SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Summary Read our full plot summary and analysis of Inherit the Wind , scene by scene break-downs, and more. Literary Devices Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in Inherit the Wind , from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more. Themes Motifs Symbols. Quotes Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the play by reading these key quotes.
Important Quotes Explained. It's less a question of science and more a question of the right to think for yourself, to make up your own mind. Dec 12, Austin Krause rated it it was amazing. Personal Response: I really enjoyed this drama. My enjoyment was likely helped by the style of reading we did to complete the play. By reading a specific part, I was more involved in the storyline and found more fun in it than I would have by reading it on my own.
Plot: The opening scene of the drama showed the division between Darwinism and Creationism with Howard and Melinda. The setting then moved to the courthouse Personal Response: I really enjoyed this drama. The setting then moved to the courthouse where Rachel Brown was seeing her boyfriend, Bertram Cates.
Once again, the setting changed to the town square, where many of the residents of Hillsboro Tennessee were preparing a large welcoming ceremony. Banners were put up, food prepared, and people sang Christian hymns.
Only now did Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee reveal who the welcome ceremony was for. Matthew Harrison Brady, a highly decorated Bible speaker, was coming to Hillsboro to prosecute the trial of Bertram Cates. Upon his arrival, there was music and song, food, drink, and cheer as if Brady was God showing up at a wedding ceremony.
Soon, the cheer ended and most of the townspeople retired to their homes for the night. Melinda did not at that time, and she was the one that introduced Henry Drummond to the plot, but not in a nice way like Brady. Brady was welcomed like God, but Drummond was portrayed as the Devil. This difference followed Brady and Drummond into the courtroom and remained in place for the majority of the trial. Brady got a lot of good hints from his witnesses, but Drummond took it easy and asked simple questions that made witnesses think between creationism and evolution.
Drummond managed to come up with three occasions mentioned in the Bible about creation that could also be explained by evolution and revealed to the audience that Brady was not all he was cut out to be. Brady was left in shock that Drummond made such a fool of him, and he no longer had any of the followers he had when he came to Hillsboro.
Only hours later, the judge returned to the courthouse bearing news that Brady had died of a heart attack. With that, Drummond closed up shop and got ready to leave Hillsboro in preparation for the appeal trial. Cates and Rachel also got ready to leave Hillsboro to live elsewhere together. The closing image summed up the entire play in a nutshell.
Characterization: In the drama, Matthew Harrison Brady was one of the most important roles in the play. Without his presence at the court, the case of Cates vs. He was confident and everyone loved him and his teachings.
At the end of the trial, Brady was metaphorically dead. He was completely defeated, despite his win, and had close to zero support remaining on his side. Effects of Setting on Plot: The place that this play was set in was essential to the result of the trial. Hillsboro was a hugely religious town in Tennessee. The state of Tennessee had passed a law that made it illegal to teach evolution in a public school. The jury in the trial was biased toward creationism, regardless of how hard Drummond tried to get people on his side of the deal, which ultimately made the result unfair.
This situation could have happened anywhere in the United States at the time, but southern states had closer ties with religion and the Bible than northern states did. The time period was not extremely important in regards to where the United States was physically, but mentally, at the time, people were starting to open their minds more to new ideas. All over the world, people opened themselves up to new ideas such as evolution, and this caused a lot of controversy in governments and schools.
Recommendation: I would recommend this drama to really anyone. There is no hint of gender specification for the reading audience. In general, age is no big factor for a reader, the word choice is pretty basic. The only reason for anyone to not read this book is for the same reason the book was written, that being censorship.
Jan 07, Lily Mueller rated it really liked it. Personal Response: I was very unexcited for this Inherit the Wind. Inherit the Wind completely surprised me. Though it was based on an event that happened a while ago, I could relate it to more modern day issues that are going on. I enjoyed how the authors took the opportunity to make a complicated and a long court case into an interesting and suspenseful read.
The book was well written and thought out. I ended up really enjoying reading Inherit the Wind. Bertram Cates, who represented John Scopes, is put in jail for violating the Butler Act and teaching evolution in his classroom. A powerful prosecuting attorney by the name of Matthew Harrison Brady, who represented William Jennings Bryan, is put on the trial.
