Epiphanies In The Princess Bride

Two important epiphanies in the Princess Bride by William Goldman are seen through the character of Buttercup when she realizes that she is in love with Westley and the character of Inigo when he realizes that he needs the man in black to help him storm the castle. When Buttercup saw how others acted around Westley she realized what her true feelings were, while Inigo realizes he needed Westley’s help after saw what a good sword fighter and thinker he was; both of these characters epiphanies helped progress each character. Buttercup thinks of Westley as just a stable boy at first, but when the Countess takes an interest in him she realizes that Westley was handsome, loyal, and strong, which made Buttercup fell madly and deeply in love with him. “I love you… anything there is that I can do for you, I will do” (61). The realization that she is in love with Westley leads Buttercup to devote herself to him, and when Westley supposedly dies Buttercup promises to never love another; Buttercup goes to marry Prince Humperdinck but she refuses to love …show more content…
Inigo needs brains and a good swordsman if wants wants to get into the Castle, and he realizes this when talking to Fezzik about needing Vizzini to plan for him. When the idea came to him, Inigo said “I don’t need Vizzini; I need his master: I need the man in Black!” (180). Vizzini was always the planner and the smartest person Inigo knew, but the man in black outwitted him so Inigo turned to the man in black for help. The realization Inigo had led him to go through the zoo of death, to find Westley which started a major chain of events; Inigo saved Westley’s life, and in doing so he also saved many lives. Inigo’s epiphany was very important to the development of the plot, because it set up the saving of Buttercup and the prevention of a war with