figure who has been passed from person to person through the years. At the end, Fezzik dresses up and claims to be the "Dwead Piwate Woberts" to scare the castle guards.

-->'''Westley''': To the pain means that the first thing you lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists, next your nose… The next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by your right… Your ears you keep, and I'll tell you why: so that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish; every babe that weeps at your approach; every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. That is what "to the pain" means; it means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in [[AFateWorseThanDeath freakish misery]], [[AndIMustScrem forever]].

-->'''Westley''': To the pain means that the first thing you lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists, next your nose… The next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by your right… Your ears you keep, and I'll tell you why: so that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish; every babe that weeps at your approach; every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. That is what "to the pain" means; it means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery, forever.

* DumbBlonde: Her hair is golden as the sun, but she's not exactly the brightest bulb in the box. Taken UpToEleven in the book, where she borders on IdiotBall.

** Slightly averted in the book, where he originally had every intention of going through with the marriage, until he came up with [[FalseFlagOperation the plot to frame Guilder]]. He specifically says to Count Rugen that he wants a wife who is so insanely beautiful that the whole world will be jealous, which is why Rugen shows him Buttercup in the first place.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Pit of Despair! Don’t even think...''clears throat''...don’t even think about trying to escape]]

* ArchEnemy: Count Rogen, the sadistic torturer who killed his father.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Buttercup gets promoted to princess, because she was born a commoner but Humperdinck wants to marry her. The book explains how she had to attend royalty school for three years, and was given the title of Princess of Hammersmith (which was part of the Florinese property, but nobody ever paid attention to it) because the Prince couldn't marry a commoner.

* DirtyCoward/KnowWhenToFoldEm: Gives up the keys when Inigo tells Fezzik to tear his arms off.

* DirtyCoward: Gives up the keys when Inigo tells Fezzik to tear his arms off.

* IGaveMyWord: Played straight with Westley on the Cliffs of Insanity. He initially swears that he will get Westley up to the top alive on his honor as a Spaniard. Westley says that's no good, as he's known too many Spaniards. Then he then swears on his father's soul, and Westley believes him.

* EvilAlbino: He's an albino and works for Count Rugen.

* RhymesOnADime: Fezzik is ''very'' fond of doing this.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/princessbridegrandson&grandpa.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The grandson on the left]]

[[caption-width-right:350:The Grandfather on the right]]

-->''And so here the point is, if Max and Valerie sound Jewish, why shouldn't they? You think a guy named [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis Simon Morgenstern]] was Irish Catholic? Funny thing — [[WriteWhoYouKnow Morgenstern's folks were named Max and Valerie and his father was a doctor]].''

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: After being reported killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts, he shows up <i>as</i> the Dread Pirate Roberts to save Buttercup.]][[spoiler:Westley dies due to torture, but is brought back thanks to the Miracle Pill.]]

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Westley dies due to torture, but is brought back thanks to the Miracle Pill.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: When Buttercup gives him a KirkSummation, he locks her up and then [[spoiler:immediately goes and kills Westley]].

'''Inigo''': Is there no way you trust me?\\

* SmallNameBigEgo: Let's face it, he's not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. He's given a bit more respect in the book, though, as Westley fully acknowledges how dangerous he is.

-->'''Dread Pirate Roberts:''' Now tell me truly: when you found out [your love] was dead, did you get engaged to your prince in the same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?\\

--> '''Fezzik''': It's not my fault I'm the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise.

--> '''Fezzik''': My men are here, I am here, but you ''[points]'' will not be here.

--> '''Vizzini''': No more rhymes, now, I mean it!\\
'''Fezzik''': Does anybody want a peanut?

-->'''Man in Black''': You are that smart?\\
'''Vizzini''': There are no words to contain all my wisdom. I am so cunning, crafty and clever, so filled with deceit, guile and chicanery, such a knave, so shrewd, cagey as well as calculating, as diabolical as I am vulpine, as tricky as I am untrustworthy… well, I told you there were not words invented yet to explain how great my brain is, but let me put it this way: the world is several million years old and several billion people have at one time or another trod upon it, but I, Vizzini the Sicilian, am, speaking with pure candor and modesty, the slickest, sleekest, sliest and wiliest fellow who has yet come down the pike.

-->'''Vizzini''': Let me put it this way — have you ever heard of Creator/{{Plato}}? Creator/{{Aristotle}}? Creator/{{Socrates}}?\\
'''Man in Black''': Yes?\\
'''Vizzini''': [[TropeNamer Morons.]]

--> '''Vizzini''': You were not hired for your ''brains''!

-->'''Vizzini''': …so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me! But you would have counted on my thinking that, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you!

-->'''Vizzini''': [[ThisCannotBe HE DIDN'T FALL?]] [[CatchPhrase INCONCEIVABLE!]]\\
'''Inigo''': {{You keep using that word}}. I do not think it means what you think it means.

-->'''Max''': Wait, wait — I make him better, Humperdinck suffers?
-->'''Inigo''': Humiliations galore.
-->'''Max''': ''[[{{Revenge}} That]]'' is a noble cause! Gimme the sixty-five, I'm on the job!

* HappilyMarried: Not so obvious in the movie, but the book implies as much — for example, explaining that when Max calls Valerie "witch" it's in fact an InsultOfEndearment and part of their whole act.
--> '''Valerie''': I'm not a witch! I'm your wife!

--> '''Valerie''': LIAR! LIAR! LIIAAAAR!
* LikeAnOldMarriedCouple: Well… they ''are'' an old married couple but even still, all their dialog to each other is in this vein.

-->"I have no key," Yellin replied. "I swear on the grave of my parents; may my mother's soul forever sizzle in torment if I am lying."

--->--'''The Grandson'''

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by Creator/CaryElwes]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by Creator/RobinWright]]

[[caption-width-right:300:Portrayed by Creator/MandyPatinkin]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by Wrestling/AndreTheGiant]]

[[caption-width-right:325:Portrayed by Creator/WallaceShawn]]

[[caption-width-right:340:Portrayed by Creator/ChrisSarandon]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by Creator/ChristopherGuest]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by Creator/BillyCrystal & Creator/CarolKane]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by [[Series/AlasSmithAndJones Mel Smith]] ]]

[[caption-width-right:250:Portrayed by Creator/PeterCook ]]

[[caption-width-right:330:Portrayed by Creator/MalcolmStorry]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by [[Series/TheWonderYears Fred Savage]] ]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Portrayed by [[Series/{{Columbo}} Peter Falk]]]]

* VillainousCrush: Subverted. While he does acknowledge Buttercup's great beauty, he only plans to marry her so that he can fulfill his dynastic obligations and get an ego boost from having snagged an ''extremely'' attractive woman. [[spoiler:Subverted even further when it's revealed that he plans to have her killed and frame Guilder for it so he can have [[PretextForWar an excuse to go to war]].]]

* ThePowerOfLove
-->'''Buttercup''': You can't hurt me. Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords. And when I say you are [[DirtyCoward a coward]], that is only because you are the slimiest weakling ever to crawl the earth.
** Played with in the wedding scene, where [[spoiler:she fully expects that the PowerOfLove will cause Wesley to '''magically''' appear in the nick of time to stop her wedding — despite all the walls, gates, and guards — but he doesn't come. She has a HeroicBSOD over the fact that "he didn't come," and is almost DrivenToSuicide until Wesley lets her know that since she didn't say "I do," it never happened.]]

* InformedAttractiveness: Regarding the movie: Princess Buttercup is considered the "most beautiful woman in the world" in-universe.