Examples Of Tragic Heroes In Inherit The Wind By Jerome Lawrence

Tragic heroes are characters that make judgement errors that leads to their downfall or destruction. The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of a tragic hero. Shakespeare portrayed Romeo and Juliet as victims that captured the audience's hearts. The book Inherit the wind written by Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee, is no love story, and the main character Matthew Harrison Brady is no Romeo; however Brady does meet Aristotle's criteria to be considered a tragic hero.

To begin, Brady is portrayed as a tragic hero because he is a character of noble stature. For instance, Brady is no ordinary man. He is a famous politician who came very close to becoming president three times. When Brady hears about the trial, where a teacher (Cates) taught evolution in a state where the teaching of

He is very confident with his relationship with god and his understanding of the bible. According to the text, his error of judgment happened when Brady became unsure of himself. “(Drummond) Isn’t it possible that the first day was twenty-five days long. There was no way to measure it, no way to tell! Couldn’t it have been twenty five hours long? (Brady) It is..possible (Drummonds got him. And he knows it! This is the turning point. From here on, the tempo mounts. Drummond is now fully in the driver’s seat. He pounds his questions faster and faster.)” Drummond has gained all the power in the trial. Brady lost all of his confidence, and now he is questioning his beliefs. He begins to self-destruct after his convictions about the literal truth of the bible deteriorate under Drummond’s skepticism. As it says on page 99 “(Drummond) Oh God speaks to you. (Brady) Yes. He tells you what’s right, and what’s wrong? Yes. So you, Matthew Harrison Brady, through oratory, Legislation, or whatever, pass along God’s orders to the rest of the world? (Laughter begins) Gentlemen, meet the “Prophet” From Nebraska!” This argument illustrates