the princess bride hero's journey chart

Hero's Journey

Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces , in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does —follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Ah, life on the farm. A few pigs, cows, chickens…and each other. Might as well be Heaven.

Call to Adventure

You might think that Westley's call to adventure is when he heads out to make his fortune and is captured by pirates, since what happens to him is awfully adventure-y. But in the scheme of things, the call really comes when he returns to Florin and discovers that Buttercup has been kidnapped.

Refusal Of The Call

"Refusal of the call"—are you kidding? Westley doesn't blink before he's headed out in pursuit of Buttercup and her captors. This is the Dread Pirate Roberts we're talking about here.

Meeting the Mentor

Here's another spot where the plot of the movie veers away from the typical Hero's Journey. Westley never really encounters a mentor of any kind. If anything, Inigo looks to him that way, but he's not the hero we're following in this story, so…on to the next.

Crossing the Threshold

There are two points in the film that could conceivably (or inconceivably, depending on your general degree of incredulity) be considered the crossing of the threshold. The first is when Westley scales the Cliffs of Insanity and finally comes face-to-face with Buttercup's captors. The second is when, with Inigo and Fezzik's help, he scatters the prince's guards and enters the castle on Humperdinck and Buttercup's wedding night. The second one is more climactic and critical to the story, however, so we'll go with that one.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Along the way, Westley's tests consist of his swordfight with Inigo, his wrestling match with Fezzik, and his battle of witlessness with Vizzini. But as tests go, these are basically the PSAT to the SAT that is the Fire Swamp and the Pit of Despair. A couple of Westley's enemies become allies in the process.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

While the Swamp and Pit are certainly cave-like, it's really the storming of the castle that represents Westley's "approach to the inmost cave," since it's there that his Buttercup is being kept, and where he'll take his final stand against Humperdinck. And even the standing part won't be easy.

It takes a creative idea, a wheelbarrow and a holocaust cloak to get Westley into the castle, but everything works out in the end and he makes his way inside. However, he still has to deal with a body that currently has the consistency of gelatin, and somehow manage to defeat Humperdinck so he can steal back his woman. Since he's got no strength, he has to use his smarts.

Reward (Seizing The Sword)

Once Humperdinck has been tied up, Westley's granted the greatest reward he can imagine—to be reunited at last with Buttercup, with no more princes, pirates or R.O.U.S. around to stand in their way.

The Road Back

Fezzik fetches a handful of white horses, and he, Inigo, Westley and Buttercup ride away from the castle, all of their respective goals having been achieved. They forget to stop at the souvenir shop on the way out, though. Buttercup is really going to regret not even having a coffee mug to remind her of her stay there.

Resurrection

Far away from the castle and finally out of harm's reach, Westley and Buttercup take a moment to lock lips to celebrate their reunion and subsequent freedom. It's clear skies ahead for these two lovebirds.

Return with The Elixir

If there was an elixir somewhere along the line, Westley forgot to grab it. Seems this particular story wraps up on the resurrection front. Let's call Buttercup his elixir.

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Analysis of Hero's Journey in "The Princess Bride"

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Jan 5, 2021

Heroes, Main Characters & Protagonists: What The Princess Bride Can Teach Us about Their Differences

Updated: Sep 1, 2021

When talking about characters, many people use the terms hero, main character, and protagonist interchangeably. But do they mean the same thing?

The short answer is no. But many times all three terms can be applied to the same character, so you can easily call anyone from Hercules to Harry Potter the hero of their story, the main character, and the protagonist. But these different terms exist and are used for different reasons. If you’re serious about stories – either in telling them, understanding them, or simply loving them – it’s important to know the difference and use the terms properly.

Let’s begin by defining main character. This is a pretty common and widely used term. When we talk to our friends about the movie we’ve just seen or the novel we’re reading, we’ll probably tell them who the main character is – and that’s because the main character is simply who the story is mostly about. They’re the central character, the one we spend the most time with, or the one we’re most likely to relate to. Generally, the main character is the one we feel the strongest connection with by the end of the story because we’ve experienced the story with them or through them.

