On the same night, Reverend Brown holds an emotional revival meeting, which Brady attends. Brown works his congregation into a frenzy, leading them through the story of the six days of creation and then encouraging them to condemn Bert Cates to hell. He prays that God will strike Cates down immediately. Rachel tries to stop her father, but he curses her as well. Brady finally pulls Brown away from the pulpit and tells him that the Bible warns against creating trouble. He quotes a Bible verse that gives the play its title: the man who makes trouble in his own house will inherit the wind. The revival finally breaks up, and everyone departs. Drummond and Brady remain alone on stage. Brady asks Drummond how he has gone so far away from the days when the two of them were friends. Drummond answers that he has dared to progress in his thinking, while Brady has remained set in his ideas.

Two days later in court, Brady is examining Howard, a boy who was in Cates' class. It is clear that Howard understands evolution and Brady tries to lead the boy to say things that incriminate Cates. Drummond repeatedly objects to the questioning, but the judge always overrules his objections. When it is Drummond's turn to question Howard, he asks him what he thinks about evolution. Davenport, one of the prosecuting attorneys, objects that Howard is too young to answer such a question. Drummond asserts that he is only trying to establish that each person has a right to think things through for himself. By the time Howard is through with his cross-examination and is dismissed from the witness stand, he has a great admiration for Drummond. Next, Brady puts Rachel Brown on the stand and forces her, through his questioning, to incriminate Cates. She becomes so upset that she loses the power of speech and has to be led away from the witness stand.

The next day, everyone in the court is waiting for the jury to return a verdict. Even a radio announcer has come to broadcast the outcome of the trial, which has attracted national attention. The defendant is very nervous; he is afraid of the outcome of the trial and what will happen to him. Drummond insists that Cates has done the right thing in standing up for his right to think freely. The jury enters and announces a guilty verdict for Cates.

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