Inherit the Wind Competition Quotes

At this point in the text, Brady has already arrived on the scene, but Bert's lawyer's identity hasn't been announced yet. And then: ta-da. This moment tells us that the fight at the center of Inherit the Wind is going to be a feisty one. The stage directions, especially—with their simile of the whip-crack—really reveal to the hubbub that Drummond's name causes in the town.

This is Brady's "bring it on" moment; he looks forward to a good competition, because it will bring him even more press. And he's not even shy about his fame addiction. He seems to think he's justified because any press for him is press for Good. Right, Brady. Right.

Hornbeck's metaphor for the courtroom is a battlefield, and it's an apt one, given how bloodthirsty both sides end up being. Good thing we have the poetic Mr. Hornbeck around to set the scene for us. Thanks, bro.

This little bit of backstory shows us how the Drummond-Brady showdown is actually sort of a rematch between these two characters. The fact that these two lawyers have a history—that they're old BFFs turned arch-nemeses—adds even more drama to the play. This is some As the World Turns -level drama, kiddos.

Reading this scene is like watching a boxer chase his opponent into a corner and bite his ear off. (Yikes, sorry Mike Tyson.) This moment is especially important in the play because we can pinpoint it as the climax. The stage directions tell us that this is the point of no return, when the losers become the winners. The tables have turned for Drummond and Bert, and now we know they'll come out on top (in some sense). We're on the edge of our seats for the grand finale…

The simile comparing Brady to a clumsy bear and Drummond to an agile dog gives the reader a vivid image of the mismatch between the two lawyers; one seemed bigger and stronger, but he wasn't quick enough to get the better of the underdog. We here at Shmoop would bet on the doesn't-miss-a-thing Mr. Drummond any day.

Here, Drummond lets us know that he'd rather lose a good fight than win a boring one. This little insight is important to how we understand his character. Though he's not a superficial attention-seeker like Brady, he does have something in common with his enemy; this trial isn't just business for him. It's personal. He chooses the cases he's interested in carefully, and only gets involved in those cases.

The fact that these kids can't even tell who won the case lets us know that it was the drama, way more than the outcome, that had everybody in town interested in Bert's trial. The court case was entertainment for them, and the townspeople were like the audience of a play. Do they even believe that the outcome will affect them? Probably not. They're just in it for the popcorn and Twizzlers. This circus-like dynamic of the trial reveals to us the playwrights' desire to highlight the injustice of the justice system; clearly, they think the courtroom is more a stage for grandstanding lawyers than a place where truth and honesty take center stage.

Here, the arena gets a lot bigger than just little old Hillsboro's courtroom. Bert might have lost his case in the tiny town of Hillsboro, but the huge radio audience will declare him a winner, according to his lawyer. (Besides, dude only got sentenced to a one hundred dollar fine; that was just a slap on the wrist, and everybody knows it.)

This line provides us insight into Drummond's complexity. First of all, once the competition is over, he's allowed to show compassion for his opponent. So, clearly, pinning people against each other in a gladiator-like arena can bring out the worst in folks. Plus, this brief quote shows how Drummond needs an opponent in order to feel most like himself. Brady wasn't just his Drummond's enemy; without the other half of his competitive dynamic duo, Drummond's kind of a humdrum dude.