Traditionally, the main character of a story was the hero of the story as well. But it’s important to remember a hero describes the qualities or attributes of a character, not necessarily the role they play in the story. Heroes are characters who are noble, strong, and brave. Since many stories are about these sorts of characters, it’s no surprise that word eventually became a literary term in and of itself, and in the vast majority of stories from ancient times up until today, the main character of a story is often a hero, so a distinction between the terms isn’t necessary.

While every story has a main character (or characters), not every story has a hero, and even if there is a hero, they aren’t necessarily the main character in their story. This brings us to the question: what is a protagonist ?

You don’t really need to think about who a protagonist is unless you’re in the business of story. Protagonist is a technical term that describes how the character works as a function of story. Characters are the people in stories, and main characters are the ones we spend the most time with, but protagonists are characters who make decisions and move the plot forward and, usually, change over the course of the story, completing a positive or negative character arc.

Story arcs, which require character growth (or at least change, characters can have negative arcs) are important. They connect to the plot and help create theme, so even when the protagonist isn’t the main character, their arc helps give the story meaning. Take the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie for example. Jack Sparrow might be the most fun, but he’s not the protagonist. Even though he gets his ship in the end, he doesn’t really have an arc. He doesn’t overcome any major flaw or learn or grow in any significant way. And Elizabeth? She’s arguably the hero for at least half the film, but she’s not the protagonist either. She accomplishes a lot but as far as a character arc? That role falls to Will Turner. He’s hindered by his mistaken belief that pirates are vile and irredeemable people and, over the course of the film, he’s forced to accept and even embrace piracy as an appropriate way of life. So he’s the protagonist.

Another example is Little Miss Sunshine by Michael Arndt. The story is about Olive and her journey that brings the rest of the cast together, so she is the main character. But does she have an arc? Does she make decisions that drive the plot forward or change over the course of the story? No, that role would fall mostly on her father, Richard. He’s the character who gets the arc that is framed on his belief about winning and losing. The story begins with Richard thinking there is only value in winning, but, as the story progresses, he comes to embrace Olive’s loss at the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and sees the value in being true to yourself and marching to the beat of your own drum. Thus, he is the protagonist, Olive is the main character, and there is no real hero in this film (at least not in the classic sense), but I think one could argue Olive is the hero since she’s the one we’re rooting for.

In Titanic, Jack is the hero. We want him to win, get the girl, and save the day. But it’s Rose’s story. We meet her first and she’s the one telling it to us, so she’s the main character, and she’s also the one with the arc. She grows over the course of the story, becoming more self-assured and independent, and it’s this change that gives the story meaning, so, she’s also the story’s protagonist.

In Big Fish, while you could argue that both Edward Bloom and his son Will are the main characters, since the story is mostly about their relationship, we focus more on Edward’s journey, so that role falls on him. He’s also the hero, since we’re rooting for him, hoping he gets the girl, fixes the problems, and defeats the bad guys. But Edward knows who he is at the beginning of the film, and he stubbornly stays that way throughout the story, even when it jeopardizes his relationship with his son, so it’s his son’s arc that really gives the story meaning. Will’s journey from a frustrated and angry young man who thinks his father is a liar to a loving and admiring son who sees the value in his father’s stories gives the movie its meaning, so Will is the protagonist.

Again, I want to reiterate, even though these terms are often used interchangeably, they do mean slightly different things, and it can be important to know the difference. So to sum up:

The main character is the character who

· the story is about

· gets the most screen/page time

· the audience has the strongest connection with/ we experience the story with or through them

The hero is the character who

· the audience roots for, wants to win, or save the day

· usually strong, brave, noble and does the right thing

· faces the villain or bad guy in the end

The protagonist is the character who

· changes (or fails to change) over the course of the story

· has a want or a need at the beginning of the story that drives the plot

· makes decisions or takes actions that determine the plot

Understanding that in most stories, these three categories overlap, and occasionally are divided amongst two characters begs the question: Is there a story where all three roles fall to three different characters?

