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The Hero: Wesley from "The
Princess Bride" |
| When defining a hero, what usually comes to mind are
stories of righteous men, who are very knowledgeable and strong, saving
a person or a group of people from an evil force. In the movie, The Princess
Bride this is exactly what the hero, Westley, sets out to do. His one and
only true love, Buttercup, is about to be married against her will to Prince
Humperdinck, but before the wedding can take place she is kidnapped (Riener).
Westley believes that nothing can keep him away from the love that he shares
with Buttercup, so he plans her rescue. However, there is more to being
a hero than just saving ones true love. In Joseph Campbell’s book
The Hero with a Thousand Faces he states different stages that a person
must go through to be a hero. Comparing Westley’s quest to save Buttercup
to Campbell’s prototype of a hero’s adventure, a departure,
initiation, and return are all evident. Westley’s desire to be with Buttercup is what prompts his departure. He has no means to provide for Buttercup as his wife, so Westley makes the decision to leave in search of wealth (Reiner). “The hero is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood”, states Campbell. This force in Westley’s case is his love for Buttercup. Westley’s binding love to Buttercup serves as his call to the adventure (Campbell 51). Being with Buttercup is a major goal for Westley, and to achieve it he must accomplish his need to have wealth in order to be able to provide for her. With his one true love serving as his prize, the hero Westley moves on to second stage of his journey as a hero, initiation. After the hero departs on his adventure he must go through the initiation stage. During this time of the journey, the hero experiences many trials that will help him reach his ultimate goal, which in Westley’s case is marrying Buttercup(Campbell 97). Westley lives through being captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts, a man who is feared by everyone because he is known for not sparing the life of anyone he imprisons. Westley builds up immunity to the poison iocane powder, which is extremely deadly. Protected by his immunity to iocane powder, Westley out wits Vizzini, the ‘brains’ of the group of men who kidnap Buttercup, which results in both Vizzini and Westley ingesting Iocane powder, but only Vizzini’s death. He acquires great fencing skills by fighting anyone who challenges him. Westley uses his fencing skills to defeat Inigo Montoya, who helps Vizzini kidnap Buttercup (Riener). During this scene we are able to see Westley in action for the first time, and I must agree with critic, Richard Corliss, who describes him as a swashbuckler type of character. Before, he engages in fight he tells his opponent, Inigo, in a bragging manner just exactly how he will destroy him in a very bold manner. He then puts Fezzik (a giant who kidnaps Buttercup along with Inigo and Vizzini) into a state of unconsciousness by being quick, which is skill he picked from fencing as well. His immunity to iocane powder and his fencing skills took years to build. When he overpowers Vizzini, Inigo, and Fezzik using these elements, his battles with these men are effortless. After the hero is able to accomplish his tasks easily without hesitation or mistakes, he is in the last phase of the initiation stage, the ultimate boon (Campbell 173). Now, at the end of the initiation stage, the hero’s quest is finished, and he can return to society (Campbell 193). When the hero returns to his society, he has acquired the skills that will help him complete his journey (Campbell 196-197). In part of the last stage (initiation) Westley was in the presence of people from his world including Buttercup, but this was not his return. He was in disguise for that part of the stage meaning they did not who he was there, and in their minds the Dread Pirate Roberts kills him. The return is signified by the hero saving his princess or bringing wisdom back to humanity, where the boon he has may affect all of his community (Campbell 193). Described by Richard Corliss as impossible, Westley’s return does not occur until he rescues Buttercup from Prince Humperdinck, who plans to kill her after they are married then blame it on the neighboring country in hopes of starting a war (Reiner). Here again we see the swashbuckler trait apparent as Westley proceeds to tell Prince Humperdinck the way in which he will destroy him, but before he gets the chance to Prince Humperdinck surrenders in fear for his life(Reiner). Now that Westley has saved his one true love, Buttercup, he has fulfilled his goal. Westley is now free to live without the fear of what is to come (the last phase of the return), because the hero is the champion of all things becoming (Campbell 243). Meaning anything that comes his way, he will defeat with ease. Westley and Buttercup ride away on horse back to freedom from Humperdinck’s palace, and as the sun rises Westley knew that he was safe to live with Buttercup happily ever after (Reiner). Westley’s return puts him where he wants to be, which is with his one and only true love, Buttercup. He rescues Buttercup using knowledge and strength, but having these traits is not what makes him a hero. What truly makes Westley a hero is his adventure starting with his departure to find his fortune, going through initiation to obtain skills that will help him complete his journey, and finally using those when he returns to claim his prize, Buttercup
Works Cited Corliss, Richard. “The Princess Bride (movie review)”. Time, Sept.1987 Infotrac Gale Group. University of Florida Library. (24 March 2004) <http://80-web2.infotrac.galegroup.com>. The Princess Bride. Dir. Rob Reiner. Perf. Cary Elwes, Robin Wright. VHS. Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 1987.
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