He is welcomed with open arms into the town and even given the title Colonel. On the other hand, Henry Drummond, who represented Clarence Darrow, is the defense attorney. The townspeople are unhappy with his presence and even a bit frightened by him. The trial begins and right away it seems as if Brady has the case in the beg. Brady is very confident that he will win the case. Drummond has no choice but to put Brady on the stand as his last hope. Towards the end of the session, the courtroom is uneven.
The next day the jury decides the verdict. Brady thinks this is an outrage and demands the case not to be closed. The court is adjourned, but Brady is trying to give a speech that no one will listen to.
The radio service even cuts him off. Brady is no longer found important to the townspeople, which causes him a great amount of stress. Characterization: Rachel is one character in this play that really stands out to me. She is well over the adult age, but still feels controlled by her father. She feels that because her father is the Reverend of the town; she has to abide by his rules and not share her views with him. In Inherit the Wind readers can see that Rachel finds herself and rises above her father.
Rachel is sweet, soft and caring. When her father condemns her, and Cates to hell she decides enough is enough. She rises above him and knows she can decide her life for herself.
Readers can see her strength, shine through finally. Matthew Harrison Brady also goes through a change. When he arrives in Hillsboro, Brady thinks he is a very important person.
Setting: Inherit the Wind takes place in a fictional town called Hillsboro, Tennessee. In real life, this play took place in Dayton, Tennessee.
The town is significant because Hillsboro, Tennessee is considered to be very conservative and religious. The story takes place in the summer of The season is important to the storyline because there are a few references where they compare the temperature to the tension in the courtroom. Recommendation: I would recommend this play to anyone in high school mainly because there are deeper meanings to a lot of the subject matter.
Younger readers might not fully grasp the book. This book is appropriate for both females and males, as it does have universal subject matter. Feb 07, sologdin rated it it was ok Shelves: never-were-any-human-spirits-saved , of-best-sentence-and-moost-solaas , law. This play is kinda mean-spirited and condescending, one-sided in its presentation of its villains as in an Ayn Rand novel.
The stage directions are impositions, authoritarian and smug. But, then again—then again—this text has revealed to me two of my basic operating parameters in: Hello Devil.
Brady: I do not think about things that … I do not think about! Drummond: Do you ever think This play is kinda mean-spirited and condescending, one-sided in its presentation of its villains as in an Ayn Rand novel. Drummond: Do you ever think about things that you do think about? I kinda walk around all day thinking that last line in response to all the lumpenized antisocial nihilism. Mar 19, Norberto Leyva rated it really liked it. The story takes place in Hillsboro, TN around the year Cates is fighting for his freedom to teach his students to think for themselves instead of just accepting one idea.
I would recommend this drama to high school students, because they would understand it better and the vocabulary is more difficult. If you like learning about evolution, you would like this play.
Feb 17, Gregg rated it really liked it. We may be teaching this next year, so I gave it a look-see. Engaging and gripping. I love great courtroom dramas, and I can't see how anyone else couldn't either. Thing is, I looked into the background of the Monkey trial, and the fact seems even more interesting than the fiction.
I saw the film and the phrase 'he that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind' when spoken by the aetheist lawyer stuck with me. This is a great introduction to the impact and leverage of primitive forces of emotion that can drive us all to do strange, foolish things. Jan 10, Natalie Schneider rated it really liked it.
Even though it was written quite a few years ago, I still thought there were many great lessons that still apply today. I really liked the way the authors wrote this play.
They were detailed and had some humor with every scene that made it have a good balance. Plot: Overall this drama was based on an actual case called the Scopes Trial. Inherit the Wind started with two young kids named Howard and Melinda standing in the courtyard.
Howard accused Melinda of being a worm. Then Rachel entered and asked a bailiff to see Bert Cates in jail, but she was hiding this visit from her father who was the reverend. Rachel tried to get Cates to confess to his wrongdoing because Matthew Harrison Brady was going to prosecute him. The whole town was very excited for him to come. When Brady and his wife arrived, the town had a potluck for him.
At the potluck, E. Hornbeck, a newspaper writer, told Brady he was going against Henry Drummond in court. No one in the town liked Drummond.
When Drummond arrived, no one cheered or rejoiced in his arrival. Everyone thought he was the devil actually. The next day, both sides chose their jurors. Then the judge called for a recess due to an argument that arose in the courtroom. Then both sides had their witnesses on the stand and questioned them. Throughout the whole questioning, Brady and Drummond were arguing and constantly tried to prove they were right.
