Henry Drummond, the deuteragonist, or character second in importance in Inherit the Wind, can be considered the hero of the play. Functioning as the mouthpiece for Lawrence and Lee, Drummond fights for man's right to think as well as "the right to be wrong." He saves the townspeople of Hillsboro from their narrow-minded fundamentalist views.
In comparison to the Scopes trial, Drummond represents Clarence Darrow, who was the defense attorney for John Scopes. Both Darrow and the character of Drummond are similar in appearance, defend the underdog, put the prosecuting attorney on the witness stand, and lose the trial only to immediately appeal the verdict. Darrow, however, unlike Drummond, had a hostile demeanor and was sarcastic and condescending. His reason for defending Scopes was to expose the ignorance of fundamentalism; Drummond's mission is to find the truth.
Drummond is a "slouching hulk of a man." He is bent over and his head juts forward. He dresses fashionably and is evidently a sophisticated man from the North. He is idealistic and claims to be an agnostic, believing that knowing whether God exists isn't possible. Drummond has been sent to Hillsboro at the request of the Baltimore Herald to defend Cates. He is an intelligent, shrewd, and skilled courtroom attorney, well known for defending notorious criminals. He agrees to defend Cates because he believes in freedom of thought.
Given the portrayal of the townspeople, their initial reaction to the news that Drummond is defending Cates alerts the audience to the fact that Drummond is the antithesis to the values that are entrenched in Hillsboro. This dichotomy is most apparent when Melissa, a young girl, first sees him and screams that he is the devil.
