Dread Pirate Roberts
Encyclopedia
The Dread Pirate Roberts is a fictional character in the novel The Princess Bride
and its film adaptation
.
It is revealed during the course of the story that Roberts is not one man, but a series of individuals who periodically pass the name and reputation to a chosen successor. Everyone except the successor and the former Roberts is then released at a convenient port, and a new crew is hired. The former Roberts stays aboard as first mate, referring to his successor as "Captain Roberts", and thereby establishing the new Roberts' persona
. After the crew is convinced, the former Roberts leaves the ship and retires on his earnings.
Westley, the hero of The Princess Bride, is on a voyage to seek his fortune when his ship is captured by the Dread Pirate and reported dead. While the other passengers are weeping and offering bribery for their lives, Westley simply asks Roberts to please not kill him. The "please" arousing his interest, Roberts asks, "Why should I make an exception of Westley then explains his mission to get enough money to reunite himself with Buttercup. Westley's description of Buttercup's beauty intrigues Roberts to the point that he hires Westley as a personal attendant. While Roberts is continually impressed with Westley's work, he continues to keep Westley's future in doubt by saying each night "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." After about three years, Roberts and Westley have grown close, and Roberts promotes Westley to his second-in-command. Shortly after that, Roberts reveals to Westley that the guise of the "Dread Pirate Roberts" is merely a nom de guerre that he has inherited. In the film adaptation, Westley relates Roberts's confession to Buttercup as they travel to the Fire Swamp:
Westley goes on to explain that the method works because Roberts's notorious reputation inspires overwhelming fear in sailors. Ships immediately capitulate and surrender their wealth rather than be captured, a fate they imagine to be certain death. A pirate operating under his own name is said to be incapable of such infamy: "No one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley." He is also known for saying "Life is pain."
might succeed him. However, in the novel, no mention is made as to who is to succeed Westley as the Dread Pirate Roberts. Ironically, at their first meeting, Inigo Montoya
tells Roberts that "There's not a lot of money in revenge," but Roberts' ship is named Revenge, and it is that ship which makes him rich. In the first chapter of Buttercup's Baby (the supposed sequel to the novel), which is included in the 25th anniversary edition of the book, Goldman refers to 'Pierre', who is in charge of the pirate ship Revenge during Westley's absence and next in line to become the Dread Pirate Roberts. By the end of the chapter, Westley and his companions leave the ship again, presumably leaving Pierre once again in charge; but no mention is made of an official transfer of the title of Dread Pirate Roberts.
Neither Clooney nor Pierre exist in the movie continuity, thus making Westley the fourth incarnation of Roberts and Inigo Montoya the supposed fifth one.
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
and its film adaptation
The Princess Bride (film)
The Princess Bride is a 1987 American film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, combining comedy, adventure, romance, and fantasy. The film was directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Goldman...
.
Role in The Princess Bride
At the beginning of The Princess Bride, the only thing known concerning the Dread Pirate Roberts is that he never leaves captives alive.It is revealed during the course of the story that Roberts is not one man, but a series of individuals who periodically pass the name and reputation to a chosen successor. Everyone except the successor and the former Roberts is then released at a convenient port, and a new crew is hired. The former Roberts stays aboard as first mate, referring to his successor as "Captain Roberts", and thereby establishing the new Roberts' persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
. After the crew is convinced, the former Roberts leaves the ship and retires on his earnings.
Westley, the hero of The Princess Bride, is on a voyage to seek his fortune when his ship is captured by the Dread Pirate and reported dead. While the other passengers are weeping and offering bribery for their lives, Westley simply asks Roberts to please not kill him. The "please" arousing his interest, Roberts asks, "Why should I make an exception of Westley then explains his mission to get enough money to reunite himself with Buttercup. Westley's description of Buttercup's beauty intrigues Roberts to the point that he hires Westley as a personal attendant. While Roberts is continually impressed with Westley's work, he continues to keep Westley's future in doubt by saying each night "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." After about three years, Roberts and Westley have grown close, and Roberts promotes Westley to his second-in-command. Shortly after that, Roberts reveals to Westley that the guise of the "Dread Pirate Roberts" is merely a nom de guerre that he has inherited. In the film adaptation, Westley relates Roberts's confession to Buttercup as they travel to the Fire Swamp:
Westley goes on to explain that the method works because Roberts's notorious reputation inspires overwhelming fear in sailors. Ships immediately capitulate and surrender their wealth rather than be captured, a fate they imagine to be certain death. A pirate operating under his own name is said to be incapable of such infamy: "No one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley." He is also known for saying "Life is pain."
