Biting The Six-Fingered Hand: In What Way Can Inigo’s Apotheotic Scene in The Princess Bride be Linked to Real Life Ideas About Class Struggle and Revolution?

In 1973, William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride was published, with the opening page citing it as a “classic tale of true love and high adventure”. Weaving fairy tale, fantasy, romance and action elements throughout, the story follows a diverse band of characters through a complex, yet classic tale, described by critics as a “tongue-in-cheek fairytale of love, life, action, death and life again.”

The film adaptation of The Princess Bride was released in 1987, directed by Rob Reiner – known for other comedic successes, such as 1984’s This is Spinal Tap – a film which shared The Princess Bride’s blend of compelling plot, wrought with ‘tounge-in-cheek’ humour.
Following its release, the film adaptation of The Princess Bride has since been regarded a cult classic, with several scenes, quotes, and motifs which have garnered iconic significance in pop culture.
Despite the overwhelming success of the film, the original novel has somewhat faded into obscurity, with many fans of the film being unaware that it is an adaptation at all. In the age of the internet and the rise of ‘meme culture,’ The Princess Bride’s most iconic scenes have seen a resurgence of popularity through the transformation of some of the most recognisable quotes and scenes into memes. With a new generation of audiences coming across the film adaptation as a result of its newfound relevance on the internet, and the movie’s pre-existing cult following, it is not surprising that many viewers are unfamiliar with the base novel, as the movie’s reputation seems to precede itself.

One of the most poignant and most easily recognised scenes in both the novel and film renderings of The Princess Bride is the scene where Inigo Montoya, a swordfighter and blacksmith, comes face to face with the man who killed his father when he was a child. Throughout the story, Inigo repeatedly cites that his main quest is to avenge his father, and that he has been seeking this revenge his whole life. At the climax of the story, Inigo discovers that the man he has been looking for is the Count in the court of the main antagonist, Prince Humperdinck.

Upon meeting his lifelong nemesis, Inigo utters a (now highly recognisable) phrase he had been saving for this exact moment his whole life – “hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.”

As Inigo and the Count engage in a fast-paced sword fight, filled with lithe movements and several close-calls, the viewer is led to believe that Inigo will ultimately be victorious; a much more technically complicated sword fight takes place previously in the film, which assures the viewer of Inigo’s skill. The moment when the Count stabs Inigo, therefore, is a shocking twist on the perceived power balance of the fight; having seen Inigo seeking revenge throughout the whole film up to this point, it seems cruel to have him fail now. This moment of failure, however, only serves to make his ultimate victory more satisfying.
In the original text, Inigo is visited by visions of both his father and mentor, who encourage him to rise back to his feet and continue fighting, however in the film adaptation, the audience is left to assume that Inigo is in danger when the Count goes in for the killing blow, before Inigo meets his sword with his own. The Count, dressed in rich green robes, stands before a table piled high with fruits and expensive-looking decor, while Inigo leans lifelessly against a plain wooden wall, bleeding heavily through his rumpled peasant’s clothes that are splayed open on the chest. It appears that the Count has the upper hand in every regard, and yet it is Inigo who inevitably comes out victorious. The fight continues, with Inigo still repeating the aforementioned phrase, building momentum each time, until Inigo cuts the Count’s cheeks on both sides, before asking him to beg for his life, telling him to “offer [him] money, [...] power, [and] everything he asks for”. This is particularly significant in discussion of the shift in power dynamic, as the viewer has been able to see clearly throughout the whole film, the two scars on Inigo’s cheeks, given to him by the Count when his father was murdered. This role reversal establishes the beginning of Inigo’s victory, and suggests that the Count’s power in the scene is now equal to that of a helpless child.

This scene is particularly poignant when observed through the lens of a class struggle. In the book rendition, when the Count murders Inigo’s father, he calls him a “peasant and a fool,” a statement which clearly marks his awareness of the advantage he has due to his class, and acts as a justification for murdering him, as if Inigo’s father is sub-human. In making the Count beg for his life, using his power and money as bargaining chips, Inigo flips the power dynamic - even more so, considering he does not take the Count’s offer, and kills him anyway. In the film, Inigo’s demand for money and power is delivered in a tone which seems to be mocking the Count for holding wealth and class above human life, contrasting with the Count’s emotionless delivery of the lines where he is begging. The Count, at this point, appears to be resigned to the fact that Inigo was going to kill him regardless, giving him a taste of the helplessness he had bestowed upon Inigo in his childhood, and making the prominent point that the Count’s wealth and power could not save him from dying at the hands of a peasant.

The victory of the lower class over the upper in an act of justice, paired with the aforementioned visuals regarding character appearance and setting are reminiscent of the european renaissance-era, with specific correlation being found with the peasants’ revolt of 1381 - an event which was characterised by social unrest, as the lower classes in society rallied violently against the upper for political and social justice. The idea of society’s poorest rising against oppressive forces makes Inigo’s victory more than just a simple revenge plot, but a symbol of resistance that promotes the - albeit idealist - message that good will prevail over evil.

Over three decades after its cinematic release, The Princess Bride has had multiple surges and resurgence of popularity, giving it the name of a cult classic, with several scenes becoming so ingrained in pop culture that some are not even aware of the texts they originated from. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that both Goldman and Reiner intended to explore the concept of the overturning of the upper class - exhibited clearly by Inigo’s victory over the Count. By replicating the wounds he was given himself as a child, and reducing his opponent to beg for his life, Inigo rises truly victorious over his foe, and makes it abundantly clear that no matter how much power you believe yourself to have, it cannot protect you from justice; a sentiment that has been proven countless times in real history, as well as in this fictitious world.

Bibliography

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