The Princess Bride Questions

Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.

  1. Is the "story within a story" aspect of the movie really necessary? Would it have worked better without the grandson/grandfather angle?
  2. When Buttercup thinks Westley is dead, she agrees to marry Humperdinck. Since Buttercup never would have dreamed of wedding another while Westley was still alive, isn't it horribly unfair of him to call her "unfaithful"?
  3. Would Inigo have been better off putting his father's murder behind him and just trying to move on with his life all those years ago?
  4. A big theme of the movie seems to be the grandson's reluctance to hear the "kissing parts," and then the idea of him gradually coming around to be okay with them. Why might this be such a big focus?
  5. We're probably just as upset as the grandson that Humperdinck gets to live. Count Rugen gets his. Why does Westley let that jerk go?
  6. Vizzini and Humperdinck are baddies, but because they're also hilarious, we actually kinda like them at the same time we want them to get their just desserts. Does that make the conflict between our hero and his enemies less effective?
  7. How did the director keep all the physical comedy from veering off into ridiculous slapstick?