The Princess Bride Scenes 16-20 Summary

Scene 16

  • The MIB finally catches up with Vizzini, who's sitting at a table, holding Buttercup at dagger-point. The two men agree to wage a battle of wits for possession of the princess. There are no Mensa quizzes readily handy, so they'll have to get creative.
  • Vizzini pours them each a goblet of wine; the MIB removes both goblets from Vizzini's sight, supposedly putting a dose of iocane powder—a deadly poison—into one of the two goblets.
  • Vizzini then demonstrates his "dizzying intellect" as he attempts to determine which goblet of wine won't go down so easy.
  • Diverting the MIB's attention, Vizzini switches the goblets. Then, once he sees that his opponent is willing to take a sip from his own goblet, he gladly drinks from his own, confident he's outsmarted his masked foe.
  • However, perhaps realizing that his continued survival would be a detriment to the movie's plot, Vizzini does us all a favor and keels over, dead as a doornail.
  • While the MIB is freeing Buttercup from her bonds, he explains that both goblets of wine were poisoned, and that he actually cultivated an immunity to iocane powder.
  • As Gollum would say, "Very tricksy."

Scene 17

  • Humperdinck has arrived at the scene of the MIB and Fezzik's tussle, and again he figures out what happened there. This guy's like Sherlock Holmes, but without the herringbone deerstalker and with much frillier clothing.

Scene 18

  • Buttercup and the MIB, running across a grassy landscape, stop to take a breather. The princess informs him that Humperdinck will track him down and catch him. Has she not been paying attention?

Scene 19

  • Humperdinck deciphers the whole "iocane powder" incident, and he and his soldiers appear to be gaining on the runaway pair. Is the cavalcade of horses he's got at his disposal really fair?

Scene 20

  • Stopping to rest again at the top of a steep hill (oh, don't judge, she's wearing uncomfortable shoes), the MIB reveals himself to be the Dread Pirate Roberts—the guy who supposedly killed Buttercup's beloved Westley. Needless to say, this bit of news does not sit well with her.
  • As Humperdinck and his men approach, Buttercup shoves the DPR (you're keeping up with all these acronyms, right?) down the hill.
  • It's not until he's on his way down and cries out the familiar "as…you…wish…" that Buttercup realizes the man's true identity. Which means we can just go back to calling him "Westley" now. Phew.
  • Buttercup dives down the hill herself, and we watch for a moment as their stunt doubles tumble their way to the base.