The Princess Bride Summary
Description
Here you will find a The Princess Bride summary (William Goldman's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters The Princess Bride Summary Overview
The narrative unfolds with a beautiful maiden named Buttercup, residing on a farm with her parents and their laborer, Westley. A visitation by Florinese royalty triggers a profound realization in Buttercup - she is deeply in love with Westley, a man she has known her entire life. But fate would have it that Westley must leave to seek his fortune in America, only to be reportedly killed by the infamous Dread Pirate Roberts. This leaves Buttercup devastated and she swears never to fall in love again. Meanwhile, Prince Humperdinck is gearing up for his ascension to the throne of Florin post his father, King Lotharon’s imminent demise. After a mishap involving the princess of Guilder, Count Rugen introduces him to Buttercup, who he then decides to marry. As the narrative proceeds, Buttercup gets kidnapped by a trio of criminals - Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo. Their journey takes them to the cliffs on Guilder’s coast, where they are pursued by a mysterious man in black who manages to defeat them. The man in black is revealed to be Westley, the man presumed dead and Buttercup’s lost love. Their reunion, however, is short-lived as they encounter Humperdinck, leading to Buttercup agreeing to return to Florin to save Westley. What follows is a series of events with Westley being tortured, Buttercup pining for her love, and Humperdinck plotting to murder Buttercup to instigate a war. The climax consists of Inigo and Fezzik embarking on a perilous quest through the Zoo of Death to save Westley. A miracle pill crafted by Miracle Max and his wife brings Westley back to life who then devices a plan to invade the castle. Meanwhile, Buttercup marries Humperdinck, planning to end her life until she finds Westley alive. The climax comprises of Inigo avenging his loss by killing Count Rugen, Buttercup holding Humperdinck captive, and Fezzik appearing with four horses for their escape. Although the narrative ends in uncertainty, it is assumed that the group escapes and lives a rather imperfect happily ever after.
introduction
At the start, the narrator William Goldman tells us he was not a fan of reading as a child, much to his teacher Miss Roginski's dismay. However, when he was ten and sick with pneumonia, his father read him the exciting parts of 'The Princess Bride', sparking a love for literature. Years later, Goldman is an author, and his former teacher writes about her pride in him, comparing him to the esteemed S. Morgenstern. Fast forward to Goldman as a dad. His son's birthday coincides with a work trip to California. He asks his wife, Helen, to get their boy 'The Princess Bride'. As he waits for Helen's response, a beautiful actress, Sandy Sterling, approaches him with praises for his work. He ruins this encounter with his constant phone calls about the book. He returns home to his disappointed family, his son didn't even read the gifted book. Goldman leaves his house, upset and walks in Central Park. Upon his return, he picks up 'The Princess Bride' and discovers the book is a detailed satire of Florinese history, aside from the thrilling parts his father read to him. He decides to put his work on hold and abridge the original text into a more readable version. He reflects on the themes of the book, adventure, and love, noting that they are no longer as prevalent in current times. He ends with, "Here's the 'good parts' version. S. Morgenstern wrote it. And my father read it to me. And now I give it to you. What you do with it will be of more than passing interest to us all." And so, we begin the story that transformed Goldman's life.
chapter 1
Starting with the year of Buttercup's birth, the world's most stunning woman was a French housemaid addicted to chocolates, which caused her to lose her attractive physique. Following a timeline of captivating women through Buttercup's early years, the narrative humorously portrays their misfortunes and demises. At seventeen, Buttercup barely makes it to the top twenty in terms of beauty. Buttercup, however, was indifferent to her looks. She occupied her time with horse riding, ignoring her parents' quarrels, and shunning any beauty regimen. She bothered Westley, a young worker in her parents' farm known as "Farm Boy." The local boys were smitten by Buttercup but she ignored them. Word of her beauty began to spread, attracting a visit from Count Rugen, Prince Humperdinck's aide, with his wife and royal entourage. They falsely claimed they were interested in learning cattle-raising from Buttercup's parents. While Westley instructed the Countess about feeding cattle, Buttercup felt a strong pang of jealousy as the Countess kept staring at Westley. Buttercup was so consumed by her feeling, she overlooked the Count's constant gaze at her. Unable to sleep that night, Buttercup wondered what the Countess found attractive in Westley. Her jealousy reached a peak and she confessed her love to Westley. After her heartfelt confession, he abruptly shut the door on her, leaving her distraught. She tried to console herself by thinking that Westley was too simple-minded to understand her feelings. She cried all day long. In the evening, Westley, ready to leave for America, approached her. Buttercup, in her confusion, told him spitefully that the Countess would soon lose interest in him. Westley, in frustration, confessed his love for her. They parted with a touching kiss, deemed more passionate than the top five in history. Subsequently, Buttercup started paying close attention to her appearance in anticipation of Westley's return. As she reveled in happiness and love, she received the tragic news of Westley's demise at the hands of pirates. She withdrew to her room without displaying any visible shock. When she finally emerged, she was slimmer, more mature, sadder, and had become the world's most stunning woman.
