Buttercup quotes from The Princess Bride (1987)

He can track a falcon on a cloudy day. He can find you.

You mock my pain!

You mocked me once; never do it again! I died that day! And you can die too for all I care!

Do you promise not to hurt him?!

It comes to this: I love Westley, I always have. I know now I always will. If you tell me I must marry you in ten days, please believe I will be dead by morning.

Westley

Hear this now, I will always come for you.

But how can you be sure?

Westley

This is true love. You think this happens every day?

Vizzini

A word, m'lady? We are but poor, lost circus performers. Is there a village nearby?

There is nothing nearby. Not for miles.

Vizzini

Then there will be no one to hear you scream. [Fezzik renders Buttercup unconscious]

If you'll release me ... whatever you ask for ransom, you'll get it, I promise you...

And what is that worth, the promise of a woman? You're very funny, Highness.

I was giving you a chance! It does not matter where you take me. There's no greater hunter than Prince Humperdinck. He could track a falcon on a cloudy day. He can find you.

You think your dearest love will save you?

I never said he was my dearest love! And yes, he will save me. That I know.

You admit to me you do not love your fiance?

He knows I do not love him.

"Are not capable of love" is what you mean.

I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever dream!

That was a warning, Highness. The next time, my hand flies on its own. Where I come from, there are penalties when a woman lies.

I know who you are. Your cruelty reveals everything! You're the Dread Pirate Roberts; admit it!

With pride! What can I do for you?

You can die slowly, cut into a thousand pieces.

Hardly complimentary, Your Highness. Why loose your venom on me?

You killed my love.

It's possible; I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another Prince, like this one, ugly, rich, and scabby? [sits down nearby]

No. A farm boy. [gazing off into space in remembrance] Poor. Poor and perfect, with eyes like the sea after a storm. [pauses briefly, then focuses back on the Man in Black] On the high seas, your ship attacked, and the Dread Pirate Roberts never takes prisoners.

I can't afford to make exceptions. Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and then it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time.

You mock my pain!

Life is pain, Highness! Anyone who says differently is selling something. [gets up and wanders around near Buttercup] I remember this farm boy of yours, I think. This would be, what, five years ago? Does it bother you to hear?

Nothing you can say will upset me.

He died well, that should please you. No bribe attempts or blubbering. He simply said, "Please. Please, I need to live." It was the "please" that caught my memory. I asked him what was so important for him. "True love," he replied. And then he spoke of a girl of surpassing beauty and faithfulness. I can only assume he meant you. You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are.

And what am I?

Faithfulness he talked of, madam, your enduring faithfulness! Now, tell me truly. When you found out he was gone, did you get engaged to your prince that same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?

You mocked me once, never do it again! I died that day!

And you can die too for all I care! [pushes him down the hill]

Aaaass yooooouuu wiiiiish!

Oh, my sweet Westley, what have I done? [jumps down the hill after him]

Westley

Can you move at all?

Move? You're alive. If you want, I could fly.

Westley

I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?

Well... you were dead.

Westley

Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.

I will never doubt again.

Westley

There will never be a need.

We'll never survive!

Westley

Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.

Westley

This will all soon be but a happy memory. Roberts' ship "Revenge" is anchored at the far end. And I, as you know, am Roberts.

But how is that possible, since he's been marauding twenty years and you only left me five years ago?

Westley

I myself am often surprised at life's little quirks. You see, what I told you before about saying "please" was true. It intrigued Roberts, as did my descriptions of your beauty. Finally, Roberts decided something. He said, "All right, Westley, I've never had a valet. You can try it for tonight. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, fight, anything anyone would teach me. And Roberts and I eventually became friends. And then it happened.

What? Go on.

Westley

Well, Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. "I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts," he said. "My name is Ryan. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts, either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia." Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley. So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew, and he stayed aboard for a while as first mate, all the time calling me Roberts. Once the crew believed, he left the ship and I have been Roberts ever since. Except, now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else. Is everything clear to you?

We'll never succeed — we may as well die here.

Westley

No. No. We have already succeeded. I mean, what are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One, the flame spurts. No problem. There's a popping sound preceding each, we can avoid that. Two, the Lightning Sand. But you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too.

Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?

Westley

Rodents of Unusual Size? I think they don't exist. [an R.O.U.S. attacks him on cue.]

Prince Humperdinck

For the last time, surrender!

Westley

Death first!!

Do you promise not to hurt him?

What was that?

King

What was that for?

Because you've always been so kind to me. And I won't be seeing you again, since I'm killing myself once we reach the Honeymoon Suite.

King

Won't that be nice? [calling out to the Queen] She kissed me!

Oh, Westley, will you ever forgive me?

Westley

What hideous sin have you committed lately?

I got married. I didn't want to. It all happened so fast.

Westley

It never happened.

What?

Westley

It never happened.

But it did. I was there. This old man said, "Man and wife."

Westley

Did you say, "I do"?

No. We sort of skipped that part.

Westley

Then you're not married. If you didn't say it, you didn't do it.

Vizzini

So, it is down to you, and it is down to me. If you wish her dead, by all means, keep moving forward.

Let me explain.

Vizzini

There's nothing to explain. You're trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen.

Then perhaps an arrangement can be reached?

Vizzini

There will be no arrangement, and you're killing her!

But if there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse.

Vizzini

I'm afraid so. I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brain.

You're that smart?

Vizzini

Let me put it this way: Have you ever heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates?

Yes.

Vizzini

Morons!

Really? In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits.

Vizzini

For the princess? [the Man in Black nods] To the death? [he nods again] I accept. [re-sheathes his dagger]

Good. Then pour the wine. [Vizzini pours the wine, and the Man in Black pulls out a small vial] Inhale this, but do not touch.

Vizzini

I smell nothing.

What you do not smell is called iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the more deadly poisons known to man. [puts the goblets behind his back and, presumably, adds the poison to one of them, then sets them down in front of him] All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right...and who is dead.

Vizzini

But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool. You would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

You've made your decision then?

Vizzini

Not remotely! Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows! And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.

Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

Vizzini

Wait till I get going! Where was I?

Australia.

Vizzini

Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

You're just stalling now.

Vizzini

You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?! You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you! But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!

You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.

Vizzini

It has worked! You've given everything away! I know where the poison is!
Man in Black Then make your choice.

Vizzini

I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be? [points at a rock behind the Man in Black]

What? Where? [when he turns to look, Vizzini swaps the goblets] I don't see anything.

Vizzini

Well, I-I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. [snickers quietly]

What's so funny?

Vizzini

I-I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.

You guessed wrong.

Vizzini

You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha-ha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia", but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian WHEN DEATH IS ON THE LINE!" [laughs hysterically, but suddenly freezes mid-laugh and literally drops dead; the Man in Black removes Buttercup's blindfold and unties her hands]

Who are you?

I am no one to be trifled with. That is all you ever need know.

To think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned.

They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.