Retirement
In both the movie and the novel, Westley indicates that he plans to retire after reuniting with Buttercup. In the movie, he suggests that Inigo MontoyaInigo Montoya
Inigo Montoya is a fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride. In Rob Reiner's 1987 film adaptation he was portrayed by Mandy Patinkin. In both the book and the movie, he resided in the fictional country of Florin but came from Spain...
might succeed him. However, in the novel, no mention is made as to who is to succeed Westley as the Dread Pirate Roberts. Ironically, at their first meeting, Inigo Montoya
Inigo Montoya
Inigo Montoya is a fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride. In Rob Reiner's 1987 film adaptation he was portrayed by Mandy Patinkin. In both the book and the movie, he resided in the fictional country of Florin but came from Spain...
tells Roberts that "There's not a lot of money in revenge," but Roberts' ship is named Revenge, and it is that ship which makes him rich. In the first chapter of Buttercup's Baby (the supposed sequel to the novel), which is included in the 25th anniversary edition of the book, Goldman refers to 'Pierre', who is in charge of the pirate ship Revenge during Westley's absence and next in line to become the Dread Pirate Roberts. By the end of the chapter, Westley and his companions leave the ship again, presumably leaving Pierre once again in charge; but no mention is made of an official transfer of the title of Dread Pirate Roberts.
Holders of the title
Holders of the title Dread Pirate Roberts include:- The original Roberts, retired fifteen years in PatagoniaPatagoniaPatagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
at the time Ryan picked Westley to be the next Dread Pirate Roberts. - Clooney, the original Roberts' first mate (only in the novel).
- Cummerbund
- Ryan
- Westley, who presumably retires shortly following the end of the novel.
- Inigo MontoyaInigo MontoyaInigo Montoya is a fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride. In Rob Reiner's 1987 film adaptation he was portrayed by Mandy Patinkin. In both the book and the movie, he resided in the fictional country of Florin but came from Spain...
, who presumably inherits the title from Westley (movie version). - Pierre, who is in line to assume the title after Westley (novel version).
Neither Clooney nor Pierre exist in the movie continuity, thus making Westley the fourth incarnation of Roberts and Inigo Montoya the supposed fifth one.
Popular culture
- The 2004 remake of the computer game Sid Meier's Pirates!Sid Meier's Pirates!Sid Meier's Pirates! is a video game created by Sid Meier and published and developed by MicroProse in 1987. It was the first game to include the name "Sid Meier" in its title as an effort by MicroProse to attract fans of Meier's earlier games, most of which were flight simulators...
has the historical character of "Black" Bart RobertsBartholomew RobertsBartholomew Roberts , born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off America and West Africa between 1719 and 1722. He was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. He is estimated to have captured over 470 vessels...
. However, the character will call himself "the dread pirate Bart Roberts", and the default name of the player's first ship is the Revenge, the Dread Pirate Roberts' ship. - The default crew charter of the MMOMassively multiplayer online gameA massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
computer game Yohoho! Puzzle PiratesYohoho! Puzzle PiratesYohoho! Puzzle Pirates is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Three Rings Design. The player takes the role of a pirate, adventuring on the high seas and pillaging money from roaming enemy ships . The mechanics of Puzzle Pirates are driven by puzzles...
references the Dread Pirate Roberts as the greatest pirate ever. - The Transformers character Cannonball is an homage to the Dread Pirate Roberts—he is a space pirate who is the 10th Cannonball in a line of pirates named Cannonball who each train a replacement. Under a protected section of the HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
website, he is even referred to as the "dreaded pirate" Cannonball in homageHomageHomage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
. - The puzzler Bookworm AdventuresBookworm AdventuresBookworm Adventures is a follow-up to the word-forming computer puzzle game Bookworm from PopCap Games. Released in November 2006, Bookworm Adventures combines the "create words from sets of letters" aspect of Bookworm with several elements of a computer role-playing game...
includes a boss in its Arabian Nights world called Dread Pirate Al-Robarts. - In King's BountyKing's BountyKing's Bounty is a turn-based fantasy computer and video game designed by Jon Van Caneghem of New World Computing in 1990. The game follows the player's character, a hero of King Maximus, appointed with the job of retrieving the Sceptre of Order from the forces of chaos, led by Arech Dragonbreath...
there is an enemy called "Dread Pirate Rob". - Dread Pirate has been both a character kit in Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition and a Prestige Class in Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition.
- In the NCISNCIS (TV series)NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
episode "Identity Crisis," Tony DiNozzoAnthony DiNozzoAnthony "Tony" D. DiNozzo Jr. is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Michael Weatherly.-Background:Tony comes from a wealthy family from Long Island, New York. He is an only child, but has been cut off from his family's fortune. His mother, maiden name Paddington,...
uses the Dread Pirate Roberts as an analogy to a master forger who trains an apprentice to replace him.