Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Westley says it as a farm boy answering Buttercup's orders, and it quietly means "I love you" every time. The film spends its first act teaching us to hear it that way, so when Buttercup finally understands, in the moment she realises the Dread Pirate Roberts is her lost love, the phrase pays off like a punchline and a confession at once. Fans use it as a romantic shorthand, and it is a favourite wedding-vow line.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Princess BrideShow the scene
It's all Westley ever says when he is a farmhand and Buttercup orders him about, and she eventually realises that what he means is that he loves her. Years later, a furious Buttercup shoves the Dread Pirate Roberts down a ravine for killing her Westley, the masked man shouts it as he tumbles, and she throws herself after him. The grandfather says it too, at the very end, when his grandson asks him to come back and read the story again tomorrow.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: The Princess Bride (film)Plot sectionReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Princess Bride (film)Westley sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
