E. K. Hornbeck: [about Barry] He's the only man I know who can strut sitting down.

E. K. Hornbeck: [about Brady] He's the only man I know who can strut sitting down.

E. K. Hornbeck: [about Brady] How do you write an obituary about a man who's been dead for thirty years?

E. K. Hornbeck: [about Drummond] The Athiest who believes in God.

E. K. Hornbeck: [Cates rises as his girlfriend is called to testify] Sit down, Samson, you're about to get a haircut.

E. K. Hornbeck: [to Dr. Britton's chimp] Grandpa! Welcome to Hillsboro sir, are you here to testify for the defense or the prosecution?

E. K. Hornbeck: [to Drummond] Hello, Devil. Welcome to Hell.

E. K. Hornbeck: [watching the reverend spur the crowd with his sermon] Whatever happened to silent prayer?

E. K. Hornbeck: Aw, Henry! Why don't you wake up? Darwin was wrong. Man's still an ape. His creed's still a totem pole. When he first achieved the upright position, he took a look at the stars - thought they were something to eat. When he couldn't reach them, he decided they were groceries belonging to a bigger creature; that's how Jehovah was born.
Henry Drummond: I wish I had your worm's-eye view of history. It would certainly make things a lot easier.
E. K. Hornbeck: Oh ho, no! Not for you. No, you'd still be spending your time trying to make sense out of what is laughingly referred to as the "human race." Why don't you take your blinders off? Don't you know the future's already obsolete? You think man still has a noble destiny. Well I tell you he's already started on his backward march to the salt and stupecy from which he came.
Henry Drummond: What about men like Bert Cates?
E. K. Hornbeck: Cates? A monkey who tried to fly. Cates climbed to the top of the totem pole, but then he jumped. And there was nobody there to catch him. Not even you.

E. K. Hornbeck: Disillusionment is what little heroes are made of.