# The Tournament explained — A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court > Chapter companion for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. ## What happens Hank Morgan describes the frequent and extravagant tournaments at Camelot, which he finds both picturesque and ridiculous. He explains his reasons for attending—to maintain his standing as a statesman and to study the tournaments for potential improvements. He recounts the establishment of a patent office as his first official act, and his plan to eventually start a newspaper. A detailed excerpt from a tournament report written by a priest is included, along with an anecdote about Sir Dinadan's joke and a misunderstanding with Sir Sagramor that leads to a future duel. ## Themes in this chapter ### Technology vs. Superstition Hank's establishment of a patent office and his plans for a newspaper contrast with the superstitious and tradition-bound society of Camelot. ### The Heroic Ideal vs. Reality The tournament is depicted as both stirring and ridiculous, with knights displaying bravery but also engaging in gambling, carousing, and moral indifference. ### Progress and Modernization Hank's efforts to introduce modern institutions like a patent office and newspaper represent his drive to modernize Arthurian England. ## Character check-ins ### Hank Morgan The narrator and protagonist, who attends tournaments as a statesman and business man, and establishes a patent office. ### Sir Launcelot One of the knights who encourages Hank to participate in tournaments; later shows chivalry by declining to joust with a weary Sir Gareth. ### Sir Dinadan The humorist knight who tells Hank a worn-out joke before entering the lists. ### Sir Gareth A knight who performs great feats in the tournament, referred to privately by Hank as 'Garry'; he unhorses several opponents including Sir Sagramor. ### Sir Sagramor A knight who is knocked down by Sir Gareth and misinterprets Hank's remark, challenging him to a duel years later. ### King Arthur The king who observes the tournament and calls upon Sir Launcelot to joust with Sir Gareth. ## Key lines > the very first official thing I did, in my administration—and it was on the very first day of it, too—was to start a patent office; for I knew that a country without a patent office and good patent laws was just a crab, and couldn’t travel any way but sideways or backways. Hank's first official act as minister was to create a patent office, believing a nation without such laws is like a crab that can only move sideways or backward. _Highlights Hank's modern, industrial mindset and his belief in innovation as essential for progress._ > The first thing you want in a new country, is a patent office; then work up your school system; and after that, out with your paper. A newspaper has its faults, and plenty of them, but no matter, it’s hark from the tomb for a dead nation, and don’t you forget it. Hank asserts that a new country needs a patent office first, then schools, and finally a newspaper, which he considers essential for reviving a stagnant society. _Reflects Hank's prioritization of technological and educational infrastructure over tradition._ > I hope to gracious he’s killed! Hank exclaims a wish that Sir Dinadan has been killed after being struck by Sir Gareth, though the remark is overheard by Sir Sagramor. _Shows Hank's frustration with Sir Dinadan's joke and leads to a misunderstanding that results in a future duel._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/ix-the-tournament - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters