What happens if the bull doesn't charge?

Can a fight be avoided if one person refuses to get angry?

My brother and sister-in-law are going to Spain this summer, and I can’t think about Spain without starting to sing the “Toreador March” from Carmen by Bizet. (Yes, I’m a music nerd. Deal with it.)

As I was sitting here thinking about the Toreador March, I realized I had never questioned the difference between the words Toreador and Matador. They’re both bullfighters. But I know enough Spanish to know that Matador means “killer.” Sure enough. A Matador’s aim is to actually kill the bull he’s fighting, while a Toreador only seeks to fight.

I can appreciate the cultural context of a bullfight, but the idea of it doesn’t appeal to me. Whether the ends up being mistreated or if he’s brutally killed, the bull is always the one who loses. And for what?

But have you ever wondered what would a bullfight look like if the bull never got angry enough to charge?