chapter 2
Prince Humperdinck, the next in line to rule Florin, is introduced. He's an avid hunter and builds a multi-tiered structure, "The Zoo of Death," in his kingdom's forest to house his dangerous prey. During one hunting session with a massive orangutan, his trusted accomplice, Count Rugen, shares news of the king's imminent death. Distressed, Humperdinck realizes he now must marry.
chapter 3
King Lotharon is on his deathbed, with his wife Bella and stepson Prince Humperdinck by his side. The king's words are unintelligible, so Bella translates. They agree that Humperdinck must ally with neighboring Guilder by wedding Princess Noreena. Author William Goldman steps in to mention that he's omitted descriptions of Noreena's extensive hat collection. During the feast where the proposal was to occur, the evening devolves into near-war between Florin and Guilder. The turning point is when a gust of wind exposes Noreena's bald head. Humperdinck, wanting a beautiful bride, can't marry her now. Count Rugen directs him to Buttercup, who reluctantly accepts his proposal under threat of death. She informs him she will never love him, having already loved and lost. He's content with that.
chapter 4
The text completely leaves out this part. The author, William Goldman, confesses on a standalone page that he was unaware of this section's existence, let alone its status as the lengthiest part of the novel. Reportedly, the section is just a spoof on Florinese royal nuptial arrangements, physicians, and princess education. It offers no contribution to the storyline, leading Goldman to bypass it and move directly to the Fifth Chapter.
chapter 5
As Prince Humperdinck's future bride, Buttercup is introduced to the public. However, she is abducted by three men, Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo Montoya, during a horse ride in the forest. They plot to kill her to incite a war between Guilder and Florin, so in fear, she jumps into the sea. Surrounded by sharks, Fezzik saves her, and the narrator assures us, "Well, since the book's called The Princess Bride and since we're barely into it, obviously, the author's not about to make shark kibble of his leading lady." Meanwhile, a mysterious man in black follows their ship towards the Cliffs of Insanity. Despite Vizzini's disbelief, the man follows them up the cliffs after they cut the rope. Vizzini leaves Inigo behind to kill the man and escapes with Fezzik and Buttercup. The story then delves into Inigo's past. His father, Domingo, a reluctant swordmaker, was killed by Count Rugen after not being paid for a special sword. Inigo, seeking revenge, masters sword-fighting but fails to find Rugen. He becomes a drunk until Vizzini employs him. Returning to present, Inigo duels the man in black. Both are evenly matched but the man in black eventually wins, leaving Inigo unconscious before pursuing Buttercup. Vizzini leaves Fezzik to deal with the man as he flees with Buttercup. Fezzik's backstory is then detailed. A large child, he was encouraged to use his strength to prevent bullying. He became a formidable fighter but was lonely after his parents' death until Vizzini found him. In the present, Fezzik wrestles the man in black who wins by choking him, leaving Fezzik unconscious and chases after Vizzini. Vizzini is found with Buttercup at a picnic spot. The man in black challenges him to a game of wits involving poison and wine. Vizzini dies after drinking the poisoned wine. The man in black reveals to Buttercup that both wines were poisoned as he had developed immunity to it. Buttercup, still afraid, is compelled to accompany the man in black. A revelation occurs when the man in black is pushed into a ravine by Buttercup. His last words, "As you wish," make her realize he is Westley, her lover. She jumps after him. Meanwhile, Humperdinck deduces that Buttercup has been taken into the Fire Swamp. Westley rescues Buttercup from the dangers of the Fire Swamp. He explains he survived the Dread Pirate Roberts by proving his usefulness and eventually took over from him. On exiting the swamp, they are confronted by Humperdinck and his men. Buttercup surrenders to save Westley, choosing life sans love over death with love. This leaves Westley in the hands of the cruel Count Rugen.
chapter 6
Goldman's narrative begins with Inigo regaining consciousness on the Cliffs of Insanity. He decides to return to the Thieves Quarter, as instructed by Vizzini in case of separation, a dreadful place known for its dangerous inhabitants. Goldman skips Inigo's lengthy monologue about the ephemeral nature of glory, instead discussing poet Robert Browning's initial failure to sell his work. Inigo, waiting in the Thieves Quarter, drowns his sorrows in alcohol. The story then shifts to Fezzik, who finds Vizzini's body and worries about Inigo's fate. He retreats to a cave, where he is taunted by local boys while he consoles himself with rhymes. Next, we see Westley in the Zoo of Death, being cared for by a mute albino and learning of his impending torture. He's determined not to break. Concurrently, Buttercup worries the wedding chaos will overwhelm her. She becomes queen after the king's death, only to be jeered by a crone for abandoning Westley. We discover this is Buttercup's first of many nightmares. Goldman interrupts to express his childhood upset over the idea of Buttercup marrying Humperdinck, and how he learned that life isn't fair, a theme echoed in The Princess Bride: "This isn't Curious George Uses the Potty," he finally says. Back in the narrative, Buttercup endures nightmares of her future children accusing her of murder. She confesses her love for Westley to Humperdinck, who suggests she send a message via his fastest ships to locate Westley. Humperdinck plans to display his love for Buttercup publicly to secure the kingdom's sympathy when he kills her on their wedding night, paving the way for war with Guilder. Time moves swiftly, with Count Rugen torturing Westley, who initially endures by thinking of Buttercup. Buttercup eagerly awaits Westley's response, peppering Humperdinck with stories of her true love. Threatened, Humperdinck orders Rugen to intensify the torture. He instructs Yellin to clear out the Thieves Quarters of potential assassins as part of his plot against Guilder. A terrible scream tears through the air; Rugen has killed a wild dog to test his torture machine. Westley, now unable to use thoughts of Buttercup to escape pain, is the machine's next victim. Meanwhile, Yellin struggles to clear the Thieves Quarters, especially when a drunk Inigo threatens his enforcers. Fezzik finds Inigo and updates him on recent events, prompting Inigo to seek the Man in Black (Westley) for his plan to locate Rugen, his father's killer. Buttercup discovers Humperdinck's lie about the letter-carrying ships and accuses him of cowardice. Furious, he locks her up and heads to the Zoo of Death to kill Westley using the highest setting on the machine. This event, Goldman recalls, was heart-wrenching. Inigo and Fezzik, along with all of Florin City, hear Westley's death scream. Recognizing it as a sound of ultimate suffering, they fight their way to the entrance of the Zoo of Death, guided by the albino.
