dead poets society essay titles

Dead Poets Society

53 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Describe Todd Anderson’s character arc as it relates to the theme of finding your voice . In what ways does Mr. Keating help him? In what ways does Neil?

Compare and contrast the characters of Charlie and Cameron. Be sure to track their growth or regression throughout the novel and focus on their relationship to the rules of Welton.

In Dead Poets Society , Welton is a symbol for the isolation that comes along with striving to maintain certain traditions and standards. Pick one character that experiences isolation in the novel and explain how they escape (or don’t escape) that feeling of loneliness.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Featured Collections

View Collection

Books & Literature

Mortality & Death

Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Dead Poets Society

By peter weir.

• Dead Poets Society Summary

In 1959, shy Todd Anderson begins his senior year of high school at elite boarding school Welton Academy, a prep school in the Northeastern United States. One of the most promising students at Welton, Neil Perry , is assigned as Todd's roommate and Todd is quickly initiated into Perry's circle of friends, including mischievous Charlie Dalton , romantic Knox Overstreet , high-flying overachiever Richard Cameron and best friends Gerard Pitts and Steven Meeks. On the first day of classes they are surprised to find that their new English teacher, Mr. Keating , is both entertaining and unorthodox, himself a Welton alumnus whose innovation in the classroom brings English class alive. He encourages his students to make their lives extraordinary and summarizes this sentiment with extorting them in Latin "carpe diem" (seize the day). Unfortunately this is in direct contrast to the ethos of the school where living a traditional and conformist life is preferred to living an extraordinary one.

John Keating's inspirational classes also include standing on his desk at the front of the classroom as an illustration to his students that they should try to look at life from a different perspective, and telling them to rip out the introduction section of their poetry books which explains a mathematical formula used to rate poetry. He also encourages them to create their own style of walking across the courtyard to encourage them to be individuals. Individuality is the antithesis of Welton's ethos, and not surprisingly, his teaching methods come to the attention of Gale Nolan, the strict and archaic headmaster.

Neil Perry discovers that Mr. Keating was once a member of the secret and unsanctioned "Dead Poets' Society" when he was a student at Welton. Neil restarts the club and each night he and his friends leave campus without permission and go to a cave where they read poetry, and write and recite their own compositions as well. As the school year goes on, Mr. Keating's classes and their involvement with the Club continue to inspire them to live life on their own terms; Knox Overstreet pursues Chris Noel, a girl who is dating a football player and whose family is friends with his. Neil Perry discovers a passion for acting and wins the lead role in a local production of A Midsummer Night's Dream , despite the fact that his cold and domineering father wants him to attend medical school not pursue a carter in the theater. Mr. Keating also helps Todd come out of his shell and takes him through an exercise in self-expression to help him realize his potential. The exercise culminates with Todd spontaneously composing a poem in front of the class.

Unfortunately, Charlie Dalton's inspiration leads him to go too far, and he publishes an article in the school newspaper under the byline of the Dead Poets Society , demanding that girls be accepted to Welton. Headmaster Nolan uses corporal punishment to try to force Charlie to tell him who else is a member of the club, but he refuses. Nolan also warns Keating that he must discourage his students from questioning authority or else face consequences of his own.

Neil's father discovers he is performing in the play and demands that he quit on the eve of his first performance. Neil is devastated and turns to Keating for advice; his teacher advises him to stand his ground and stand up to his father to demonstrate his seriousness about acting. The following day Keating asks if he has spoken to his father and Neil lies, saying that he had, and that he will be permitted to pursue an acting career provided his schoolwork does not suffer. The lie is discovered when Neil's father unexpectedly appears at the performance, taking his son home and then forcing him to go to military school so that he can go to Harvard and study medicine. Terrified of his father and at a loss for what to do, Neil commits suicide.

