Overview of Inherit The Wind Essay

Inherit the Wind was a play written in 1979, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The play is fiction but was based on an actual trial The Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. The defense attorney in the play; Henry Drummond portrayed the historical person Clarence Darrow. In the play Henry Drummond was a well known attorney that was un-liked because his defense had freed two young boys accused of murder. Drummond believed in the idea of freedom of beliefs. He came to Tennessee to defend the rights of this belief. The Historical character Clarence Darrow had actually defended those two young boys in the 1924 Illinois v. Nathan Leopold and Richard Leob murder trial. Darrow also believed in the freedom of beliefs. Since Childhood Clarence Darrow has been a defender. He writes concerning his youth The fact that my father was a heretic always put him on the defensive, we children thought it was only right and loyal that we should defend his cause He continued on this journey of defending by choosing his career as a lawyer. He would become one of the most famous lawyers of his time. Clarence Darrow was always a defender of the underdog. in real life as well as the play Inherit the Wind.

In the play Henry Drummond is partied as a very straight forward guy, he stood up for what he thought was right. Drummond came to the town to defend the one who stood alone, no one else would take the case although thats not why Drummond took the case, He took the case because he believed in the right to have different beliefs. Clarence Darrow was known as the Defender of the underdog, the defender of the poor and un-privileged. He was a big supporter of the First Amendment. Clarence Darrow lost The Scopes Monkey Trial just like Drummond lost in Inherit the Wind. However, in the Scopes Trial the case did make it to the Supreme Court and the conviction was overturned even though the law would remain on the books for years to come

The actual trial is very similar to the trial in Inherit the Wind. Both Drummond and Bryan knew each other as did Darrow and Brady. Darrow even supported Bryan in one of his runs for President he just didnt believe in Bryans religious beliefs. Darrow had been wanting to debate Bryant on science and religion for years but Bryant wouldnt have it. When Drummond questioned Brady he did so in a small courtroom. When Darrow questioned Bryan it was actually on a platform in the front of the county courthouse with over 2000 people present.

Darrows character in Inherit the Wind evolves as the play progresses. He is witty and very intelligent and the further we go into the play the more we realize that he is defending this case because he has been battling these issues for years.

Drummond would not give up in the case, he could not bring any Scientific resources, teachers or anything to do with the study of evolution, so he turned the tables and used the bible against Bradys arguments bringing into question the line of reasoning how does he know that a day in the bible is the same as a calendar day. The Calendar wasnt even invented at the time of creation. In the historical trial Darrow was not allowed to bring any scientific evidence and he did use the bible as his only defense.