Inherit the Wind

About the show

The play takes place in the small town of Hillsboro, in an unnamed state in the central part of the United States. (It is often assumed to be either Kentucky or Tennessee.) Scenes take place either in front of the county courthouse or in the courtroom. It takes place in the summertime "not too long ago". The play begins with local high school student Howard Blair looking for worms in front of the Hillsboro courthouse. Melinda appears, and they have a discussion about evolution and the recent arrest of their teacher, Betram Cates. They exit when Rachel enters. Rachel convinces Meeker, the bailiff, to give her some time with Cates. Bert and Rachel's conversation tells the audience about why Bert taught evolution to his students. Rachel and Bert are engaged to wed, but her father does not approve. Meeker comes in as they are hugging, saying he needs to sweep. Rachel exits. Meeker tells Bert that Matthew Harrison Brady has volunteered to prosecute him and reminisces about seeing Brady speak during one of his failed presidential campaigns. When questioned, Bert says that the Baltimore Herald has offered to pay for his attorney but doesn't know the man's name. Bert and Meeker exit. Reverend Jeremiah Brown enters and speaks with the townspeople, Howard, and Melinda. Everyone is excited that Matthew Harrison Brady is coming to Hillsboro. When Timmy, a boy who lives in Hillsboro, sees smoke from the arriving train, everyone exits. E.K. Hornbeck, representing the Herald, delivers a soliloquy cruelly ridiculing the people of Hillsboro. Hornbeck spots a monkey someone has brought to mock Bert and feigns conversation with it. The crowd enters with Brady, Mrs. Brady, Rev. Brown, and the Mayor. Brady makes a brief speech, which the crowd wildly cheers. The Mayor honors Brady with the title of "Honorary Colonel" in the state militia and introduces him to Reverend Brown. Members of the Hillsboro Ladies' Aid Society set up a buffet lunch on the courthouse lawn as Brady discusses how he will handle Cates' legal counsel. Hornbeck then announces that the defense attorney will be Henry Drummond, a well-known liberal lawyer and Brady's former colleague. The scene ends with everyone in the town escorting the Bradys to a nearby hotel and the introduction of Drummond, who in contrast to Brady's lavish welcoming is only greeted with boos and mockery. Scene Two occurs in the courtroom. Present are Matthew Harrison Brady, Henry Drummond, Tom Davenport, the Mayor, the Judge, and many townspeople (sitting behind the defense and prosecution and watching the proceedings). It is a day or two later, and jury selection is under way. Davenport questions Mr. Bannister to see if he is an acceptable juror to the prosecution. Bannister says he attends church on Sundays, and the prosecution accepts him. Drummond questions Bannister, and it is revealed that Bannister is illiterate. Drummond accepts Bannister for the jury. Jesse Dunlap is then called to the stand. Brady asks Dunlap if he believes in the Bible. Dunlap states "I believe in the Holy Word of God. And I believe in Matthew Harrison Brady!" Brady finds Dunlap acceptable; Drummond does not but refuses to explain his reasoning. Brady demands that Drummond provide a reason for refusing Dunlap or at least ask him a question. Drummond asks Dunlap how he feels, then excuses Dunlap as unacceptable. Drummond also protests the use of the title "Colonel Matthew Harrison Brady" by the Judge. Realizing that Brady's honorary title may have prejudiced the judicial proceedings, the Mayor confers with the Judge and they agree to make Drummond a "Temporary Honorary Colonel" for the duration of proceedings. George Sillers is brought in after Dunlap steps down. Brady briefly questions Sillers, then accepts him. Drummond asks Sillers some questions on religion and then evolution, then accepts Sillers as well. Alarmed, Brady tells the court that Sillers won't render impartial judgment. Drummond objects to Brady's use of the word "conform". Brady tells the Judge (although his comments are subtly directed at Drummond) about the "Endicott Publishing Case", a trial in which Brady claims Drummond confused the jury so much that they delivered an incorrect verdict. Drummond states that all he wants to do is stop "the clock-stoppers" from inserting religious belief into the Constitution. The Judge reminds Drummond that this is not a federal case, and that constitutional questions cannot be entertained. Drummond demands that they be included, but the Judge rules him out of order. With the jury seated, court is adjourned for the day. After recessing the court, the Judge announces that Reverend Brown will hold a prayer meeting later that night. Drummond objects and argues that such announcements from the bench are prejudicial, but the Judge ignores him. Scene One occurs in front of the courthouse later that evening. Two workmen discuss whether to take down the "Read Your Bible" banner