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  • Essay / Henry Drummond – an admirable character in the play Inherit The Wind

    There are thousands, if not millions of people who constantly fight for their beliefs every day, however, they have generally been seen as godless or sinners by others. This is the case of the one and only, Henry Drummond, the best lawyer in all of America. In the play Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Drummond takes the initiative to be Bertram Cates' lawyer during the Scopes trial over the alleged teaching of evolution in a Tennessee public school . When he arrived in Hillsboro for trial in July 1925, it became clear that he was not well received by the townspeople. He was well known among them as a ruthless lawyer and was considered a creation of the Devil or perhaps even the Devil himself. Despite all the bad publicity, he is actually an admirable character because he is open-minded, courageous and has integrity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Henry Drummond is a very open-minded character which is evident through his various actions throughout the play. His open-mindedness was illustrated in the scene where he saw Rachel and Cates arguing over whether or not they should continue with the trial. Drummond realized the circumstances of the situation and gave Cates a ruling: “I will change your plea and we will dismiss the entire case – on one condition.” If you honestly believe that you are wrong and the law is right. So to hell with it. I’m going to pack my bags and go back to Chicago, where it’s cool in the shade” (Lawrence and Lee 52). Drummond knows that the Butler Act is unjust because it prohibits a fundamental human right, the right to think. However, he knew that the accused's opinion took precedence over his own. If the person he is defending prefers to accept his punishment knowing that he actually broke the law, then it would be a waste of time. Additionally, Henry Drummond once again shows his open-mindedness towards the end of the play as he was packing his bags to leave as the trial was over. He took the Bible in one hand and Darwin's Origin of Species in the other, balancing the two equally as if he were a scale. He half smiled and shrugged, putting them both in his briefcase and continued on his way. Drummond does not value the Bible over Darwin's On the Origin of Species and, conversely, he treats all books with equal respect. He has read both books and thinks they can coexist. Drummond's open-mindedness throughout the play caused him to be more admirable. Second, Henry Drummond's courage is strongly displayed throughout the play. For example, he told Cates that he preferred to focus his talents and efforts on more difficult cases that most would find impossible to win. Not only was the trial seen as a guaranteed loss for the defense, but Cates was also shunned as an outcast by the townspeople, as they believed that expressing his right to think was a sin. Drummond's courage is evident in this scene as he refuses to let the difficulties of the case stop him, he took it knowing there was a good chance he would lose and tarnish his reputation. His courage allows him to defend people accused of horrible things, when other lawyers would not take such a difficult case to win. Additionally, during the trial, when it was the defense's turn to question people, Henry Drummond introduced many knowledgeable scientists to give the jury a little insight into evolution, as none of them had the slightest..