Theme Of True Love In William Goldman's The Princess Bride

The book that I read for my assignment was William Goldman’s, The Princess Bride. In this tale, true love remains a main topic and is engrained in every page almost. Does the time period affect the story? I believe it does.

The Princess Bride, by William Goldman is an abridged version on S. Morgenstern’s tale. The story’s setting begins on a small farm in the make-believe country of Florin. On this farm, an orphan boy named Westley works for a girl named Buttercup’s family. Buttercup is rude and enjoys telling Westley what to do. Westley is in love with Buttercup, so he patiently waits for Buttercup to outgrow her childish behavior and to realize him as her true love. When the day comes that she realizes her feelings, Westley tells her that he is going to travel to America to build a life there. Buttercup begins taking care of her appearance, and she becomes the most beautiful woman in the world. After a few years, word is received at Buttercup’s family farm that says Westley was killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. At the same time, Prince Humperdinck is soon to be crowned king, but he must find a wife first. He soon learns of Buttercup’s beauty from a man who saw her in passing. Prince Humperdinck goes to Buttercup’s farm and asks for her hand in marriage. She agrees but says she will never love him. Before the

marriage can take place, Buttercup is kidnapped by three men. A man in black, who is really Westley, saves her. She doesn’t realize this until she throws him off of a hill and he says, “As you wish!” When he says this, she throws herself after him. They travel through the Fire Swamp and when they make it to the other side, Prince Humperdinck and his army is waiting. Westley is taken to Prince Humperdinck’s torture chamber underground. Two of Buttercup’s kidnappers come to rescue Wesley, but he is dead, do they take him to a man revive him. All of the while, Buttercup becomes married to Prince Humperdinck and she plans her suicide attempt soon after. Westley and the two kidnappers end up rescuing Buttercup and they end up together.
Throughout the events in the book, the theme of true love is heavily implied. One instance of evidence of this theme is when Westley patiently waits for Buttercup to outgrow her childish behaviors and reciprocate his feelings for her. Westley sees the beauty that Buttercup will have inside and out once she becomes older and begins loving her for that. He tells her he has waited years for her to say she loves him back. In this instance, the storyline would be greatly affected if the time period were different. Westley would not be waiting if it had taken place today, because he would not have been a slave to that family. He may have never grown feelings for Buttercup.
The theme of true love is also shown when Buttercup tells Wesley, “I hear you now, and I promise you this: I will never love anyone else. Only Westley. Until I die.” This statement enunciates the fact that Westley is Buttercup’s one true love and she will never love anyone as deeply as she loves him. It shows that true love is strong, deep, and won’t ever die. This also shows that true love is not always realized at first, because Buttercup never knew she loved Westley before that day.
Another instance in which the theme of true love is applied is when Buttercup gets married.

She stalls the wedding a bit, waiting for Westley to come, but he does not. After that, Buttercup decides to commit suicide upon returning to her room for the evening. This shows that true love comes naturally and you cannot learn to love someone. It shows the power that an unhappy marriage can have over people if they don’t marry their true love. If this part of the story would have taken place in a different time period, it may not have happened at all. This is because marriages can’t be forced today and both parts have to accept and sign on the

marriage.
Throughout the story, the theme of true love is portrayed over and over. When Westley patiently waits for Buttercup, it shows that true love is patient. When Buttercup lets Westley know of her feelings, it shows that true love is not always seen at first glance. When Buttercup becomes married to Prince Humperdinck and tries to commit suicide, it shows that true love cannot be learned. These events may have been greatly affected if the story had taken place in a different time period. Without the theme of true love and the time period in which the story takes place, it would not have been the same.