which hangs over the entrance to the courthouse (which Drummond had asked for in court earlier) but decide against it. They leave when they hear people approaching. At the hotel, Brady eats a large dinner while speaking to Hornbeck and some reporters from the "Reuters News Agency". He discusses his past relationship with Drummond, who worked with him on several cases and stumped for him in his presidential campaigns. Brady accuses Hornbeck of biased reporting, but Hornbeck replies that he is a critic - not a reporter. Reverend Brown and a crowd of supporters (including Drummond and Brady) enter for the prayer meeting. Brown engages in call and response with the crowd, preaching about how God created the world in six days. Brown denounces Cates as a heretic worthy of death, and Rachel (who has entered mid-sermon) demands that he stop. Instead, Rev. Brown loudly condemns anyone who seeks forgiveness for Cates. Rachel becomes very distressed. Brady, increasingly uneasy with the tenor of Brown's sermon, interrupts him and quotes the Book of Proverbs: "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind..." Brady dismisses the crowd by reminding them of Jesus Christ's command to forgive. After the prayer meeting, Brady approaches Drummond and asks him why he is defending Cates. He accuses Drummond of having "moved away" from everything both men once believed in. Drummond replies, "All motion is relative. Perhaps it is you who have moved away by standing still." Scene Two occurs in the courtroom two days after the prayer meeting. It is the afternoon, and very hot. The scene opens with the trial already under way. Brady calls Howard Blair to the stand as a witness. Brady and Drummond then exchange heated words over "speech-making" before the Judge orders them to stop. Drummond attempts to cross-examine Howard, but Brady repeatedly objects to Drummond's questions (which the Judge sustains). Drummond instead delivers a monologue in which he declares "morality is meaningless, but truth is valuable", then dismisses Howard from the stand. Davenport then surprises everyone by calling Rachel as the next witness. Under Brady's questioning, she reveals that Cates stopped attending Rev. Brown's church after Brown preached that a local boy who had drowned was not saved because he had not been baptized. Cates angrily shouts that Brown had really preached that the boy was burning in Hell. The crowd tries to shout him down, but Cates continues until order is restored. Brady again questions Rachel, demanding to know if Cates denied the reality of God and compared marriage to the breeding of animals. Cates again interrupts her response, yelling that his statements to her were private and just questions — not statements of fact. Rachel weeps on the stand, and Drummond objects to the line of questioning. Brady ends his examination. Drummond is about to examine her, but Cates threatens to fire him, and he allows Rachel to step down. Drummond introduces a number of prominent scientists whom he intends to call as witnesses, but each is rejected by the Judge when Davenport argues that scientific fact has no bearing on the validity of the law. Drummond asks if the Judge will permit testimony about the Bible, which is accepted. He then calls Brady to the stand as his witness. Davenport objects, but Brady boastfully asserts that Drummond can say nothing that will change the outcome of the trial. Drummond attempts to question Brady about his knowledge of the writings of Charles Darwin, but the Judge rules that such questions are inappropriate. Drummond then asks Brady about the truthfulness behind the story of Jonah and the whale and other accounts. Brady states they are all true, and Drummond accuses him of wanting to throw all modern science out of the classroom. Davenport objects to Drummond's line of questioning, but Brady retorts that Drummond is only playing into his hands. Drummond submits that science has proven that a literal interpretation of the Bible is impossible. "God gave man the ability to reason, so why can't he use that ability to question the Bible?", Drummond asks. He also asks Brady if the ability to think is what distinguishes a man from a sponge. Confused and visibly frustrated, Brady responds that God determines who shall be a man and who shall be a sponge. Drummond declares that Cates only demands the same right as a sponge: To think. The crowd in the courtroom erupts in applause. Drummond changes his line of questioning. He asks Brady how old the earth is, and Brady replies it is about 6,000 years old, according to Biblical research. "But if local rocks and fossils are millions of years old, how can this be?" Drummond asks. Unnerved, Brady reasserts that the world was created in six days, as the Bible says. Drummond asks Brady if it isn't possible that, since the sun was not created until the fourth day, that the first "day" of creation wasn't necessarily a normal 24-hour day, which he concedes to.