# So I've been reading about dueling after seeing Hamilton... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704 "2019-09-04T20:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704/21 "2019-09-05T18:20:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That’s why you had seconds - to make sure nobody tried something like this. Plus, the idea is to demonstrate that you are willing to defend your honor at risk of your life - cheating at a duel is a quick way to ruin your reputation.I might pick pistols, for a couple of reasons. First, while I fenced a bit in high school (I even belonged to a club for several months) that was decades ago, and never with anything except a foil, which is not very much like a real duel. If my opponent was any great shakes with his sword, I’m dead. > > Second, honor is satisfied when shots are exchanged, even if nobody is hit. And most people are lousy shots, especially under stress. Again, if my opponent is an experienced duelist, I’m dead meat, but there is at least a chance that we might both miss. Or, ideally, he fires first and misses, and then I generously fire into the air and we both go home and change our underwear so we don’t stink like urine the rest of the day, or perhaps less generously he fires first and misses, and then I aim very carefully because I am in no rush. Or if he hits me in some non-vital spot, and same thing. > > I don’t know if a sword duel is more likely to be settled without actually fighting than a pistol duel would be. Both sides, especially inexperienced ones, are not likely to be eager to get killed or wounded, and it was considered Quite All Right if the combatants could be reconciled without bloodshed. They might be gentlemen, but they weren’t (always) stupid. > > The book _[By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/409087.By_the_Sword)_ has a lot in it about duelling. > > Regards, > Shodan In Hamilton…in one of the featured duels, a participant turns on ‘7’ and shoots the other guy. IRL, this didn’t happen. They actually stood there a couple of minutes with their guns down. I was glad to hear that because, like say…The Red Wedding\*…the whole Trust System falls apart if everyone isn’t on the same page. Imagine the following exchange had that duel happened IRL. Fallen duelists second: You honorless cur. You cheated!! Cur: (While his friends laugh and point at the bleeding man) I did. What are you going to do? Press charges? Duel me? Come on. I’ll shoot YOU on ‘6’. Fallen DS: You have no honor. Cur: Fuck honor. Fuck him. And fuck you. And he leaves. His friends laugh about how stupid his opponent was. His rich father laughs over the whole affair. Some merchants make noise about not dealing with him and his family. Said merchants change their tune after a couple of buildings are burnt down. I don’t have a real point here. It was just an exercise in how almost everyone in such weird systems have to buy in for it to work. After some reading I found that just about everyone bought in and it really only fell apart because it was dumb to, after losing so many sons in wars, to turn around and kill some of the survivors. \*Yes, I know everyone met their just desserts but it could have gone another way, and I’d bet The Red Wedding destroyed the whole idea of guest rights. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704/22 "2019-09-05T18:29:00Z")
[The Duel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INzETyUSfzQ) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704/23 "2019-09-05T18:44:41Z")
from [Chech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLloO5UY9Vk) from [Impromptu.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcNjc5lfvpM) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704/24 "2019-09-05T19:16:12Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > [The Duel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INzETyUSfzQ) Pete Davidsons pallor and odd looks are a perfect fit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-ive-been-reading-about-dueling-after-seeing-hamilton/839704.md?page=1)