Henry Drummond is the prosecutor in the Inherit the Wind trial. He is a former student of Clarence Darrow, and he uses his knowledge of the law to try to prove that evolution is a scientific fact. He is also a member of the jury that hears the case.
Jerome Lawrence wrote the play Inherit the Wind. He based it on the Scopes Monkey Trial, which took place in 1925. The trial was about whether evolution should be taught in schools. Henry Drummond is based on Clarence Darrow, who was one of the lawyers in the Scopes Monkey Trial.
The defense in “Inherit the Wind” by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee faces several societal injustices, including but not limited to bias towardsBrady, conformist and pious attitudes of the town’s people, and narrow-mindedness of the judge and jury. These factors resulted in an unfair trial for the defense.
Despite the odds being against him, Henry Drummond manages to put up a good fight as the defense attorney. He is able to get some important evidence admitted into the trial and makes a strong case for his client, Bert Cates. However, the jury is not swayed by his arguments and Bert is ultimately found guilty.
Henry Drummond is a very passionate man and he believes in what he is doing. He knows that the town is against him, but he does not give up. He continues to fight for his client even after he has been found guilty. This shows that he is a very determined individual who is willing to stand up for what he believes in.
The first example of the town’s prejudice is their strong adoration for Brady, the prosecuting attorney. This becomes clear when Brady pays his first visit to Hillsboro and receives a great welcome consisting of food and the citizens singing “Gimme That Old-Time Religion,” with revised lyrics sung specifically for him: “It is good enough for Brady, and it’s good enough for me!” (Lawrence 15).
The second instance is the way in which everyone in the town seems to be on Brady’s side, even those who know him the least. Mrs. Krebs, for example, only knows Brady by reputation, yet she is adamant that he win the case. This is because, as she tells Henry Drummond, “Brady’s been good to this town” (Lawrence 23). Krebs is not alone in her support of Brady; the whole town seems to share her sentiment.
The jury is another example of the town’s prejudice against Bert Cates. The jury is made up entirely of men over the age of sixty, all of whom are friends of Brady’s. When Drummond asks them if they would be willing to find Cates guilty if the evidence showed that he was, they all hesitate and refuse to answer. It is clear that they have already made up their minds about Cates and are not willing to consider any evidence that might prove him innocent.
The town’s prejudice is also evident in the way they treat Drummond, the lawyer hired to defend Cates. Drummond is an outsider, and the townspeople make it clear that they do not trust him. They are constantly asking him questions and trying to trip him up, especially when he is cross-examining Brady on the stand. The townspeople are also quick to accuse Drummond of being a ‘sissy’ because he does not share their views on the case.
In spite of all the prejudice against him, Bert Cates still manages to get a fair trial. This is due in part to the efforts of Henry Drummond, who is able to use the town’s prejudice to his advantage. He points out to the jury that they are only considering evidence that supports Brady’s case, and he urges them to consider all of the evidence before making a decision. In the end, the jury finds Cates guilty, but Drummond has managed to plant enough doubt in their minds that they recommend leniency in his sentence.
The town’s prejudice is also evident in the way they treat Rachel Brown, Bert Cates’ girlfriend. Rachel is an outsider like Drummond, and the townspeople are quick to judge her. They suspect that she is only interested in Cates because he is on trial, and they accuse her of being a ‘gold-digger.’ Rachel is also treated poorly by the townspeople because she is an atheist. They think that she is going to lead Cates astray and turn him away from God.
The mayor of the town praising Matt’s virtues is a good example of adoration for him. The mayor, upon being in the hamlet less than ten minutes, states, “The Governor of our state has given me the power to bestow a commission as Honorary Colonel in the State Militia on you,” and this news is met with enthusiasm by the residents. (Lawrence and Lee 23).
Matt is a well respected member of the community, and even though he has only been in town for a short while, the people have taken a liking to him. The towns people also look up to Matt because he is one of the smartest people in Wind Gap. “I hear tell you’re quite a scholar,” the jailer says to Matt (Lawrence and Lee 44). This means that Matt is not only respected by the townspeople, but he is also someone who they can count on to get things done. People in Wind Gap know that when they need something done, Matt will be able to do it.
The towns people also show their adoration for Matt by asking him to represent Brady in court. “I don’t know nothing about the law,” Matt says to the towns people when they ask him to be Brady’s lawyer (Lawrence and Lee 54). Even though Matt doesn’t want to do it, the townspeople are insistent that he is the best person for the job. They believe that Matt will be able to get Brady off, even though they know that it is an uphill battle. The townspeople have so much faith in Matt that they are willing to put their trust in him, even though they know that the odds are against him.
The final example of the town’s adoration for Matt is when he gives his closing argument in court. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am an old man. I will not live much longer, and I do not want to die without telling you what I believe,” Matt says (Lawrence and Lee 103). Even though Matt is old, the townspeople still look up to him and respect him. They know that he is wise and that he has their best interests at heart.