Cunning and Cleverness Quotes in The Princess Bride

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

The Duchess set about studying Annette and shortly found her adversary's tragic flaw. (1.1)

The Duchess isn't so fond of the fact that Annette is more beautiful than her, so she makes a point of studying Annette until she learns her greatest weakness—chocolate. From then on, it's easy for the Duchess to leave chocolate all around her castle until Annette gets fat and less attractive. (For the record, this is bad math: Size and beauty ain't got nothing to do with each other.)

Quote #2

"I said I would not hurt him. But I never for a moment said he would not suffer pain. You will do the actual tormenting." (5.1186)

Humperdinck might be Prince of Florin, but he's a king of double meanings. When he promised Buttercup that he wouldn't hurt Westley, he never promised that no one would hurt Westley. That's why he gets his buddy Count Rugen to do all the actual torturing.

Quote #3

He must have outplanned and outthought Vizzini and he will tell me how to break through the castle and kill the six-fingered beast. (6.379)

Inigo realizes that if Vizzini is dead from poison, the man in black must have somehow outsmarted him. And this is really impressive, considering that Vizzini is the cleverest man Inigo has ever met.