What was meant by Clemens description of the best swordsmand and ignorant antagonist?

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Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

What was meant by Clemens description of the best swordsmand and ignorant antagonist?

The best swordsman in the world doesn’t need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn’t do the things he ought to do, and so the expert isn’t prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot.

Asked by barb m #200563 on 9/16/2011 11:56 AM

Last updated by Aslan on 9/16/2011 11:20 PM

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Answered by Aslan on 9/16/2011 11:20 PM

Clemens means that seasoned swordsmen, being the best or second best, have been trained in the finer art of swordsmanship. They know each other's moves. They know the courtesies inherent in their art. The ignorant antagonist is unpredictable. The experienced swordsman is not prepared for an adversary that improvises. Frequently the ignorant antagonist will do the opposite of what a swordsman suspects but some time will behave exactly the way that the swordsman expects. This failure to follow rules can be very dangerous to even the best of sword fighters.

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