University:
Cambridge College
Course:
LIT 315 | American Literature
Academic year:

2023
Views:

273

Pages:

2
Author:

Aracely Ayers

Name: ________ Aracely Ayers_____________ Period: ________ Date: ______2023_________ “12 Angry Men” Review Important notes:  The author, Reginald Rose, chose not to give his characters any names and to instead refer to them by numbers because they are character types. They stand for more than just one man…they represent a type of man. This makes the play difficult to read, and adds to the realism of an impersonal jury, because you must pay attention to who feels what way about a certain issue.  Rose attempts to blend four elements in the play. They are: 1. evidence as remember and interpreted by each individual juror. 2. the relationship of juror to juror in a life and death situation. 3. the emotional pattern of each individual juror 4. physical problems such as the weather, time, uncomfortable room, etc. Act Two 1. In the beginning of Act Three, the jurors vote for the third time. What is the result of the third vote? Which jurors have changed their votes? In the beginning of Act Two, the jurors vote for the third time, resulting in 9 jurors voting not guilty and 3 jurors (including THREE) voting guilty 2. FIVE provides information that discounts an important piece of testimony. What information does FIVE provide? Is he qualified to speak as an expert? Why or why not? FIVE provides information about switch-knives, questioning the reliability of the eyewitness testimony. He is not qualified as an expert but provides valuable insight based on personal experience 3. What is the result of the fourth vote? The result of the fourth vote is 10 jurors voting not guilty and 2 jurors (THREE and TEN) voting guilty 4. How do the other jurors react to TEN’s statement of his true feelings? The other jurors react with shock and disgust to TEN's statement of his true feelings about the defendant 5. Why does FOUR feel that he still cannot vote for acquittal? What significant observation does SIX make at this point? FOUR feels he still cannot vote for acquittal because he believes the evidence against the defendant is strong. SIX observes that people are not always what they seem, suggesting that the defendant may not be guilty despite appearances 6. As the play draws to its close, THREE stands alone in his conviction that the boy is guilty. Do you think THREE was pressured into agreeing with the majority? THREE stands alone in his conviction that the boy is guilty, but it is not clear if he was pressured into agreeing with the majority 7. Did the jury prove that the defendant was not guilty? How so? The jury proves that the defendant is not guilty by thoroughly examining the evidence and uncovering reasonable doubt, thus fulfilling their duty to deliver a just verdict