Original artwork, not a still
I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?
— The Princess Bride • 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A single polite question plants the film's revenge story. Inigo's courtesy, 'I do not mean to pry', is the character in miniature: a gentleman swordsman with a lifelong obsession. The six fingers are the clue the audience carries all the way to the climax, and the question has become a template for gags about hunting someone.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Princess BrideShow the scene
At the top of the Cliffs of Insanity, the man in black has climbed the rope Inigo finally agreed to throw him. Before their duel, Inigo asks whether his enemy happens to have six fingers on his right hand. The man in black takes off his glove: five. Inigo tells him why he asks: a six-fingered man killed his father, the swordmaker, and left him the scars on his cheeks. Inigo has dedicated his life to fencing so that he will not fail next time. Then they fight.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Princess BrideThrow me the rope / Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. (#1)Reference checked
- Wikipedia: The Princess Bride (film)Plot and FilmingReference checked
Context reviewed
