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Bertram Cates Timeline and Summary

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Bertram Cates Timeline and Summary

  • Busted: Bert is accused of breaking the law.
  • What law, you ask? The one against teaching evolution in public schools. (This play takes place at a time "not long ago," okay?)
  • Bert's friend Rachel tries to get him to say it was all a joke, but he sticks to his guns.
  • He's serious about this evolution business, and about the education of young minds.
  • We and Bert have something in common when it comes to being serious about the education of young minds. Word.
  • Anyway, Bert's trial is kind of a circus. His lawyer and some other hotshot lawyer put up their intellectual dukes.
  • Bert's agnostic lawyer, Drummond, ends up humiliating the prosecuting lawyer, Brady, on the stand. He does this by proving that Brady, a deeply religious man, doesn't believe in totally literal interpretations of the Bible.
  • Oh, snap.
  • Bert is found guilty anyway. But, he is only fined $100 (chump change compared to a prison sentence).
  • Keeping the faith, Bert promises to continue to fight against what he considers to be an unfair law.
  • And then there's that pseudo-romantic part of our happy ending. When Rachel decides to run away from her oppressive father, Bert takes off with her.
  • A slap on the wrist and a pretty girl on his arm; all's well that ends well, huh?