Comic Relief
Release of tension resulting from a comic episode in the midst of serious elements in a drama, usually by a “sidekick”:
Hornbeck is also a vehicle for comic relief as he moralizes and relays information to the audience. He mocks Hillsboro, the residents, their fundamentalist beliefs, and Brady, throughout the play with quick witty remarks.
He acknowledges that "a few ignorant bushes" exist in Hillsboro, but no "tree of knowledge." He sees a monkey and calls it "Grandpa" and buys a hot dog instead of a Bible because he chooses to feed his stomach rather than his soul.
The Golden Horse
At the beginning of Act 3, Henry Drummond tells Bertram Cates the story of Golden Dancer. This was a rocking horse, painted in gold, that Drummond had seen when he was a boy and fallen in love with. He thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. When his parents finally bought it for him, however, it split in two the moment he climbed on it.
Brady’s strong beliefs in the absolute literal accuracy of the Bible are similar to the rocking horse. They broke under pressure.
Brady’s outward authoritative demeanor of prideful confidence is not as strong as it appears, as he is easily turned into weeping child after being humiliated.
The Sun
Story of Creation
Joshua supposedly stopped the sun in its tracks and what the result of its halt would be in the literal sense.
Joshua halting the Sun
While God created the earth in 7 days, the sun was not created first, making it impossible to determine the true length of a day.