Character Analysis
Obsessed Much?
Talk about not being able to let something go.
Granted, seeing your father killed in front of you probably ranks high on the list of "Things That Aren't Easy to Forget About." But as Inigo tells it, he hasn't done much else in the last twenty years than practice his swordplay and plot his revenge. That leaves little time for hobbies. Didn't he ever want to take up golf or join a local Scrabble club?
It must have been difficult filling out his online dating profile.
But, because we're dealing with a fairytale here, it's okay that the characters are a little hyperbolic or idealized. He's a character we're supposed to care about, sure—but he's also a symbol. A symbol of love for one's family, a symbol of the passion and dedication it takes to fulfill a lifelong goal, a symbol of the enduring nature of vengeance. And because the character is so pure and his motivations so clearly delineated, we totally and immediately love the guy. We're rooting for him to avenge his father's death, even though when we first meet him he's busy helping to kidnap one of our heroes. That's what charisma will do for you.
Just because Inigo has a bit of a one-track mind doesn't mean he isn't fleshed out a bit. We can tell he's a man of honor because he promises Westley he'll let him reach the top of the Cliffs alive before engaging in combat, and stays true to his word. We can tell he's a good-hearted and loyal friend because of his interactions with Fezzik. And we know he's a man of deep and unwavering faith because of his (questionable) method of locating the Man in Black in the middle of the woods.
Inigo grabs the audience's sympathy. It's almost unbearable—inconceivable, even—when it looks like he'll die just as he's on the brink of success in exacting his revenge. So when he slowly regains his strengths and dispatches his father's killer, we can't help but cheer.
So, while he may have been a bit obsessed with finding the six-fingered man, he's still someone we wouldn't mind grabbing a bite to eat with.
It's just that the dinner conversation might be a little predictable.