Categorized Functions and Psychological Aspects of The Main Character in the movie “The Princess Bride”
on
ISSN: 2302-920X
Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud
Vol 19.1 Mei 2017: 284-296
Categorized Functions and Psychological Aspects of The Main Character in the movie “The Princess Bride”
I Putu Hery Gunawan1*, I Nyoman Udayana2, Ni Luh Ketut Mas Indrawati3
English Department – Faculty Of Arts – Udayana University
*Corresponding Author
Abstrak
Penelitian ini berjudul Categorized Functions and Psychological Aspects of The Main Character in the movie “The Princess Bride” oleh William Goldman adalah situasi di mana ada dua ide, pendapat, perasaan atau keinginan yang menentang. Film Princess Bride adalah film romantis yang ditulis oleh William Goldman, dan diterbitkan pada 25 September 1987. Cerita ini tentang sebuah kisah seorang wanita muda cantik bernama Buttercup yang tinggal di pedesaan Florin. Dia jatuh cinta dengan anak petani bernama Westley, yang sangat dia cintai. Westley hanya bisa mengekspresikan cintanya ke Buttercup dengan menjawab semua permintaannya dengan menjawab, “Seperti yang Anda inginkan.”.
Penelitian ini memfokuskan pada fungsi dikategori karakter, dan disajikan dalam hal karakter utama dari film melalui aspek psikologis. Fungsi dikategori karakter yang dianalisis berdasarkan teori sastra yang diusulkan oleh Wellek dan Warren (1995: 227) yang terbagi menjadi dua jenis, yaitu dinamis atau statis dan karakter antagonis atau protagonis . Deskripsi disajikan dalam karakter utama dan dianalisis berdasarkan teori yang diusulkan oleh Bernhardt (1953) yang membagi aspek psikologis dalamapa yang diinginkan, emosi, dan perasaan.
Kesimpulan dari analisis ini adalah, Karakter dalam film ini dikategorikan sebagai berikut: karakter utama adalah Buttercup (statis, protagonis karakter), karakter kedua adalah Westley (statis, protagonis karakter), dan karakter pendukung Humperdinck (statis, antagonis karakter), Fezzik (statis, protagonis karakter), Inigo (statis, protagonis karakter), dan Vizzini (statis, antagonis karakter) analisis ini membawa beberapa kesimpulan. Buttercup adalah tokoh utama dalam cerita, dia adalah seorang gadis yang mencintai Westley.
Kata kunci: karakter, karakter utama, analisis psikologis.
Character as one of the main elements in fiction is really important. A character is obviously relevant to us and to our experience if they are like ourselves or like others whom we know. It is properly understood as one form of the relevance. A character is
being relevant if there are a lot of people like him in the real word. Human being is free but the fictional character is never entirely free because it is part of an artistic whole and must always serve the needs of that whole. A really free character would be free of his duty to the story of which he is a part and a story, which admitted such freedom, could never achieve unity (Kenny, 1966:24).
To analyse a literary work is to identify the separate parts that make it up, to determine the relationship among the parts, and to discover the relation of the parts to the whole. Character is one important aspect because it carries the author’s message that can bring various values in human life such as morality, education and many others (Kenny, 1966:5).
The study was focused on the movie The Princess Bride. It is a 1987 American romantic fantasy adventure comedy film, particularly on categorized functions of the characters. The reason to analyze categorized functions of the characters in the movie script is that the movie was very interesting and could build such atmosphere that tends to affect the emotion and feeling of the reader. This type of movie was comedy, adventure, and fantasy movie which was written by William Goldman. This movie told a girl named Buttercup who loved the farm boy named Westley.
Based on the background above, the problems of the study are as follows:
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1. What categorized functions of the characters are found in the movie The Princess Bride?
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2. How is the main character presented in terms of psychological aspects in the movie The Princess Bride?
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1. To find out what are the categorized of the characters in this movie The Princess Bride.
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2. To describe the psychological aspects of the main character in the movie The Princess Bride.
The data of this study were taken from the movie entitled The Princess Bride which is a 1987 American romantic fantasy adventure comedy film directed and coproduced by Rob Reiner, Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name. Released in the United States on September 25 1987,the film is number 50 on Bravo’s "100 Funniest Movies", number 88 on The American Film Institute’s (AFI) "AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions" list of the 100 greatest film love stories, and 46 in Channel 4's 50 Greatest Comedy Films list.
Method and Technique of Collecting Data
The research data were taken from The Princess Bride movie, that is a 1987 American romantic fantasy adventure comedy film which was directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner, Adapted by William Goldman. All the data were collected descriptively, reading the script of the movie repeatedly, understanding the content of the movie. The next step was taking notes of the part of the movie script that gives information about the characters, and the data were analysed carefully.
Method and Technique of Analyzing Data
The collected data were analysed using the qualitative method based on the theoretical framework. The analysis started with the overview of the biography of William Goldman and that was followed by the synopsis of the movie Princess Bride. Afterwards, the category and functions of the characters were analysed using the theory from Wellek and Warren (1995: 227), Description of psychological aspects was analyzed based on the theory of Bernhardt (1953).
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5. Analysis
The first content which shows that Buttercup was a static character is, when Buttercup and the Man In Black were running to the top of the hill and Buttercup said “I know who you are, you are Dread Pirate Robert, Dread Pirate Robert is cruel”. Buttercup thought Westley who she loved so much but he had been killed by the Dread Pirate Robert and Buttercup could not keep her own anger in mind. Dread Pirate Robert said “yes maybe, I have killed a lot of people from the ugly, rich, and scabby”.
Buttercup convinced someone that she was referring to a farm boy poor with perfect eyes like the sea after a storm. It can be seen from (00.36.25.) the conversation below: Scene: Grassy Hilltop, alongside a gully
He stops and seats her on another rock.
Dread Pirate Roberts : Faithfulness he talked of, Madame, your enduring faithfulness. Now tell me truly, when you found out he was gone, did you get engaged to your prince at the same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?
Buttercup : You mocked me once. Never do it again! I died that day!
Pause, quieter. And you can die too for all I care!
Buttercup pushes Roberts down the hill.
Dread Pirate Roberts : Rolling. As... you... wish!!
Buttercup : Oh my sweet Westley, what have I done?
Buttercup jumps down the hill, rolling after him. Various grunts and groans are heard as they roll.
After Buttercup pushed down Dread Pirate Robert and he rolled from the top of the hill, Dread Pirate Robert said, "As you wish" and Buttercup knew that was Westley and she jumped down herself from the hill.
Protagonist Character
The first content shows that Buttercup is protagonist character is when Buttercup was dreaming at night that she was married with Humperdinck when she came out of the palace everyone bows, unless someone's grandmother and grandmother said Westley certainly will come and pick you wherever you are and your true love is Westley. When she woke up she went to Humperdinck’s office and said “Westley will come for me, I love Westley. And he'll come for me, give me 10 days if he does not come I will kill myself in the morning”. It can be seen (00.53.50.) in this conversation it can be seen that Buttercup willingly offers herself only for Westley, and Westley will definitely come for me. In the conversation below:
Scene: Humperdinck's Office
Buttercup enters.
Buttercup : 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.
Humperdinck : I could never cause you grief. Consider our wedding off. To
Rugen while rising. You, uh, returned this Westley to his ship?
Count Rugen : Yes.
Humperdinck : Then we will simply alert him. Beloved, are you certain he still wants you? After all, it was you who did the leaving in the fire
swamp. Not to mention that,
uh, pirates are not known to be men of their words.
Buttercup : My Westley will always come for me.
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B. Westley
The first content that shows Westley is a static character can be seen at (00.02.47). When Westley was in the farmed house, in there he spent the whole day together with Buttercup and Westley felt very happy because he can always help Buttercup for polish his horse’s saddle, fill the buckets with water, fetch Buttercup the pitcher, Westley always answered Buttercup’s requests with “As you wish”. As you wish is a word which he always said to Buttercup when she asked for help, because Buttercup wanted Westley to be always there for her. In the conversation below: Scene: Farmhouse
Grandfather : "'As you wish' was all he ever said to her."
Buttercup : Farm boy, Sets down buckets near Westley. fill these with
water... please.
Westley : As you wish.
Grandfather : Buttercup walks away from him. "That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you.' Segue to Interior Farmhouse. Westley enters with firewood. And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back." Westley sets the wood down and begins to exit.
