Inherit the Wind is a 1955 play by American playwrights Jerome Lawrence (1915-2004) and Robert E. Lee (1918-1994). It is based on the 1925 Scopes trial, where schoolteacher John T. Scopes was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution at a time when doing so was illegal. Although Inherit the Wind draws from the events of the Scopes trial, it deviates significantly from the details of the case, as Lawrence and Lee were really writing about McCarthyism, using the Scopes trial as a backdrop. The play delves into issues of critical thinking and intellectual freedom in the face of censorship. Inherit the Wind received excellent reviews during its original Broadway run. It had two Broadway revivals in later years, most recently in 2007. It has also been adapted for film four times (including three television movies). The most famous film adaptation was the original 1960 version.

This guide uses the 2007 Ballantine Books trade paperback edition e-book.

Plot Summary

The play opens on a hot summer’s day “not too long ago” (14). The entire play is set in and around the courthouse in Hillsboro, a Bible Belt town in middle America. A young boy, Howard, taunts a girl, Melinda, with a worm, telling her that she is descended from worms. She tells him he is sinning by talking that way. A young woman named Rachel, the daughter of a reverend, visits the courthouse and asks to see Bertram Cates, who is in jail. Bert and Rachel are in love, but Bert has been arrested for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Rachel, who is deeply religious, wants him to say that he was wrong so that he can go free; he refuses. 

The townspeople set up a buffet lunch and a large banner that says “READ YOUR BIBLE” in preparation for the arrival of Matthew Harrison Brady, the prosecuting lawyer for the case (29). A journalist from Baltimore arrives and introduces himself as E. K. Hornbeck. Unlike the people of Hillsboro, Hornbeck scorns religion. Matthew Brady and his wife arrive to much applause. Brady has had three unsuccessful presidential runs and is a compelling public speaker. Mrs. Brady is constantly concerned with her husband’s health, trying to prevent him from eating too much buffet food. Recognizing that Rachel cares for Bert, Brady pulls her aside to ask her questions about him and his religious views. Everyone learns that Bert’s defense attorney will be Henry Drummond, a former friend of Brady’s who is known for his agnosticism and for successfully defending people accused of violent crimes. Hornbeck and Rachel have a brief conversation about what is going to happen in the trial, and then Drummond arrives.

A few days later, court is in session selecting jury members. Drummond refuses a man who is vocal about his support for the Bible and for Matthew Brady. He then accepts a man who is ambivalent about both religion and the theory of evolution. Brady objects; he wants everyone on the jury to be fervently religious so that their views “[conform] to the laws and patterns of society” (69). Drummond gets his way. Once court adjourns for the day, Rachel approaches Drummond and Bert. She begs them both to call off the trial and have Bert admit that he was in the wrong. Though Bert is scared of what might happen to his life and his reputation, he refuses to back down. Rachel admits that Brady has asked her to testify against Bert, and she cannot legally refuse. Bert is horrified, as he has told her things about his religious beliefs that could be damning if revealed in court. That evening, Rachel’s father holds a prayer meeting that even Brady feels is overzealous. Brady and Drummond reflect on the disintegration of their former friendship.

Two days later, Howard is on the witness stand. Brady asks him what Bert taught him about evolution, and Howard gives a rough outline of the development of life from unicellular organisms to the development of fish, reptiles, and mammals over the course of millions of years. Brady mocks this concept and asks whether Bert taught Howard anything about the Book of Genesis; Howard says no. Drummond questions Howard next. He asks Howard whether he feels that what Bert taught him has done him any harm. Howard thinks not, and is not yet sure if he even believes Bert’s claims about evolution. Drummond encourages him to think it over: While evolution is not mentioned in the Bible, neither are tractors, but they are still real. Brady objects to this line of reasoning, but Drummond says he is only interested in pursuing the truth.

Rachel reluctantly testifies against Bert. She reveals that he no longer attends church, and he once implied that people created God. The questioning upsets Rachel so much that Drummond does not get the chance to cross-examine her. Drummond tries to call 15 scientists to discuss the validity of the theory of evolution, but the Judge refuses to allow him to call a single one, claiming that their testimony is not relevant to the case. Outraged, Drummond calls Brady to the stand on the basis that he is an expert on the Bible. He asks if Brady is a biblical literalist, and Brady affirms that he is. He is willing to believe that God can adjust the laws of physics if needed; he uses this argument to explain how the sun stopped in one Bible story. Drummond asks about details that remain vague in the Bible, like who Cain’s wife was and where she came from. Brady doggedly affirms that the Bible is enough for him, and he has never been curious about any other questions.

As Drummond’s questioning intensifies, he starts to bring the watching crowd to his side of things, and Brady’s power wanes. Drummond claims that all people should have the right to think, Bert included. He suggests that the seven days that God spent creating the world might not have been 24-hour days; they might have lasted for millions of years. Brady claims that he knows Darwin was wrong because God speaks to him, and Drummond accuses him of claiming to be a prophet. The court laughs at Brady, which enrages him. The following day, everyone awaits the jury’s verdict. A radio man arrives to broadcast the verdict live. The jury returns and announces that they have found Bert guilty as charged. The crowd is now divided, with some supporting the verdict and some opposing it. Instead of imprisoning Bert, the Judge orders Bert to pay $100. The crowd disperses as Brady tries to make a speech; nobody wants to listen to him. Abruptly, he has a fit and is carried offstage. He dies. Although Bert was found guilty, Drummond assures him that in the minds of the people, he won an important victory. He and Rachel decide to leave together, with Rachel realizing that it is okay to be introduced to new, potentially uncomfortable ideas. Hornbeck, an atheist, is disappointed that Drummond is not more dismissive of religious belief.