I’ve thought a lot about this, and I think, yes, there is a story where we could make this argument— The Princess Bride.

In The Princess Bride, Westley is clearly the hero. He’s smart, brave, and strong. He’s got a little bit more scoundrel in him than a classic hero, but that’s okay. We want him to win the girl, save the day, defeat the rotten Prince Humperdinck, so he’s the hero.

We could argue that Westley is a main character too, because he is, but if I had to pick the one main character, the character this story is truly about, it’d be Buttercup. She’s at the center of all the action, and while she doesn’t actively get to make decisions that move the plot forward, the plot is still all about her—loving her, kidnapping her, killing her, saving her. Also, many times (but of course not always), if a story is titled after someone, they’re the main character, and this movie is called The Princess Bride, so. . .

But do either Westley or Buttercup really change over the course of the film? Westley does become the Dread Pirate Roberts, but that all happens off screen. The story isn’t about that growth. His love for Buttercup is steadfast and true from the beginning right up until the end. And Buttercup? Alas, she’s a pretty passive character throughout. She doesn't learn or grow much over the course of the telling, so who, then, would be the protagonist? Is there a character with a real arc in this film? One that gives the story its meaning?

Yep—the grandson.

What ? You’re wondering, he’s barely in the film! I know. That’s why he’s not the main character, but he’s still the one with an arc, and that defines the story and reinforces its main theme. The film starts off with the grandson reluctantly agreeing to let his grandfather read to him. He's not particularly interested and tells his granddad that he'll "try to stay awake." He then rejects the story when he fears it's "a kissing book," but his granddad keeps reading, and slowly the grandson becomes more invested. When Buttercup is attacked by the eels, the granddad says, "The eel doesn't get her. I'm explaining to you because you look nervous." The grandson is beginning to care, but he's not ready to admit it yet. "I wasn't nervous. Maybe I was a little bit concerned, but that's not the same thing."

This denial is a classic part of a protagonist's character arc. The best character arcs begin with a character who needs something. They have some wound or flaw that they're ignorant of, and, over the course of the story, that wound or flaw becomes increasingly apparent to them, and it hinders their progress until they are able to overcome it. It's only when they let go or get over the problem that they succeed.

For the grandson, what he needs is a loving relationship with his granddad, and what's preventing that is his disinterest in the book, made obvious with his revulsion at the "kissing scenes." But the grandson increasingly becomes invested in the story – worried when he thinks Buttercup actually married the prince and angry when he learns no one kills Humperdinck in the end – and his arc completes when he lets his grandfather read the final kissing scene at the end of the book, showing that he's overcome his flaw (disliking the love story), and fulfilled his need (having a loving relationship with his granddad).

"Ah, it's kissing again. You don't want to hear that," the grandfather says.

The grandson responds, "I don't mind so much."

"Okay." He reads, "Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The end."

When the grandfather gets up to leave, his grandson asks, "Grandpa? Maybe you could come back tomorrow and read it again?"

And the grandfather responds, bringing the whole story together, with this closing line (which is also an excellent example of subtext):

The Princess Bride is a story about love, a story told through Westley and Buttercup, but ultimately about the relationship between a grandfather and his grandson.

Also, fun fact, the narrator is a different character in this story as well. Sometimes, the narrator is the main character and/or protagonist, but The Princess Bride just goes to show that all these parts can be played by different characters and the story can still work.

If you want to know more about this topic or hear how other writers explain it, here are a few links I recommend:

John August: What’s the difference between Hero, Main Character and Protagonist?

K. M. Weiland: Protagonist and Main Character— Same Person?

MasterClass: What’s the Difference Between a Main Character, Protagonist, and Hero?

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