Drummond's Case example essay topic

Brady and Drummond, two former partners, beginning their legal lives working together. Now each one strives to be superior, confident in their ways and beliefs, trying to out-do the other. Despite a common goal, the two gradually became very different people, as is evident in the play and movie, Inherit the Wind. Throughout the years, as each one fought cases, established a name for themselves, and gained popularity (or notoriety), they kept a careful watch on the other. Learning of the others triumphs, which pushed them to try even harder, become more set in their ways, believing that their heterogeneous beliefs were right, and that if they kept those beliefs the focus of their existence, they could eventually prove themselves the victor. Yet the two had never met head-on in court.

They both knew that until so, everything they did, every case they fought and one, would only be a form of practice, and a silent taunt at their foe. But until they truly fought together in court, this two man war would never be over. Thus, when the time finally arrived, when the two ingenious legal warriors who had trained together met at last for that one final battle to the death, they entered Hillsboro planning to put every single legal idea and tactic they had used and believed in over the years to work, believing that they had followed the correct path and that their long thought over battle plan was superior to the other's. Brady loved the public. He knew that, even before the time of radio and television, if he controlled the media, he controlled the masses. Thus, his first move every time was to choose the side which the public sided with, knowing that people listened to what they wanted to hear, which would be him, so he would essentially become the media.

And thus, he would create a flock of loyal followers. And with the public behind him, a case was usually much simpler. Besides, he loved being adored by people. He relied upon public approval and easy answers for legal guidance, as was evident when, upon hearing some of his former admirers turn to Drummond's side, he broke down in tears. He enjoyed using the people as a weapon. Upon hearing the news of Drummond being appointed as the defense, he quickly realized a chance to gain the upper hand in the battle he had been preparing for his entire life.

Before the townspeople had even met Drummond, he had filled their easily molded heads with lies and propaganda, depicting Drummond as a demon, an evil misanthrope who had never done anything good and honest in his life, and should be hated and banned from the town immediately, before he begins the genocide of all holy Christians and their beliefs with his satanistic Darwinian brainwashing. Meanwhile, Drummond took an entirely different approach to this specific aspect of the case, the pre-trial campaigning. He planned to save his massive assault for the trial itself, and took on a somewhat withdrawn social appearance. He knew that the ignorant people of Hillsboro had been turned against him and that it was a handicap he would be forced to accept. It was readily evident when a young child screamed Drummond was the Devil himself, and ran away in fright the moment he entered the town.

But he didn't care. He was fighting for what he wanted, for what he knew was right. As Drummond would most likely put it; he didn't give a 'hell' about the masses " opinion. During court however, once the trial had started, the two former comrades found that there was one thing that neither had moved away from; they both relished the opportunity to provide a well-timed insult against their opponent in order to further better their case.

However, while Drummond was quite frank and straight-forward about it, Brady played to the jury and audience too much, trying to get a laugh, along with the general acceptance upon which he had based his entire life. More so, even, than he tried to damage his opposition's case, leaving himself open and vulnerable to a well-placed retort. Outside of court, while the trial was still incomplete, Brady used spiritual propaganda to mold the jury and bystander's opinion and keep them sympathetic to his case. He gave speeches, had dinner parties, and enlisted the help of the local preacher, a religious zealot with magnificent speaking power. Meanwhile, Drummond planned to win support via cold, indisputable, and hard facts, combined with scientific testimony and fueled by his seemingly ruthless need to correct the ignorant mistakes of the public whenever possible. Unfortunately, a moronic judge who did not grasp just what Drummond was fighting for, denied him of his right to call the witnesses who were his secret weapon, his battering ram against Brady and the wall of ignorance and bigotry surrounding the general public.

Even so, he attempts to continue undaunted despite setbacks which could only have been expected, backing down dramatically and effectively only when his goal appears completely out of reach. But for the grace of God and a few people who were able to see through Brady's egoism and propaganda, was Drummond's case revived, and his near defeat even managed to gain him support, giving him the strength he needed to strike the final blow against Brady, and win an important battle for free speech, and man's right to think. Brady, on the other hand, when faced with the revival of his seemingly unstoppable foe and a major setback for which he had not planned, instead of handling it in a sophisticated manner, as Drummond did, fell to pieces. He became flustered and began looking for pity in what was left of his flock of ignorant followers upon seeing part of his legal empire crumble and collapse. As he scrambled to pick up the pieces, he lost more and more until he was left with only a shred of his former greatness.

Even after he had been declared the winner (though he knew that, in reality, Drummond had been the one who truly emerged victorious from this brawl of words and law), he fought to regain his once loyal group of admirers, as he watched many of them walking out of the courtroom door, their backs turned upon him. He screamed over the din, trying to regain something, anything, he once had. And all this only took from him the one thing he still had left... the steady beating of a human heart. And Drummond, Bible and Darwin in hand, was the only one of the two extremely different ex-partners to walk out of the courtroom that day.