Inherit the Wind

by

Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

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Reverend Jeremiah Brown Character Analysis

Hillsboro’s “religious leader,” Reverend Brown, Rachel’s father, is a fire-and-brimstone Christian who believes that sinners, like Cates, should be damned to hellfire and torment. Rachel, Brady, and others in the town do not necessarily follow the fervor of Brown’s beliefs, however. Brady quotes from Proverbs that those who disturb their own house will find they have no house, no family to turn to—these people will merely “inherit the wind.” Rachel leaves Brown’s house at the end of the play, to take the train away from Hillsboro with Cates.

Reverend Jeremiah Brown Quotes in Inherit the Wind

The Inherit the Wind quotes below are all either spoken by Reverend Jeremiah Brown or refer to Reverend Jeremiah Brown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Science vs. Religion Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Do we call down hellfire on the man who has sinned against the Word? . . . Strike down this sinner, as Thou didst Thine enemies of old, in the days of the Pharaohs!
No! No, Father. Don’t pray to destroy Bert!

Related Characters: Rachel Brown (speaker), Reverend Jeremiah Brown (speaker), Bertram Cates
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 2 Quotes

Tommy Stebbins used to come over to the boarding house and look through Bert’s microscope. Bert said the boy had a quick mind, and he might even be a scientist when he grew up. At the funeral, Pa preached that Tommy didn’t die in a state of grace, because his folks had never had him baptized . . . .
Tell ‘em what your father really said! That Tommy’s soul was damned, writhing in hellfire!

Related Characters: Bertram Cates (speaker), Rachel Brown (speaker), Reverend Jeremiah Brown, Tommy Stebbins
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:
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Reverend Jeremiah Brown Quotes in Inherit the Wind

The Inherit the Wind quotes below are all either spoken by Reverend Jeremiah Brown or refer to Reverend Jeremiah Brown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Science vs. Religion Theme Icon
).
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Do we call down hellfire on the man who has sinned against the Word? . . . Strike down this sinner, as Thou didst Thine enemies of old, in the days of the Pharaohs!
No! No, Father. Don’t pray to destroy Bert!

Related Characters: Rachel Brown (speaker), Reverend Jeremiah Brown (speaker), Bertram Cates
Page Number: 66
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 2 Quotes

Tommy Stebbins used to come over to the boarding house and look through Bert’s microscope. Bert said the boy had a quick mind, and he might even be a scientist when he grew up. At the funeral, Pa preached that Tommy didn’t die in a state of grace, because his folks had never had him baptized . . . .
Tell ‘em what your father really said! That Tommy’s soul was damned, writhing in hellfire!

Related Characters: Bertram Cates (speaker), Rachel Brown (speaker), Reverend Jeremiah Brown, Tommy Stebbins
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis: