perhaps to court his doom

[Pavel Pin]

Gilbert said these words when Bowen walk towards the Draco a dragon:

Into the mouth of death he strode. Into the gringy gloom. Into the pit of fear unknown... perhaps to court his doom.

what is the meaning of "court his doom"?

court means to increase the risk of something bad happening and doom means death, total meaning is increase his risk of death, but how one can increase the risk of death?

Source: Dragonheart 1996

 

[The Newt]

The idea is, roughly, "to invite his doom." By walking towards the dragon he is making it likely that he will die.

 

[lingobingo]

Court does not specifically mean "increase" the risk of something, but it does mean to behave in such a way that you risk something bad happening. It's fairly common to describe someone as courting disaster, or controversy, etc.

 

[The Newt]

Court does not specifically mean "increase" the risk of something, but it does mean to behave in such a way that you risk something bad happening. It's fairly common to describe someone as courting disaster, or controversy, etc.

Agreed. You don't deliberately cause disaster to happen, but you do "flirt" with it (to use a similar metaphor) and make it more likely to occur.