Dread Pirate Roberts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dread Pirate Roberts is a fictional character in the novel and movie The Princess Bride. The name most likely comes from one of the Welsh pirates, Bartholomew Roberts (or Black Bart), whom some consider the most successful pirate captain in history; he was referred to in contemporary letters as "the great pirate Roberts." Additionally, in the film the "real" Roberts was said to have retired in Patagonia, which was heavily settled by Welsh immigrants (or at least the Argentine province of Chubut received a few hundred Welsh in the middle of the 19th century).
Contents |
[edit] Role in The Princess Bride
In The Princess Bride, the only thing known to the majority of people concerning the Dread Pirate Roberts is that he never left captives alive. Presumably, his profound reputation was established solely by tales from former sailors on his ship, the Revenge.
Roberts was actually a series of different men. Each time the current holder of the name was rich enough to retire, he chose a member of his crew and bestowed the name on him. Everyone except the successor was then released at a convenient port. A new crew was hired, and the former Roberts stayed aboard as first mate. The constant reference to "Captain Roberts" established the new Roberts' persona. After the crew was convinced, the former Roberts departed the ship and retired in splendor.
Westley, the hero of The Princess Bride, was en route to America when the ship he was aboard was captured by the Dread Pirate's ship. While the other passengers were begging and offering bribery for their lives, Westley simply asked Roberts please not to kill him. The "please" arousing his interest, Roberts asked, "Why should I make an exception of you?". Westley then explained his mission to get enough money to reunite himself with Buttercup. Westley's description of Buttercup's beauty intrigued Roberts to the point that he agreed to give Westley a position as his valet. While Roberts was continually impressed with Westley's work, he continued 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 had grown close, and Roberts promoted Westley to his second-in-command. Shortly after that, Roberts reveals to Westley that the guise of the "Dread Pirate Roberts" was merely a nom de guerre that he had inherited. In the film adaptation, Westley relates Roberts' confession to Buttercup as they traverse the Fire Swamp:
| “ | Well, Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. He took me to his cabin and he told me his secret. 'I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts' he said. 'My name is Ryan; I inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from is not the real Dread Pirate Roberts either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired 15 years and living like a king in Patagonia.' | ” |
Westley goes on to explain that the method worked because Roberts' notorious reputation inspired overwhelming fear in sailors. Ships would immediately surrender and surrender their wealth rather than be captured, a fate they imagined to be a certain death sentence. A pirate operating under his own name is said to be incapable of such infamy.
[edit] 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 Montoya might succeed him, and it is presumed that this is what happens after the end of the movie. However, in the novel, no mention is made as to who is to succeed Westley as the Dread Pirate Roberts. 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 was 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.
[edit] Holders of the title
Holders of the title Dread Pirate Roberts included:
- The original Roberts, retired fifteen years in Patagonia at the time Ryan picked Westley to be the next Dread Pirate Roberts
- Clooney, the original Roberts' first mate
- Cummerbund
- Ryan
- Westley, who presumably retires shortly following the end of the novel
- Inigo Montoya (presumed in movie)
Westley also had Fezzik identify himself as Roberts on one occasion, to gain entrance to Prince Humperdinck's castle.
[edit] Other media
- The 2004 remake of the computer game Sid Meier's Pirates! has the character of Bart Roberts saying "Fear the dread pirate Bart Roberts!". The default name of the player's first ship is also Revenge, Roberts' ship.
- The default crew charter of the MMO computer game Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates references the Dread Pirate Roberts as the greatest pirate ever.
- The John Hiatt song "Only the Song Survives" contains the lines "well don't you remember / they put a patch on your eye / like dread pirate Roberts / you looked so unplanned"
- The Transformers character Cannonball shares several characteristics of 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 Hasbro website, he is even referred to as the "dreaded pirate" Cannonball in apparent homage.
- The replacement of the character over time to appear to be the same successful person was originated by Lee Falk with his seminal superhero comic The Phantom.
- The puzzler Bookworm Adventures includes a boss in its Arabian Nights world called Dread Pirate Al-Robarts.
- Kingdom of Loathing contains an homage, where you can help someone called Dread Pirate Bob.
- In King's Bounty there is an enemy called "Dread Pirate Rob".
- The "Dread Pirate Roberts" gimmick of passing on the name to a successor was used as a plot device on the CBS TV show NCIS ("Identity Crisis" aired October 16, 2007).
- In an xkcd strip, Dread Pirate Roberts is humorously referenced in the punchline.