Gale Nolan, the headmaster, begins an investigation into the suicide at the request of the Perry family. Attempting to escape punishment for his own membership in the Dead Poet's Society, Richard Cameron tells Nolan that Neil's death is entirely Keating's fault. He names Overstreet, Meeks, Pitts, Anderson, Dalton and Perry as his fellow members. Charlie confronts him, but Cameron urges the others to put the blame on Mr. Keating. Charlie refuses and punches Cameron, which causes him to be expelled. Each of the boys is called to Nolan's office to sign a letter attesting that Cameron's version of events is true. When it is Todd's turn he does not want to sign but does so when he sees that the others have signed already.

Keating is fired and Nolan takes over teaching his class. Keating interrupts class to collect some personal possessions from his desk, and before he leaves Todd stands on his desk and salutes Keating with the words "Captain! My Captain!" Knox, Steven, Gerard and over half the class does the same. Todd shouts that they were forced to sign the letter and that Neil's death was not his fault. Deeply touched by this gesture, Keating thanks them.

Dead Poets Society Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Dead Poets Society is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What’s the theme of dead poets society rip it out

Do you mean the scene where Keeting asks his class to rip out the Pritchard text? He wants them to avoid conformity by ripping a text that treats poetry like a math equation.

Explore Keating's influence on his students and how his encouragement of originality and "carpe diem" affect them.

I can't write your essay for you but can make a general comment. One of Keating’s main, overarching lessons for the boys is the idea of “seizing the day”—that is, making the most of the time they have now and taking advantage of the opportunities...

According to Pitts, all of the girls go for “jerks”. Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?

Well, this is a pretty subjective answer from personal experience. Many many years ago I was captain of the chess team in high school. Lets just say girls were not clamouring to wear my jacket. The hockey players,they used to throw pucks at our...

Study Guide for Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society study guide contains a biography of director Peter Weir, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Dead Poets Society
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the film Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir.

• Authority Against Individualism: Dead Poets Society and The Rabbits
• Dead Poets Society: The Powerful Thought of Individuality
• Identity in Dead Poets Society and Frost's Poetry
• Exploring Transitions: Educating Rita and Dead Poets Society

Wikipedia Entries for Dead Poets Society

• Introduction

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Dead poets society - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir. The story follows an English teacher at a conservative all-boys boarding school who inspires his students to seize the day and embrace their passions, including poetry, in defiance of the school’s strict cultural and academic expectations. The film explores themes of individualism, conformity, and the power of poetry and literature to inspire and transform one’s life. It stars Robin Williams as the inspiring teacher, John Keating, and a young cast of actors, including Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles. Dead Poets Society has become a classic of American cinema and is recognized for its powerful performances and compelling storytelling.

• 📘 Free essay examples for your ideas about Dead poets society
• 🏆 Best Essay Topics on Dead poets society
• ⚡ Simple & Dead poets society Easy Topics
• 🎓 Good Research Topics about Dead poets society

Essay examples

Essay topic.

Save to my list

Remove from my list

• Dead Poets Society: study notes
• Belaboring the Various Behaviors in Dead Poets Society:
• Dead Poets Society – Belonging
• Dead Poets Society – Responsibility
• Dead Poets Society in Formalism Critique Approach
• Transcendentalism – Dead Poets Society
• Dead Poets Society Assignment
• The Dead Poet’s Society
• Story Of The Dead Poets Society English Literature Essay
• The concepts of Belonging In “Dead Poet’s Society”
• Theory Analysis Dead Poets Society
• Knox Overstreet scene of the film “Dead Poets Society”
• “Dead Poets Society” essay
• The male and female relationship in Dead Poet Society and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Dead Poets Society: Film Techniques
• Analyzing Mr. Keating’s Teaching Concept in Dead Poets Society from Progressivism
• Is Poetry Dead
• The Paul Is Dead Rumor
• Feast of the dead by Cevdet Kudret
• The Tibetan Book of the Dead
• Film Dead Man Walking
• Is the American Dream Dead?
• Marriage in Dead Stars Short Story
• Is “Mass Marketing” Dead?

FAQ about Dead poets society

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Entertainment

Essay Samples on Dead Poets Society

The examples of transcendentalism in "dead poets society".

“Words and Ideas can change the world”. The movie “Dead Poets Society” is about a group of students that attend a very strict, New England prep school, during 1959. Their new teacher; John Keating, uses non-traditional methods of teaching to reach out to this group...

