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.