Buttercup : Farm boy! He pauses and turns in the doorway. Fetch me that
pitcher.
Protagonist Character
The first content to show Westley is a protagonist character can be seen (01.24.35) when Buttercup in his room and Westley also exists there but Buttercup was not aware of it, when Buttercup wanted to commit suicide because she has promised to Humperdinck if Westley within 10 days did not come she would commit suicide, and after ten days Westley had not come, finally Buttercup took a knife and put the tip to her chest, but Westley intervened. Immediately Buttercup was shocked because she did not think thatWestley was in her room and Westley said “I will come for you”. In the conversation below:
Scene: Honeymoon suite
Buttercup enters and sits. She removes a dagger from a wooden box and places the tip of it to her chest.
Westley : Lying on bed. There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world.
'Would be a pity to damage yours.
Buttercup : Westley! She runs over. Oh, Westley darling! Kissing him. Westley, why won't you hold me?
Westley : Gently.
Buttercup : At a time like this, that's all you can think to say, "gently"?
Westley : Gently! Buttercup lets go of his head which slams into the
headboard.Unh!
And finally Buttercup felt happy because Westley had arrived to rescue Buttercup on time and they hugged and kissed on bed.
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C. Humperdinck
The first content that shows Humperdinck is static character as can be seen from (00:48:52) when Humperdinck and his soldiers found Wesltey and Buttercup while they were in the fire swamp. Humperdinck asked Westley to surrender, but Westley did not want to surrender and Humperdinck sends his soldiers with crossbows to kill Westley, but all were thwarted by Buttercup because Buttercup did not want to lose Westley a second time. She was willing to submit himself to Humperdinck because she believed that Westley certainly would eventually come for her as in the conversation below: Scene: Outside the Fire Swamp, in a lightly wooded area They walk out holding hands.
Humperdinck : I tell you once again, surrender! Buttercup notices the soldiers with crossbows.
Westley : It will not happen.
Humperdinck : For the last time, surrender!
Westley : Death first!!
Buttercup : Will you promise not to hurt him?
Humperdinck : What was that?
Westley : What was that?
Buttercup : If we surrender and I return with you, will you promise not to
hurt this man?
Antagonist Character
This can be seen in the previews about Humperdinck as a static character. A part of Humperdinck is a static character but he becomes an antagonist too. When he wanted to get Buttercup by torturing Westley it can be seen at (01:05:59) when Buttercup said “Westley will come for me because there is nothing separating our love”. And at that time Humperdinck approached Westley and directly takes control of The Machine, and puts it to the highest setting to 50, as can be seen in the following conversation: Scene: Pit of Despair
Humperdinck runs in and leans over Westley.
Humperdinck : You truly love each other, and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no matter what the storybooks say. So I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will. Takes the control of The Machine, and puts it to the highestsetting
The first content that shows Inigo is a static character as can be seen (01.07.15) when they arrived at Outside entrance to Pit of Despair they met someone named Albino and Inigo asked where the man in black was, but Albino did not answer and Fezzik hit her Albino’s head, as can be seen from the conversation below:
Scene: Outside entrance to Pit of Despair
The two have stopped the Albino, who is pushing a wheelbarrow.
Fezzik : Bonks Albino and leaves him out cold. I'm sorry, Inigo. I didn't mean to jog him so hard. Inigo is kneeling with his sword drawn. Inigo?
Inigo : Father, I have failed you for twenty years. Now our misery can end. Somewhere, somewhere close by, is a man who can help us. Closes eyes.I cannot find him alone. I need you. I need you to guide my sword. Please. He stands. Guide my sword. He stumbles around, led by the sword. The sword hits a tree.He leans against the tree, pressing the hidden knot and he door swings open. They enter.
In the conversation above, Inigo asked his father to help him find the Man In
Black, because Inigo knew that he could not find a Man In Black himself and Inigo wanted her father to guide his sword.
Protagonist Character
The first content that shows Inigo is a protagonist character in this movie, it can be seen (00.17.28) when Inigo and Fezzik were on the cliff, Inigo knew there was someone which had followed them, and that person was a Man in Black. Because it was such a long time waiting for the Man in Black to reach the top of the cliff, Inigo helped the Man in Black by assisting him with a rope to reach the cliff safely as in the conversation below:
Scene: At the top
Man In Black : If you're in such a hurry, you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find something useful to do.
