The classic 1960’s Stanley Kramer-directed cinema, “Inherit the Wind”, idealizes the 1925 famous Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. The Scopes Monkey Trial was a court case about whether emerging scientific theories were allowed to be taught in the public classroom if the theories infringe the traditional religious beliefs. The overall notion in this fictional portrayal of the Scopes Monkey Trial was defending an individual’s right to think and express their own thoughts. In the film, this was seen through the character Henry Drummond, who was the defense attorney for the accused. Bertram “Bert” Cates, the accused, was a high school science teacher who was arrested in his classroom for violating the law by teaching Darwin’s theory of
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When the first day of trial comes to a close Reverend Brown holds a prayer meeting where he soon became overwhelmingly emotional about his preaching and prays for Cates’ to be destroyed. Stepping forward to stop her father Rachel then gets condemned as well in the mist of her father’s hot-headed rage. In court the next evening Brady calls Rachel to the stand and deceptively makes her reveal the confidential conversations that she had previously had with Cates’. When it was Drummond’s turn he was unable to have his scientific witnesses testify due to the fact that it had been decided by the court that the theory of evolution was not what was on trial. Switching tactics Drummond then calls Brady to the stand. Through this cross examination Drummond cleverly destroys Brady’s credibility by questioning his position of a prophet and exposing that Brady does not construe the Bible factually. When the trial came to an end the jury found Cates guilty and the court gave him a fine of $100. Although in the end Brady had won the case, it was really Drummond and Cates’ who had prevailed because they had won a moral victory for the right of …show more content…
Two of the controversies that were depicted in this movie were individuals in society are able to choose what to believe and express it as pleased and equality/ discrimination. This movie’s message is still relevant in today’s society due to the fact that those controversies are still pertinent in everyday life. For instance although people are able to believe and express as pleased, individuals whom were gay were not able to marry until the recent law of same sex marriage was passed. For years, those whom were gay did not have equal rights in terms of marrying and were discriminated for believing they were able to legally marry someone of the same sex. The same sex marriage relates to the message this film represents because those who had different beliefs were not able to act upon them or express them. Just as like the same sex individuals whom were not able to marry, Cates’ and Drummond were discriminated and judged for believing in other theories besides the Bible. In conclusion, although the messages presented in this movie were from half a century ago their messages are still present in everyday
When the first day of trial comes to a close Reverend Brown holds a prayer meeting where he soon became overwhelmingly emotional about his preaching and prays for Cates’ to be destroyed. Stepping forward to stop her father Rachel then gets condemned as well in the mist of her father’s hot-headed rage. In court the next evening Brady calls Rachel to the stand and deceptively makes her reveal the confidential conversations that she had previously had with Cates’. When it was Drummond’s turn he was unable to have his scientific witnesses testify due to the fact that it had been decided by the court that the theory of evolution was not what was on trial. Switching tactics Drummond then calls Brady to the stand. Through this cross examination Drummond cleverly destroys Brady’s credibility by questioning his position of a prophet and exposing that Brady does not construe the Bible factually. When the trial came to an end the jury found Cates guilty and the court gave him a fine of $100. Although in the end Brady had won the case, it was really Drummond and Cates’ who had prevailed because they had won a moral victory for the right of …show more content…
Two of the controversies that were depicted in this movie were individuals in society are able to choose what to believe and express it as pleased and equality/ discrimination. This movie’s message is still relevant in today’s society due to the fact that those controversies are still pertinent in everyday life. For instance although people are able to believe and express as pleased, individuals whom were gay were not able to marry until the recent law of same sex marriage was passed. For years, those whom were gay did not have equal rights in terms of marrying and were discriminated for believing they were able to legally marry someone of the same sex. The same sex marriage relates to the message this film represents because those who had different beliefs were not able to act upon them or express them. Just as like the same sex individuals whom were not able to marry, Cates’ and Drummond were discriminated and judged for believing in other theories besides the Bible. In conclusion, although the messages presented in this movie were from half a century ago their messages are still present in everyday