History Literature / ThePrincessBride

* BadassSpaniard: Inigo Montoya plays this one [[IncrediblyLamePun to the hilt]].

* CatchPhrase: "{{Hello}}, MyNameIsInigoMontoya. YouKilledMyFather. PrepareToDie." Also, "AsYouWish" and "[[YouKeepUsingThatWord Inconceivable!]]"

* NothingIsScarier: The last level of the Zoo of Death is [[spoiler:a long, dark hallway, entirely devoid of the horrific beasts of the other levels. The idea is to lure the intruders into a false sense of security so that they are bitten by the ''extremely'' poisonous spider hidden in the doorknob at the end. Inigo actually finds the apparent lack of beasts and traps even more worrisome than the previous two levels, and Fezzik is so terrified of what's going on that he bursts through the door at the end (without even touching the handle).]]

** But, in the end, she manages to [[spoiler: drive off the ''entire Brute Squad'' by standing up in the saddle and declaring, "[[AC: [[ThisIsSparta I - am - the - queeeeeeeeeeeen!!!!!]]]]"]]

* RealLifeRelative: Parodied. Goldman has no son, just a daughter.

* PrinceOnAWhiteHorse: Humperdink has four of them and rides them bareback, alternating which one he is on so none of them tire.

!!''The Princess Bride'' examples of:

** In the sequel, Buttercup and Westley's daughter Waverly refers to Fezzik as "Shade."

** The most extreme example: In the special edition he includes a chapter from the 'sequel' where, after a huge buildup to a fight, the conclusion is a perfunctory few sentences mixed in with several pages about the positive qualities of a certain type of tree. Goldman [[hottip:*:the editor and in fact the real writer]] explains that the original writer had a large monetary stake involving these trees, and used the book as an opportunity to make them more popular.

* BelatedHappyEnding: In ''Buttercup's Baby''.

* BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: In Buttercup's Baby, The Princess Bride's second part (at least in theory), it's BigGuy Fezzik who throws himself over an enormous cliff to save Waverly, who is Buttercup and Westley's daughter.

* NothingIsScarier: The last level of the Zoo of Death is [[spoiler:a long, dark hallway, entirely devoid of the horrific beasts of the other levels. The idea is to freak out intruders so much from the anticipation that they turn back...and are bitten by the ''extremely'' poisonous spider hidden in the doorknob.]]

* PrinceOnAWhiteHorse: Humperdink has five of them and rides them bareback, alternating which one he is on so none of them tire.

* PricnceOnAWhiteHorse: Humperdink has five of them and rides them bareback, alternating which one he is on so none of them tire.

* TerribleTrio: Vizzini, Inigo, and Fezzik are either an example of this or ThreeAmigos. Because Vizzini is a cad, but Fezzik and Inigo are mostly good, but on the other hand Inigo and Fezzik both help to kidnap Buttercup and, oh NeverMind! Later becomes heroic when someone gets slapped with iocaine powder.

The new edition published for the book's 25th anniversary included additional commentary (including some remarks on the film), and a preview chapter from a projected sequel, ''Buttercup's Baby''.

* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Buttercup. Actually parodied in the original work: She's only in the top twenty, but due to extenuating circumstances, she's the default most beautiful woman.

%% There's already a list, probably longer than the one you were thinking of adding, at ThePrincessBride.

* ConservationOfNinjutsu: During his fight with the Man in Black, Fezzik realizes that his years of fighting groups have left him confused as to how to fight one person. He promptly adjusts his strategy, but by that point, it's too late.

* GrayAndBlackMorality: Our heroes are primarily mercenaries, pirates, and miracle workers with questionable professional ethics. YourMileageMayVary, as some may feel that the characters transcend their seedy backgrounds, while others may view them as cynical deconstructions of fairy tale characters.

* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Buttercup.

* WickedStepmother: Utterly averted with Queen Bella, who has an excellent relationship with her stepson the Prince.

* PrepositionalPhraseEqualsCoolness: The Cliffs of Insanity, the Man in Black, the Rodents of Unusual Size, and the Pit of Despair, just to name a few.

* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: The Man in Black has been building up an immunity to iocane powder for several years.

* AnachronismStew: The setting is "before Europe", yet "after America". Also, there is a mention of Australia being populated entirely by criminals, and Westley is described as wearing blue jeans.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen; the King, however, is merely senile.

** [[PerfectPoison Iocane]] comes from Australia, as everyone knows. (There is no such thing, but [[AustralianWildlife then]] [[EverythingTryingToKillYou again]]...).

* BattleOfWits: Iocane powder. That is all.

* TheBigDamnKiss: "Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."
* TheBigGuy: Fezzik. "It's not my fault I'm the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise."

* TheBrute: subverted. Fezzik is really quite a nice guy.

* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Explained by Fezzik whilst going toe-to-toe with the Man In Black.
-->''"Well, I haven't fought just one person for so long... You see, you use different moves when you're fighting half a dozen people than when you only have to worry about one."''

* GentleGiant: Fezzik. He battles gangs for local charities. ''Awwww.''

** And Count Rugen gets Evil Scars! [[spoiler: (And dies ten seconds later)]].

* IGaveMyWord: Played straight by Inigo as Westley is trying to climb the Cliffs of Insanity. Twisted around when Prince Humperdink promises not to hurt Westley if Buttercup goes quietly ("''You'' (meaning Count Rugen) will do the actual tormenting; ''I'' will only spectate"), but ultimately subverted when Humperdink [[spoiler: mostly]] kills Westley himself.

* InterClassRomance: Buttercup gets made princess of a tiny area in order that Prince Humperdinck can marry her. This also puts her socially above Westley who used work as her farmhand before becoming a pirate.

* LivingLegend: The Dread Pirate Roberts is a mythical pirate. Fezzik earns a reputation as a brawler whose arms can never be stopped.

* MinionWithAnFInEvil: Inigo and Fezzik. "I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl." And of course "'My way' is not very sportsmanlike."

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: The Dread Pirate Roberts, when he's on screen anyway. Justified, as he spends a good deal of the time either ''not'' being the Dread Pirate Robers, in the fire swamp, in the fifth level of the Zoo of Death, [[spoiler: mostly]] dead, or trying to rescue Buttercup.

* PetRat: The goons hired by Prince Humperdink whose job is to clear out the Thieves Quarter. Not to mention Vizzini and his crew.

* QuicksandSucks

* TapOnTheHead: The Dread Pirate Roberts to Inigo (swordhilt) and Fezzik (stranglehold), Count Rugen to Westley (swordhilt), and Fezzik to the albino (fist) and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the shrieking eel]] (fist).

* [[spoiler: BolivianArmyEnding]]: The book ends this way. Seriously. [[spoiler:They make it though.]]