chapter 7
Inigo and Fezzik discover the unlocked door of the Death Zoo, unfamiliar with its dangerous contents. Overcome with fear but strengthened by companionship, they embark on the journey through the five levels. They effortlessly overcome the quick creatures on the first level and large animals on the second. The duo is then locked and plunged into darkness on the third level, where they are attacked by a lethal snake. In a surprising tactic, Inigo lies about having rhymes to encourage Fezzik to kill the snake. Although horrified by the deceit, both men manage to escape unscathed. Upon reaching the fourth level, they are attacked by bats, Fezzik's biggest fear. Inigo is able to kill the bats with his sword, and Fezzik pardons Inigo's previous lie. They cross the level, encountering more strange creatures, as they exchange rhymes. On the final level, they unknowingly escape a deadly spider hidden behind the doorknob. Fezzik rushes through the door towards Westley's body, while Inigo unknowingly steps on and kills the spider. They bring Westley's body to Miracle Max, a former royal employee dismissed by Humperdinck. Max initially refuses to help until his wife Valerie convinces him otherwise. After discovering Westley's desire to live for "troooo luv," Max is swayed to revive him, especially after learning of his potential to bring pain to Humperdinck. Goldman interrupts the narrative to clarify he omitted a section that reminded the audience too much of The Wizard of Oz. He also admits Miracle Max and Valerie's Jewish characterisation. As Max revives Westley and the royal wedding approaches, Humperdinck increases castle security under the guise of threats from Guilder. Yellin, oblivious to these threats, resigns, but Humperdinck persuades him to stay, revealing his plan to murder his wife and wage war against Guilder. Meanwhile, Max realizes that he has only revived Westley for forty minutes, not one hour. Inigo and Fezzik haul revived Westley to the castle's top where they devise a plan to break into the heavily guarded castle. Although initially dismissive, Westley is persuaded by his friends to attempt the infiltration. They figure out a plan involving a wheelbarrow and a Holocaust cloak. Meanwhile, Buttercup waits at the altar for Westley's rescue, while outside, Fezzik, disguised as the Dread Pirate Roberts and on fire, scares away the guards.
chapter 8
Fezzik and Inigo confront Yellin, the last guard at the castle, obtaining the gate key after a threatening exchange. They, along with Westley, soon enter the castle where they encounter Count Rugen. Concurrently, the wedding proceeds at a sluggish pace due to the Archdean's lengthy discourse on matrimony. Humperdinck quickens the process and by 5:31, he and Buttercup are married. At 5:34, Inigo confronts Rugen with his rehearsed words: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Rugen flees in response. Meanwhile, Buttercup contemplates suicide in the prince's chamber. Inigo follows Rugen, but needs Fezzik's help, leaving Westley alone. At 5:48, Buttercup's suicide attempt is thwarted when she discovers Westley on the adjacent bed. At 5:41, Rugen injures Inigo with a Florinese dagger. In the prince's chamber, Humperdinck aims to fight Westley "to the death", but Westley proposes the fight be "to the pain". Inigo, despite his injury, continues his pursuit of Rugen, ultimately killing him and taking his revenge at 5:50. Westley explains "to the pain" to Humperdinck, stating the result of losing a duel to him would be a disfigured, yet alive, prince. Humperdinck, startled by this, drops his sword. Buttercup ties him up while Inigo enters and Fezzik announces the discovery of four horses for their escape. However, Yellin and his Brute Squad block their way. Unexpectedly, Buttercup saves the day by ordering them to attend to Humperdinck, and they obey her. They escape successfully and pledge to live longer than each other. The book concludes with a twist in the original ending by S. Morgenstern where the group faces setbacks and is pursued by the prince's team. However, Goldman assures readers they lived mostly happily ever after, reiterating that life, although not fair, is fairer than death.
