Inherit the Wind is one of the most powerful and enduring works ever written about civil rights and freedom of thought. Written as a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it was based on an actual 1925 Tennessee trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools. The story takes place in Hillsboro, a small town in Tennessee that is caught up in a heated debate between two lawyers representing opposite sides of the argument”the prosecution’s fundamentalist view of creationism versus the defense’s progressive views on science and education. The primary characters are Matthew Harrison Brady (the prosecutor), Henry Drummond (the defense lawyer), Bertram Cates (the accused teacher) and Rachel Brown (Bertram’s fiancée). The moral message conveyed through this play emphasizes how important it is for individuals to think independently rather than be constrained by their faith or society’s strictures. Throughout its cast of characters, Inherit the Wind explores themes such as belief versus knowledge, truth versus opinion, justice versus prejudice, conviction versus doubt, courage against fear, love against injustice. In addition to these essential topics addressed throughout the play itself, Inherit The Wind also serves as an allegory for broader issues related to individual freedom; it speaks out strongly against censorship and oppression while promoting intellectual independence and progressivism. At its core Inherit The Wind celebrates our fundamental right to think freely without fear or interference from anyone else ” whether religious or political authorities ” while encouraging us all to challenge existing beliefs if we feel they do not represent what is best for ourselves or society at large.

Play By Jerome Lawrence Essay Example
2460 words 9 pages

Lawrence and Lee wrote Inherit the Wind nearly thirty years after the Scopes Monkey trial. Although the basis of the play is the Scopes trial, the play itself is not a historical retelling of the events. Instead, the play is fiction. Each of the two main characters, Matthew Harrison Brady and Henry Drummond, represents one side of […]

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Inherit The Wind Law The trial
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