Drummond thought that people should be able to have the freedom to learn both sides and decide which side they believed. The next day both sides waited for the verdict. He was found guilty and received a fine of one hundred dollars. When the court was adjourned, Brady was trying to give a speech but no one listened to him.
He was so upset and frustrated that he collapsed. He had a heart attack and died. Rachel entered the room with Cates and Drummond. She announced that she read Darwin and realized she should not be afraid to think for herself. Then Rachel and Cates left on a train together. Drummond was left alone in the courtroom and had both the bible and a copy of Darwin. The playwright ended with Drummond putting both books in his briefcase.
Characterization: One of the main characters was Matthew Harrison Brady. He was the prosecuting attorney. He had a lot of pride and loved all the attention that the people of Hillsboro gave him. Also, he was very outgoing. Throughout the play, he became too arrogant and had too much pride. His personality was all shine and no substance. On the outside he seemed very smart and a well rounded individual. Eventually, he had a downfall because of having too much pride at the end of the play.
Another main character was Henry Drummond. He was the defense attorney. He was basically the complete opposite of Brady. The town hated Drummond unlike Brady. He did not receive a warm welcoming when he arrived in Hillsboro. He was not that outgoing. He kept to himself out times and did not seek the attention. He was quite humble actually. Drummond was also very smart. He knew both sides of the case unlike Brady.
Drummond had pride in his work but not too much that he had a downfall. Setting: Inherit the Wind took place in the summer at Hillsboro, Tennessee in the year The time of the year was important to the plot line because there was some references of the heat in the playwright.
The place where it took place was also important to the plot line. The year was important because that was when the actual Scopes Trial took place against the Butler Act. If the case did not happen, then the Butler Act would not have been questioned. Also another major setting was in the courthouse or near it. Majority of the plot took place in the courtroom or in the courtyard. This was important because the whole plot was based on the court case dealing with the Butler Act. Recommendation: I would recommend this drama to any gender who was in high school.
The read was not too hard, but did take some skill to understand some of the literary terms like the analogies or metaphors. I thought this drama was gender neutral too. Jan 06, Hannah Schuelke added it. Lee is a great book for English class. I believe this because it is a very powerful drama written after a true event. It gives readers their own perspective and opinion on things that happen in the book. The book displays a lot of symbolism and themes throughout the story.
It is fun to read then discuss what my classmates and I think something means from the book. This is against the law at this time, because it denies creation. They have a huge trial about it, even though they already know what side they support. The townspeople bring in Matthew Brady to be their prosecuting attorney and defend their law.
The people treat Brady like a king, because they decorate and prepare food for his arrival. While the defense attorney, Henry Drummond, is treated the exact opposite. The people do not like him or treat him fairly. The people begin to turn on Brady and the trial is now fair. The jury still finds Cates guilty, but he only faces a small fine. Characterization: Henry Drummond is a famous lawyer who believes people have the right to think.
The Baltimore Herald sends Drummond to this trial because he takes a lot of underdog cases. Drummond is seen as an agnostic but leaves the town as a hero. The people do not like him right away; however, Drummond exposes Brady and tells them about their right to think, the people begin to thank him and turn on Brady.
This case makes Drummond realize that both books have equal values. Matthew Brady is a national political figure who comes to Hillsboro as the prosecuting attorney in this case. Brady has a strong faith in the Bible and God the Father.
The people love Brady and prepare the whole town for his coming. Brady does not know as much about the Bible as he claims. The people begin to turn on Brady, which actually makes this case fair. Bertram Cates is the victim of the story, and he is on trial.
He does not seem like the type of person to be thrown in jail, but he breaks the law. He teaches evolution to his class, which breaks the law of denying God the Father. He wants the students to know both sides and have the freedom to choose what they believe. Setting: The setting of this book takes place in summer, not too long ago in Hillsboro, Tennessee.
The book is a play about the real-life Scopes trial in July in Dayton, Tennessee. The setting and weather do affect the trial and even cause some irony. The book takes place before cellphones and the internet, which affects their communication. This trial spread throughout the country because it appears in newspapers and is a worldwide case.
The trial affects all of the characters in different ways, but this case has made an impact on each of their lives. Recommendation: At first, I thought I would not like reading this book, but I enjoy reading about this case and the effects it has on the characters. I think this is a good book to read in class because it is important to discuss things that happen in the book and make sure readers understand them. I would recommend this book to high schoolers because there is a lot of background information the readers need to understand before they read this book.
