Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

The play opens in the cabin of Mentor Graham near New Salem, Illinois. It is late at night and one oil lamp hangs over a table on which are stacked books and papers. Mentor is talking to a young Abe Lincoln who is thin and dressed in the clothes of a backwoodsman. Mentor is coaching young Abe in the English language and they are currently working on the moods of language. Abe give examples of each one: Indicative, Imperative, Potential, Subjunctive, and Infinitive.

When he finishes, Mentor gives him a newspaper and asks him to read the speech printed in there that was delivered by Daniel Webster before the U.S. Senate. Mentor leans back to listen as Abe reads out loud and he periodically corrects his pronunciation of some words. The speech addresses the debate over the right of any...