Westley was a farm boy who fell in love with Buttercup. Westley decided to go off to find fortune before he married Buttercup. While he was gone, Westley was taken about Dread Pirate Roberts' ship, where Westley was entrusted with a secret: the man who took Westley was not Dread Pirate Roberts. His name was Ryan, and he inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as Westley would inherit the ship from Ryan. Westley had to play the part of Dread Pirate Roberts, because as he put it, no one would surrender to The Dread Pirate Westley.