• Dead Poets Society
• Transcendentalism

Carpe Diem in Famous Works of Auden's Poetry

In the movie Dead Poets Society, Mr. Keating teaches his students to seize the day. While showing them a picture of some alumni on the walls of the academy, he draws them in close to hear their legacy, “carpe diem, seize the day.” The lesson...

The Presence of Transcendentalism in the Dead Poets Society 

Transcendentalism has to do with the idea, that in order to understand nature of reality, one must first examine and analyze the reasoning process which governors the nature of experience. At Welton Academy, Mr. Keating educates his students through transcendental ideas. Welton Academy is a...

Tradionality and Modernity of Education in Dead Poets Society

The movie, Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir, tells the story of seven boys at a Catholic all-boys, conservative boarding school in Vermont called Welton Academy. The students who attend Welton, are strictly instructed to do exactly as anyone says whether they agree or...

• Movie Review

Analysis of Teaching Strategies in the Film "Dead Poets Society"

In 1989, the film Dead Poets Society was released in the United States starring Robin Williams; this cinematographic production’s intention was to make people reflect upon the different ways of teaching particular subjects. Thus, this leads to wonder about the various teaching strategies that can...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option

Moral Issues In Dead Poets Society By N.H. Kleinbaum

From my opinion, the Utilitarian ethical theory stands appropriate for Mr. John Keating. Utilitarianism is good theory that promotes activities that advance by and large satisfaction or joy and rejects activities that reason misery or hurt. Mr. John Keating was not only a tutor who...

• Utilitarianism

Best topics on Dead Poets Society

1. The Examples Of Transcendentalism In “Dead Poets Society”

2. Carpe Diem in Famous Works of Auden’s Poetry

3. The Presence of Transcendentalism in the Dead Poets Society 

4. Tradionality and Modernity of Education in Dead Poets Society

5. Analysis of Teaching Strategies in the Film “Dead Poets Society”

6. Moral Issues In Dead Poets Society By N.H. Kleinbaum

• Film Analysis
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Hidden Figures
• Pan's Labyrinth
• A Separation

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Movie Review — Transcendentalism In Dead Poets Society

Transcendentalism in Dead Poets Society

• Categories: Movie Review

About this sample

Words: 719 |

Published: Mar 14, 2024

Words: 719 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

• Expert in: Entertainment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1073 words

2 pages / 843 words

2 pages / 699 words

3 pages / 1458 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Movie Review

As the saying goes, “Beauty is only skin deep.” Elle Woods, in the film Legally Blonde, fulfills the proverb beautifully. The film debuted in 2001 during a time when feminism was not as notable as it is today; the early 2000s [...]

Exploring the intricate layers of societal interactions and human behavior, the analysis of societal dynamics in "Train to Busan" sheds light on the complex web of relationships that emerge in the face of adversity. This essay [...]

Psychological disorders are more commonly diagnosed in today’s society. Years ago, a psychological disorder was easily overlooked. In today’s society, it is easier to tell if someone has a psychological disorder because of all [...]

The Blind Side is a movie based on the true story of Michael Oher, who was once the offensive lineman of the Baltimore Ravens’. Michael Oher, a black teenager, grew up in an impoverished part of Memphis known as the “projects”. [...]

A heart-warming story about how a little hard work and friendship can change a life; The Ultimate Gift shows even the most stubborn can change. Through the ups and downs you follow Jason through the 12 quests that his late [...]

“Man of Steel” by director Zack Snyder is a Hollywood blockbuster released in 2013 that tells a story of one of the most famous superheroes ever: Superman. This movie was filmed as a re-launch of the DC Comics franchise, and [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

The Book List: The poems that give 'Dead Poets Society' life

Every wednesday, alex johnson delves into a unique collection of titles, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails, thanks for signing up to the breaking news email.

