Why does Westley say Rodents of Unusual Size don't exist?
In The Princess Bride (1987), Westley says Rodents of Unusual Size don't exist to his princess.
Princess: Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.s?
Westley: Rodents of Unusual Size?
l don't think they exist
Actually Westley saw one Rodent of Unusual Size even before the princess asked him.
Then why does Westley says Rodents of Unusual Size don't exist?
Best Answer
He says this to keep the Princess calm and moving forward -- which is their best chance of surviving. He is concerned she might do something irrational like go back or take off in some random direction. He knows that just maybe they will be left alone, and his ploy will succeed. If not, then he has no control over it anyway, and will have to deal with it at that time.
He has also grown into his role as the Dread Pirate. He pulls that role off because it suits him naturally. What would the pirate do? He would down play it and essentially write if off as something to not be concerned about.
Also, it makes for good comedy. He says they don't exist, and then he is wrestling with one of them. I remember heartily laughing at this one.
Pictures about "Why does Westley say Rodents of Unusual Size don't exist?"
Are rodents of unusual size real?
A team of scientists, including the Smithsonian's Kristofer Helgen, the curator of mammals at the National Museum of Natural History, recently discovered a giant rat. Evidently, it was a rodent of unusual size, weighing a whopping three and a half pounds and measuring an incredible 32 inches from nose to tail.What is the rodent of unusual size in The Princess Bride?
Rodents Of Unusual Size, also called R.O.U.S.s, are giant rat-like creatures that live in fire swamps.How did they make the Rodents of Unusual Size?
The Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S.) were not created out of CGI magic. Inside the costumes\u201450 pounds of latex, fake fur, and rubber\u2014were actors played by little people, the only ones who could fit in the rodent suits. On one of the final days of shooting the Fire Swamp scene, the actor who played the R.O.U.S.Who made the Rodents of Unusual Size?
Rodents of Unusual Size, a 2017 documentary film directed by Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, and Jeff Springer.The Princess Bride: TheROUSes (Rodents of Unusual Size)
More answers regarding why does Westley say Rodents of Unusual Size don't exist?
Answer 2
It's a White Lie.
He knows they exist, as you said, he's just seen one, but he lies to Buttercup to make her feel safer.
Wikipedia Definition:
White lies are minor lies which could be considered harmless, or even beneficial, in the long term. White lies are also considered to be used for greater good. White lies are often used to shield someone from a hurtful or emotionally damaging truth, especially when not knowing the truth is completely harmless.
Answer 3
The ROUS that he saw before was much smaller than the one that attacks right after he says the quoted line. So he sees a largish, but not dangerous rodent and assumes that the tales of the deadly ROUSes are exaggerated.
I'm pretty sure this is the first one he sees:
Compare the size of the ROUS above (perhaps a baby?) with the diameter of the tree branch. Unless that's a a huge log, that's not an unusually large rodent.
Note that the full size one that attacks is about as big as a man:
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Images: Anna Shvets, Anna Shvets, Yaroslav Shuraev, Andrea Piacquadio