Summary of 'Dead Poets Society'

In the welcoming ceremony for new students, Mr. Nowlan is introduced and explains the principals of the academy, which are a tradition, excellence, discipline and honour. Mr. John Keating, the new English teacher, who has been a pupil there earlier, is introduced, too. He is a teacher, who has his own conception of teaching. He is inspired by values like passion, imagination, beauty, language and love which he integrates in his classes. His slogan is CARPE DIEM, which means “seize the day”, therefore he wants his pupils to think on their own and become individual persons. Some boys re-found the “Dead Poets Society”. This is a secret club, where the boys meet themselves in a cave to read and write poems to express their emotions. Because of these meetings, the boys lives changes. Charlie Dalton plays pranks at school and gives himself the new name “Nuwanda”: Todd Anderson overcomes his shyness : Knox falls in love with a girl by writing poems for her : Neil finds his profession in acting, and becomes main character in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, which is against the conceptions of his father. So he brings Neil home and wants him to go to a military school and therefore Neil commits suicide. Mr. Keating is held responsible for the suicide by Neils parents and the school administration, because they think he should have floated him into the suicide. By suppressing most pupils to sign that Mr. Keating is blamed, he gets dismissed. Shortly before Mr. Keating will leave school and take his last items, the pupils step on their desks, despite the directors orders to sit, and shout: “Oh captain! My captain!” to pay Mr. Keating his last tribute, which he has taught them in their first lesson.