“She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron “The Ballad of William Bloat” by Raymond Calvert “The Prophet” by Abraham Cowley “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost “To the Virgins” by Robert Herrick “The Congo” by Vachel Lindsay “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” by William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman “O Me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman

Poems not only punctuate many successful films – such as WH Auden’s “Funeral Blues” in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Thomas Hardy’s “Drummer Hodge” in The History Boys – they sometimes even provide the title itself, as Alexander Pope’s “Eloisa to Abelard” does for the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind .

In A Matter of Life and Death (1946) the central character, played by David Niven, is an RAF pilot who is also a poet, given to quoting Andrew Marvell and Walter Raleigh (“I’d rather have written that than flown through Hitler’s legs”) and the film ends with Sir Walter Scott on love:

Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, And men below and saints above; For love is heaven, and heaven is love.

Lord Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty Like the Night” also makes an appearance in the film, as it does in Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke.

It is one of the poems that Charlie (aka Nuwanda) recites and passes off as his own to the girls he invites to a meeting of the reformed DPS in the cave (the other is “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”).

The cave is also the location for Neil’s effort at Tennyson and Meeks’s atmospheric chanting recitation of performance poet Vachel Lindsay’s “The Congo”:

Then I had religion, then I had a vision I could not turn from their revel in derision Then I saw the Congo, creeping through the black Cutting through the jungle with a golden track.

Not all the poems are widely known. Charlie’s commentary on a Playboy centrefold (“Teach me to Love? Go teach thy self more wit”) comes from Abraham Cowley’s The Prophet , while the rather bloodthirsty “The Ballad of William Bloat” with its twist in the tale (“In a mean abode in the Shankhill Road”) probably passes many viewers by.

More familiar works include “To the Virgins” by Robert Herrick, whose “gather ye rosebuds” philosophy is the central concept of the film, “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau (all meetings of the original DPS started “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately”) and, inevitably, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost from his collection Mountain Interval .

But the backbone of the film is Walt Whitman. Robin Williams’s teacher Mr Keating slightly abridges “O me! O Life!” to explain the purpose of poetry to his pupils:

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring, Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish.

He even suggests to the boys that they should call him captain, as they all do at the close of the film when the fearful trip is indeed done.

‘A Book of Book Lists’ by Alex Johnson, £7.99, British Library Publishing

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

Dead Poets Society

N. h. kleinbaum, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The novel is set in 1959 at the prestigious Welton Academy, a Vermont boarding school. As the school year begins, we meet Todd Anderson , a shy new student who’s transferred from another school, as well as Neil Perry , Richard Cameron , and Charlie Dalton —all junior-year students. Neil Perry is a likable, kind student, and is Todd’s roommate; Neil is terrified of his own father, Mr. Perry , who insists that Neil must study chemistry, go to Harvard, and become a doctor. Richard Cameron is an uptight, conforming student who hates breaking rules; Charlie Dalton, on the other hand, is an easygoing, rebellious student who loves breaking rules.

Another Welton student and friend of Neil’s, Knox Overstreet , goes to have dinner with some family friends, the Danburrys. During dinner, he meets Chris Noel , the beautiful girlfriend of Chet Danburry , the Danburrys’ son. Knox is instantly smitten, but doesn’t know what to do about his love.

Classes begin at Welton. Most of the teachers are extremely rigorous and controlling. However, there’s a new English teacher at school, John Keating , who is different. Keating immediately impresses his students with his charismatic, energetic lectures—in the first of which he stands on his desk . While other teachers force students to do homework and obey them at all times, Keating begins the year by talking about “Carpe Diem,” the idea that humans should “seize the day”—i.e., make the most of life while they’re alive. This year, Keating promises, he wants to teach his students how to be extraordinary instead of simply following the rules. Keating’s unusual teaching methods draw some attention from his colleagues, but because he’s an intelligent, likable man, he stays in the good graces of the Welton headmaster, Gale Nolan .

Neil tries to engage with Todd and become his friend, but Todd is too shy and reserved. Things begin to change when Neil comes across an old yearbook in which he learns that John Keating was once a student at Welton; during that time, Keating was a member of a club called the Dead Poets Society. When Neil and his friends ask Keating about the Dead Poets, Keating explains that the Dead Poets met in a cave near Welton, read poetry, and celebrated life. Later, Neil finds that someone, presumably Keating, has put an old poetry anthology marked “Dead Poets” in his room. Neil convinces his friends, including Knox, Cameron, Charlie, and Todd, to go to the cave, and together they read from the poetry anthology, gradually becoming transfixed by the poems’ beauty.

