Inigo In William Goldman's The Princess Bride

Acclaimed author Stephenie Meyer once said, “Sometimes the best hiding place is the one that's in plain sight” (AZ Quotes). Inigo, from William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, is an excellent example of a hero hiding in plain sight. Though some of Inigo’s fellow characters are flashier in their heroic actions, such as Westley and Buttercup, Inigo displays the true characteristics of the hero archetype. William Goldman makes Inigo the hero; though his heroic traits and actions are subtle, they are of the utmost importance. Goldman writes Inigo with several of the classic traits of the hero archetype. One of these is Inigo’s ability to solve problems he is presented. For example,”Bring the body… Well I hope it’s enough to buy a miracle”(Goldman

To begin, Inigo’s “ordinary world”is his hometown of Madrid, Spain. Inigo also has many mentors; to illustrate this, Goldman writes, “These have been spent studying the sword… Wherever I could find a master. Venice, Bruges, Budapest” (Goldman 122). This shows Inigo’s time in the mentor stage of the hero’s journey. Inigo also progresses and completes a later stage, gaining the reward. “The Count screamed one final time and fell dead of fear. Inigo looked down at him… Inigo loved it” (Goldman 310). By avenging his father at last, Inigo finally gets the reward he has been seeking since childhood. Inigo Montoya, though shadowed by some of his fellow characters, is obviously the true hero. Moreover, without Inigo, Fezzik would not have gotten through the false entrance of the Zoo of Death. By doing this Inigo portrays the another classic characteristic of the hero archetype: courage. For example,”Inigo waited, and the veered in silence towards Inigo’s face. The six fingered sword drove through like butter” (Goldman 266). As one can see, Inigo’s courage helps him slay the bats, even though they are said to be vicious and carriers of the rabies virus. He was able to keep his cool and face these fearsome