Inherit the Wind The main theme of Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee is taking a stand. The play begins in Hillsboro, Tennessee when a man named Bertram Cates breaks the law by teaching the forbidden Darwin’s Theory. The most famous orators of the time, Matthew Harrison Brady and Henry Drummond came to this small religious town of Hillsboro. Brady is prosecuting against Cates and Drummond is defending him. After days of battle, the verdict is finally decided and Bertram Cates is found guilty. Many people take stands for different reasons. Some take stands to send a message out that needs to be sent. That is what happened in this play.