Inigo : I could do that. I've got some rope up here, but I do not think you
would accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you.
Man In Black : Nods. That does put a damper on our relationship.
Inigo : But, I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top.
Man In Black : That's very comforting, but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait.
E. Fezzik
The first content that shows Fezzik is a static character when he helped Inigo from Assistant Bruce and Fezzik hit him until he became unconscious. It can be seen (1:01:00) at the time when Inigo whom was drunk when Fezzik took him to a small cabin. And there Fezzik fed Inigo and submerged his head until he was well. It can be seen in the conversation below:
Scene: Inside a small cabin
Fezzik is feeding Inigo.
Grandfather : "Fezzik and Inigo were reunited. And as Fezzik nursed his inebriated friend back to health, he told Inigo of Vizzini's death and the existence of Count Rugen, the six fingered man. Considering Inigo's lifelong search, he handled the news surprisingly well." Inigo falls head first into a bowl of food.
Grandfather : "Fezzik took great care in reviving Inigo." Fezzik dunks Inigo's head into two buckets in turn.
Inigo : Pulling away from Fezzik and the tubs of water. That's enough!
That's enough! Where is this Rugen now, so I may kill him?
Protagonist Character
The first content that shows Fezzik as a protagonist character is when Fezzik helped Inigo and Westley into the palace. As there were 30 soldiers who kept guard in front of the palace. He transformed into a huge man with a scary voice and he inflamed himself looking like a demon; it can be seen at (1:19:35) that all at once the guards ran scared but there was only one doorman who still survived that was Yellin. Yellin was trying to close the doors quickly but Fezzik stopped him and he tore Yellin’s sleeves while asking for the key. Because Yellin felt scared he gave the key to Fezzik. It can be seen in the conversation below:
Scene: Outside the castle gate
Fezzik : The Dread Pirate Roberts is here for your souls!
Yellin : Stay where you are! Fight! Stay where you are!
Inigo drags Westley to Yellin, standing in front of the door.
Westley : Give us the gate key.
Yellin : I have no gate key.
Inigo : Fezzik, tear his arms off.
Yellin : Oh, you mean this gate key. Removes the gate key from his vest
and hands it to them.
F. Vizzini
The first content that shows Vizzini is the static character as can be seen on (00.33.10), when Vizzini and Buttercup were in an open area, then Man In Black came to save Buttercup but Vizzini did not want to give up Buttercup easily. Then Man In Black challenged Vizzini to battle of wits. Vizzini poured the wine into the glass while Man In Black was taking poison in his shirt and gave it to Vizzini to smell it but he did not smell anything. It was because the Locane powder poison were odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and was among the more deadly poisons known to man. Then Man In Black took the glass and turned back his body and he put poison in that glass. Then he put the glass in front of each. Then they battle of the wits had been begun. After that, Vizzini gestured up and stayed away from the table. When the Man In Black looked back at Vizzini while he was switching the glass, he thought that the poison was in his glass. Then Vizzini asked Man In Black to drink it, after that Vizzini laughed because he had switched the glass when Man In Black looked back. In fact, the Man In Black refused it because the poison was in his glass and Vizzini laughed, stopped suddenly, and fell dead. It also can be explained in the conversation below:
Scene: Open area
Vizzini : I will, and I choose-- What in the world can that be?
Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. The Man In Black looks.
Man In Black : What? Where? Vizzini switches the goblets. Turning back. I don't see anything.
Vizzini : Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. Smirks.
Man In Black : What's so funny?
Vizzini : I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink. Me from my glass,
Picks up glass. and you from yours. They drink.
Antagonist Character
Vizzini can be classified as an antagonist character as can be seen in (00:08:10) When he and his friends were at the top of the cliff to carry off Buttercup. When he climbed on top of him to see that there is someone following that is the Man In Black. After they arrived at the top Vizzini immediately decided to cut the rope because he was afraid the Man in Black to know his where abouts. It also can explain by conversation below:
Scene: At the top
Once at the top, Inigo helps Buttercup and Vizzini. Vizzini saws at the rope with his dagger. Fezzik and Inigo are looking down at the masked man clinging to the cliff after Vizzini has cut the rope.
