Epigraphs are like little appetizers to the great entrée of a story. They illuminate important aspects of the story, and they get us headed in the right direction.
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind. (Proverbs 11:29)
Just like we mentioned in our "What's Up With the Title?" Section, this Bible verse warns against rocking the boat. However, the rest of the verse goes "and the fool shall be servant to the wise in heart," showing the way that the tables turn in the play: in the end, the truth-seekers rule the day.
Brady is an obvious fool who ends up serving Drummond when he takes the stand. Drummond plays him like a fiddle:
BRADY. (Floundering) I do not think about things that…I do not think about!
DRUMMOND. Do you ever think about things that you do think about? (II, II, 669-71)
Brady looks like a real dummy here, after he had seemed so wise to all of the townspeople for the first act of the play. But the truth of the matter is that Drummond is only after the truth. So Brady actually ends up volunteering to help him make his point by taking the witness stand.
Bad move, dude. And boy, does dude suffer the consequences.