The Princess Bride: Romance, Comedy, or Romantic Comedy?

The Princess Bride is a comedy that has stood the test of time and is known for its great storytelling. It begins with a boy who is home sick and his grandpa comes to read to him. As he reads, the viewer then watches the story, so much so that you forget it’s even being told. Within the book, Wesley, a farm hand, is in love with a girl named Buttercup but he is sent off to sea where he becomes the “Dread Pirate Roberts” in secrecy and fakes his own death. Buttercup’s heartbreak makes her vow to never love again. Then there are Inigo, Vezzini, and Fezzik. These are three con men who want to start a war between Florin and Guilder by kidnapping the princess to-be, Buttercup. Throughout the rest of the movie these main characters become friends, enemies, lovers, and teammates.

The Princess Bride shows characteristics of almost all types of comedy, the first being farce. Although it uses satire and a deeper sense of comedy, there also still those comedic moments when, for example, the Albino gets hit on the head so hard he becomes unconscious, Inigo falls face first into his food, and when Fezzik and Inigo play childish rhyming games. If The Princess Bride was only a farce, it would still be a fantastic movie, but they take their comedy even further.

The Princess Bride is also a romantic comedy because the heart of the story is love story between Wesley and Buttercup. However, because of the funny lines, exaggerated action, things that clearly are not real or are clearly staged, The Princess Bride isn’t just a romance movie.

The Princess Bride is clearly a satirical movie. From the beginning, the movie has many fairy tale elements: princesses, castles, true love, happy endings, but they are mocked and the story doesn’t turn out the way a normal fairy tale would. The wittiest character is by far Wesley, who is constantly shooting others down with his sarcasm and mockery. With each clever line, Wesley has the audience cracking up by the ends of his scenes. The movie also does a great job of pulling the reader into the “fairy tale” story, but right when you become really devoted to it, it flashes back to the reality of the grandpa and grandson. These two characters add a lot to the comedy of the movie because they mock and judge the story, emphasizing how much it isn’t a fairy tale.

Finally, almost every character is changed by the end of the movie. Every character has a motive that drives them forward, avoiding any flat characters. For example, Inigo wants to avenge his father’s death, Wesley wants to reunite with Buttercup, and Prince Humperdink wants to take over both the lands as king. The only flat character is Buttercup, the damsel in distress, who really serves no purpose other than being saved.

The Princess Bride is anything but unadaptable to the modern era. The jokes and comedy have stood the test of time and never fail to make the audience laugh.

Romance in the 21st Century

If you are reading this, you are reading this because you want to navigate the trials and tribulations of dating in the 21st century. The first thing I will tell you as your guide is that you have nothing to fear. Dating in this day and age is extremely easy. It is so easy to find a mate these days, that everyone seems to be doing it. All you need are three simple things:

1. The ability to read minds

2. Money, lots of it

3. Completely unrealistic expectations for your future partner

Publicity is also crucial to a relationship. You see, these days it's all about social media. We all know the more cute pictures of you and your partner you post on Instagram, the happier you are. It's factually proven that even if you're fighting with your other half if you post a picture of together, your conflict will be resolved. Combined with the posting of pictures of your loved one to social media, when you get into a relationship you must realize that you are no longer an individual. You are now the property of whomever you are dating. I know this may sound jarring but relax. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds. In fact, it's amazing! Who wouldn't want to be one half of a whole, completely lack individuality, and essentially let go of anything that makes you happy outside of the relationship you're in? I know I do. 

Dating these days is all about the aesthetic. It's about how pleasing your relationship looks to other people and I appreciate that. It's not about irrelevant things like having a healthy relationship, being happy, or maintaining individual happiness. It's all about how good you and your partner look to the world which is good. The world needs more fake but pretty things to look at.