Mar 12, Lauren Kester rated it liked it. He lived in a town that was very religious. His girlfriend, Rachel Brown, tried to persuade him to admit he was guilty and call the whole thing off.
Cates refused because he thought the children should have both theories be taught to them. Matthew Harrison Brady became the prosecuting attorney. The whole town worshipped Brady since he was also religious. A few ladies put together a lunch for Brady. While at the lunch, Brady comforted Rachel, and received information about Cates. Hornbeck, a writer for the Baltimore Harold , traveled to Hillsboro. The town found out that Henry Drummond, an attorney who took underdog cases, was going to defend Cates.
When Drummond arrived, Melinda ran up to him and called him the devil. When the trial started, Brady felt confident because he had the whole town on his side. Reverend Brown held a prayer circle.
At the meeting he condemned Bertram Cates and his own daughter. Drummond brought scientists who knew about the theory of evolution. Scopes told the town leaders that, while substituting, he used a textbook entitled A Civic Biology , which contained evolutionary theory. The town leaders informed Scopes of the Butler Law and asked whether he would be willing to challenge the law. Scopes agreed, and within a short time, the town constable arrested him.
Afterwards, Scopes, who was never jailed, returned to the tennis game from which he had been summoned. Rappleyea sent a telegram to the ACLU informing them of Scopes' arrest; other town leaders notified Tennessee newspapers. Reporters arrived in Dayton from all over the United States and the world. The Baltimore Sun sent H. Mencken, a famous columnist known for his cynicism and wit, to cover the trial. The Sun also offered to pay Scopes' fine if he was found guilty.
Media focus on Scopes' arrest attracted the attention of William Jennings Bryan, a three-time presidential candidate, great orator, and fundamentalist who volunteered to prosecute the case. When Clarence Darrow, agnostic and famous criminal attorney, learned that Bryan was involved in Scopes case, he volunteered to defend Scopes.
He realized that the case was no longer about Scopes' guilt or innocence; instead it was a battle between fundamentalism and freedom of thought. The trial began on July 10, The courtroom overflowed with spectators and reporters and radio microphones from WGN in Chicago. This event marked the first time a trial was covered by a radio broadcast. Bryan and Darrow selected a jury that was composed of all white middle-aged men who were farmers, poorly educated, and church goers.
After objections by Darrow to beginning each day's proceedings with a prayer, the prosecution began its case and quickly established that Scopes broke the law by teaching evolution in a public classroom. The defense had prepared its case around the testimony of expert witnesses on science and evolutionary theory.
The judge, however, ruled the experts' testimony inadmissible. Most of the reporters, including H. Mencken, considered the trial to be over except for closing arguments, which would take place the following Monday.
Assuming that the closing arguments would be uneventful, they left Dayton and missed the "battle of the century. On Monday, when the trial resumed, Darrow switched his tactics. Instead of experts on evolutionary theory and science, he called an expert on the Bible to the stand — prosecuting attorney, William Jennings Bryan.
Assuming that he would have an opportunity to cross-examine Darrow, Bryan cooperatively took the stand. In his questioning, Darrow sought to portray Bryan as an ignorant bigot and, in fact, got Bryan to admit that he did not interpret the Bible literally, a basic tenet of fundamentalism. At this admission, the spectators' support swayed to Darrow's side, and the judge halted the questioning.
The following day, the judge ordered that Bryan's testimony be stricken from the record as irrelevant to Scopes' guilt or innocence.
To prevent Bryan from giving a closing speech, Darrow requested that the jury find Scopes guilty, which it did in fewer than ten minutes of deliberation. Bryan won the trial, but Darrow and Scopes won a moral victory. Five days after the conclusion of the trial, Bryan died in his sleep. Despite the expectations of the combatants, the trial did not address the constitutionality of the Butler Act, which remained a state law in Tennessee until its repeal in Although Lawrence and Lee used the Scopes trial as the basis for their play, Inherit the Wind is a work of fiction.
In their introduction, Lawrence and Lee make clear that the play is not history. Clarence Darrow is Henry Drummond. John Scopes has become Bert Cates. And, H. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun is E. Hornbeck of the Baltimore Herald. The characterizations of all but one character, that of E.
Hornbeck, however, bear no resemblance to the participants of the Scopes trial. The following illustrates other differences between the play and the trial. The Scopes trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee, in July The play takes place in the "summer, in a small town Hillsboro, Tennessee not too long ago.
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