The film opens with a scene showing the ceremony for the opening of the school year at Welton Academy. The principal mentions that the English teacher is replaced by a new teacher, Mr. Keating. Then the ceremony ends with a scene that shows parents saying goodbyes to their kids for the all-men boarding school.
We are then introduced to the main characters, Todd Anderson who is a transferee. He is assigned one of Welton’s most promising students, Neil Perry, as his roommate and is quickly accepted by Neil’s friends: Knox Overstreet, Richard Cameron, Stephen Meeks, Gerard Pitts, and Charlie Dalton.
On the first day of classes, they encounter male teachers who are old and strict except for Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating taught them the phrase “Carpe Diem” or “seize the day” while looking at former students of the Academy which he says are now dead. The same way as they- including him, are food for worms.
From here, the film shows a sequence of subsequent lessons from Mr. Keating. This includes them taking turns standing on his desk to demonstrate ways to look at life in a different way, ripping out the introduction of their poetry books which explains a mathematical formula used for rating poetry, and inviting them to make up their own style of walking in a courtyard to encourage them to be individuals.
Neil finds the school annual from Mr. Keating’s generation, and learns that he used to be a member of an organization called: “Dead Poets Society.“ And ends up restarting the group with his friends. They would sneak off the campus to a cave near the academy to read poetry and verse. Some of which were from famous writers and notable people and their own compositions.
As the school year progresses, Keating’s lessons and their involvement with the club made the students pursue the lives that they want. Knox pursues a cheerleader who is dating a football player whose family is friends with his.
Neil discovers his love of acting and gets a role in a local production. He and Todd had a small argument about Neil deciding to join the production because Todd knows that Neil’s father will not approve his actions. Neil’s father wants him in an Ivy league University after graduation to pursue being a doctor. Despite this, Neil still auditioned for the play.
Mr. Keating helps Todd realize his potential by making him compose a poem in front of the class through an exercise in self-expression.
Things went out of hand when Charlie, in the name of The Dead Poets Society published an article in the school paper demanding the academy to allow girls be admitted to Welton. This led to a punishment by the school head urging him to reveal the members of the group. Charlie was able to resist even after being paddled by the school head.
Neil’s father learns about the play and demands Neil to give up his role on the eve of the opening performance. Devastated, Neil consults Keating who advised him to prove that he really likes acting and that he takes it seriously.
On the night of the performance, his father unexpectedly showed up and saw Neil playing his role. His father takes him home and tells him that he was withdrawn from Welton and that he will attend a military school to later attend Harvard and become a doctor. Neil wasn’t able to defend himself and with the lack of support from his mother, he decided to commit suicide.
This led to Welton academy investigating Neil’s death at the request of his family. Cameron blames Neil’s death to Mr. Keating to escape punishment and advises all the members of their group to do the same. Charlie punches Cameron and is expelled. Each of the boys were called to the office to sign a paper attesting to the truth of Cameron’s allegations, even though they know they are false. When Todd’s turn comes, he is reluctant to sign, but does so after seeing that the others have complied and succumbing to his parents’ pressure.
Keating is fired and is replaced by the school head who once taught at the academy. Before leaving, Keating interrupted the class to gather his belongings. As he leaves, Todd stands up on his desk and says “O captain, my captain.” Which prompts the other members of the Dead Poets Society to do the same (Except Cameron). Looking up to his students standing on top of their desks, Keating proudly thanks the boys and departs.