Inigo : You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it
means. Pause, hushed. My God! He's climbing!
Vizzini: Whoever he is, he's obviously seen us with the princess and must therefore die. You, carry her. We'll head straight for the Guilder frontier. Catch up when he's dead. If he falls, fine. If not, the sword.
Inigo : I'm going to duel him left-handed.
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2. The main character presented in terms of psychological aspects in the movie “The
Princess Bride”
A. Want
The first want of Buttercup in this movie script could be seen in the following quotation in which she wanted Wesley to always be there to help her.
The following (00.02.47) is the quotation:
Scene: Farmhouse
Buttercup : Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning
Westley : As you wish.
Grandfather : "'As you wish' was all he ever said to her."
Buttercup : Farm boy, Sets down buckets near Westley. fill these with
water... please.
Westley : As you wish.
Buttercup : Farm boy! He pauses and turns in the doorway. Fetch me that
pitcher.
When they were in a farm house, they lived and spent the time together during the day. At the time, Buttercup came and approached Westley. She asked Westley to clean up his horse saddle, set down buckets and fills these with water, fetch me that pitcher. And Westley always replied "as you wish". “As you wish” is a word which he always said to Buttercup when she asked for help, because Buttercup wanted Westley always to be there for her. Buttercup did not want Westley to stay away from her because she loved him so much. She also wanted to be spoiled by Westley. After that, Buttercup left Westley by smiling happily.
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B. Emotion
The first emotion of Buttercup can be showed in the story where she was willing to wait for Westley. She did not care whatever would happened to her at that moment. She only thought about Westley.
The following (01.17.40) quotation is as follows:
Scene: Buttercup's room
Humperdinck fastens Buttercup's necklace.
Humperdinck
Buttercup
Humperdinck
Buttercup
: You don't seem excited, my little muffet.
: Should I be?
: Brides often are, I'm told.
: I do not marry tonight. My Westley will save me. She leaves. He smiles and follows her.
When the wedding would bega, Humperdinck tied a necklace on the Buttercup’s neck. Humperdinck thought that Buttercup seemed like did not have any spirit for the marriage this night. Buttercup seemed very anxious because she wished that Westley would come to cancel the wedding, and Buttercup would not hurt Westley if he knew that she and Westley had been married. Buttercup was sure that Westley certainly would come tonight because they have a bond.
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C. Feeling
The first feeling of Buttercup is when she knew that Westley was dead but she still adored how perfect he was with all his weaknesses that he had.
The following (00.36.57) quotation:
Scene: Grassy Hilltop, alongside a gully
He stops and seats her on another rock.
Buttercup : No. A farm boy. Poor. Poor and perfect. With eyes like
the sea after a storm. Pause. On the high seas, your ship attacked. And the Dread Pirate Roberts never takes prisoners.
The conversation above tells that when Buttercup with Dread Pirate Robert was on grassy hilltop and she knew the one who had killed Westley was the Dread Pirate Robert. She felt resentment to the Dread Pirate Robert who had killed his love. On his past, Dread Pirate Robert used to kill many people. He asked what her love was like, she explained that the person she loved was a farm boy, poor and perfect with eyes like a sea after a storm. Even though he had his weaknesses but Buttercup still loved him
forever, even Westley had been dead she kept praising him and always thinking about him wherever he was.
From the analysis in the previous chapters, there were several points that could be concluded as the conclusion of this study. There are:
The categorized functions from The Princess Bride are the main character Buttercup who is a static protagonist character. Secondary character is Westley who is a static protagonist character. Supporting characters are Humperdinck who is static antagonist character, Inigo who is static protagonist character, Fezzik is static protagonist character and Vizzini is static antagonist character.
The analysis of psychological aspects of the main character is divided into want, emotion, and feeling. The want of the main character is described by the narrator of this story which mostly about the fact that she wants to sacrifice Westley that she loved her so much. The emotion in human being is reflected in the main character of the story in The Princess Bride which is reflected through Buttercup attitude. And the feelings of the main character in this fictional story are mostly about her relationship with Westley and Humperdinck.
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