In Utopia, no one would dare to ask a guy to step
outside in order to solve a problem. I mean man generally have this desire to
show their manliness. The desire to prove their manliness seems to get stronger
when they start drinking. A simple discussion can turn into a heated argument
then next thing you know, some big bloke comes over and ask you to step
outside. This might be attempted at a pub but you would probably get kicked
out.
Dueling on the other hand was an old-fashioned ritual
where arguments were settled with a swords or pistols. It was a ritual where
men fought to defend themselves or their possessing. It became a trend that was
rising within the aristocracy.
Single combat was the first form of battle where men
who did not receive justice in the court system took another man outside to
battle it out. This was considered an honorable thing to do. The men in
conflict walked out of the court room to continue their fight.
The winner of the duel was often arrested, charged and
sentenced. Pistol fighting had standard. The distance of the two duelers was
carefully measured in paces before a shot was allowed. The pistols used were
not very advanced and fortunately not as advanced as todays AR15s the military
carry. Otherwise, history would have been altered by massive violence considering
the duelers and most of their spectators would probably been killed.
The other form of dueling was with swords. Two people
would quarrel and pull out swords and eventually fight until one was mortally
wounded. I remember reading this in Hamlet when one member of royalty picks up
a sword and challenges another person to a duel. They clash with swords and who
ever win dies because Hamlet’s opponent had poison on the end of his sword. They
eventually crown Hamlet after he kills his uncle the king and his mother dies
from drinking poison. He gets stabbed and dies in the throne This reminds me of
the school bully that you don’t know what to do with. He wants your lunch
money. He pushes you often and causes you harm. You can never get anywhere with
this person. Sometimes you even like them and they still push you around.
Eventually you want to give up and square off.
In Utopia Book I, we have a dueling of words. Words of
defense from Thomas More for the old world order against those words describing
a far-off impossibility of utopia! These men have come together with the
purpose of arguing about the possibility of a perfect civilization. These men after
great discourse and debate come up with flawed ideas for society. These ideas
are a true dystopia. Everyone loves this perfect society that they have
created. There are fires in the streets and dancing around law.
I affirm that I “have neither given
nor received any unauthorized aid on this paper”
Alex
Cooper
Alexander
Stephen Cooper 2016 10 18
