Student Question
Which characters in 'The Princess Bride' correspond to each of the eight fairy tale character types, and why?
There are eight character types in most fairy tales: 1) The hero. 2) The helper. 3) The villian. 4) The false hero. 5) The donor. 6) The dispatcher. 7) The Princess. 8) The Princess' Father.
Quick answer:
In "The Princess Bride," the eight fairy tale character types are represented as follows: 1) The hero is Wesley; 2) The helpers are Inigo and Fezzik; 3) The villain is the six-fingered man; 4) The false hero is Prince Humperdinck; 5) The donor could be the Sicilian or Miracle Max; 6) The dispatcher is the Dread Pirate Roberts; 7) The Princess is Buttercup; 8) The Princess' father is a peasant farmer with little relevance.
Someone can certainly double check me on this, but here is my best shot off the top of my head. (Great movie AND book by the way.)
1. Wesley
2. Inigo & Fezzik
3. The 6 fingered man
4. Prince Humperdinck
5. The Sicilian (who is evil and could probably be considered a villian
but still provides help in the form of Inigo and Fezzik in the end) or Miracle
Max (?)
6. The Dread Pirate Roberts
7. Buttercup
8. A peasant farmer with little relevance to the story.
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