In class, Keating asks his students to compose poems. Todd is at first unable to write anything that he feels comfortable reading in from of the other students, but with Keating’s encouragement, he improvises a brilliant poem about Keating’s hero, Walt Whitman. Afterwards, Todd begins to open up, both with his classmates and with Keating. He admits to Neil that he feels that his parents don’t love him—they’re incredibly hard on him, and clearly prefer his older sibling. Neil is sympathetic to Todd’s problems, since they echo his own. Keating’s lessons also inspire Neil to try out for a local production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream –to his delight, he gets the lead part of Puck.

The students’ attempts to “seize the day,” inspired by Keating, become increasingly reckless and foolish. Charlie Dalton pens an article in the school paper in which he claims that women should be admitted to Welton, and signs it “The Dead Poets.” To protect his classmates, Charlie comes forward and admits he wrote the article—he’s given corporal punishment by Nolan, but doesn’t tell Nolan anything about the Dead Poets Society. Meanwhile, Knox is invited to a party with Chris and Chet—at the party, he gets very drunk and, telling himself that he’s just “seizing the day,” he touches Chris’s breasts, infuriating Chet. In response to his students’ wild actions, and the suspicion he’s been getting from Nolan, Keating tries to teach his students how to be realistic, “survive” college, and bluff their ways through essays about horrible books that aren’t worth reading.

Mr. Perry finds out that Neil is going to be in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , and furiously forbids him from performing in the play. Neil, unsure what to do, goes to Keating for advice. Keating advises Neil to talk to his father and show him how passionate he is about acting. Neil can’t bring himself to talk to his father, but tells Keating that Mr. Perry gave him permission to perform after all.

Knox goes to Chris’s school and reads her a poem he wrote for her, in which he professes his love. Later, Chris visits Knox at Welton and warns him that Chet is going to kill him for what he’s done. Knox begs Chris to go see A Midsummer Night’s Dream with him—if she doesn’t have a good time, he’ll never try to see her again. Reluctantly, Chris agrees.

Chris, Knox, Keating, and the other Dead Poets go to see Neil in A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Neil is spectacular as Puck, to everyone’s delight, especially Todd. Chris begins to develop feelings for Knox during the performance—and later that night, she kisses Knox. After the show, however, Mr. Perry appears to confront Neil. He brings Neil home and tells him that he’ll be going to a rigorous military academy from now on—clearly, Welton is distracting him from his “goals” of being a doctor. Neil is so upset by this news that, late at night, he shoots himself with his father’s revolver.

In the aftermath of Neil’s suicide, there’s an investigation, at Mr. Perry’s request, into the matter. Cameron betrays the Dead Poets by going to Nolan and telling him about the Dead Poets Society. Nolan uses Cameron’s information to cast Keating as a scapegoat—by blaming Keating for “corrupting” Neil with talk of freedom and individuality, Nolan hopes to avoid a full-scale scandal with Welton’s wealthy alumni donors.

One by one, the students are brought into Nolan’s office and forced to sign a document stating that Keating corrupted them with his free-thinking lessons, and thereby compelled Neil to commit suicide. While most of the Dead Poets sign the document, Todd refuses to do so—and Nolan places him under strict probation for refusing to go along. In spite of Todd’s loyalty, Keating is fired from Welton and essentially barred from ever teaching again.

In the final chapter, the students file into English class, now being taught by the dull Headmaster Nolan himself. In the middle of the lesson, Keating walks in to pick up his personal items. While Keating gathers his things, Todd runs up to him, explaining that Nolan forced the students to sign the document that’s gotten Keating fired. Keating smiles and nods, showing that he understands. Todd stands on his desk, just as Keating did during his first lesson at Welton. Slowly, and despite Nolan’s cries to stop, the other students join Todd in an inspiring show of solidarity with Keating.