12 Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
Key Terms


“Murder in the first degree… is the most
serious charge tried in our criminal
courts… One man is dead. The life of
another is at stake. If there is a
reasonable doubt in your minds as to
the guilt of the accused… then you must
declare him not guilty…
Now, write your understanding of the
definition for each underlined term in the
above quote.
Murder in the first degree
Murder in the first degree
generally is a calculated act of
slaying committed with malice
aforethought, often requiring
aggravated circumstances such
as extreme brutality. It receives
the severest penalty, often life
imprisonment or capital
punishment.
Charge 
an accusation: He
was arrested on a
charge of theft.
Reasonable doubt 

Uncertainty as to a criminal
defendant's guilt
Proof of guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt is required for conviction of a
criminal defendant. A reasonable
doubt exists when a factfinder
cannot say with moral certainty that
a person is guilty or a particular fact
exists. It must be more than an
imaginary doubt, and it is often
defined judicially as such doubt as
would cause a reasonable person to
hesitate before acting in a matter of
importance.
MORE KEY TERMS:
 Protagonist
 Antagonist
 Drama
 Foreshadowing
 Literary
foil

Protagonist:
 The central
character in a story
or play is called the
protagonist. The
protagonist is
always involved in
the central conflict
of the plot and
often changes
during the course of
the work.

Antagonist:

The antagonist in a
work of fiction is the
character who opposes
the hero, or
protagonist, of the
story. The antagonist
is central to the work
in providing the
conflict of the story.

Drama:

Drama is literature that
develops plot and
character through
dialogue and action; in
other words, drama is
literature in a play form.
Dramas are meant to be
performed. Drama
advances from the
introduction of
characters and situations
to the rising action or
complication, climax or
crisis, falling action or
denouement, and
resolution or
catastrophe.

Foreshadowing:
 Foreshadowing is a
writer’s use of hints
or clues to indicate
events that will
occur later in a
narrative. This
technique often
creates suspense
and prepares the
reader for what is
to come.
Literary foil:
A foil is a character who provides a striking contrast to
another character. By using a foil, a writer calls attention
to certain traits possessed by a main character or simply
enhances a character by contrast.
VS.
Twelve Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
This is a play that was originally a live television broadcast
on CBS’s show Studio One in 1954.Two years later, Rose wrote
the screenplay for a film version, which he co-produced with
the actor Henry Fonda (who has a leading role as Juror #8).
The result is a taut, engrossing drama in which eleven jurors
believe the defendant in a capital murder trial is guilty,
while one juror stands up courageously for what he believes
is justice, and tries to persuade others to his way of thinking.

The play was inspired by Rose’s own experience
of jury duty on a manslaughter case in New York
City. At first, he had been reluctant to serve on
a jury, but, he wrote, “The moment I walked
into the courtroom… and found myself facing a
strange man whose fate was suddenly more or
less in my hands, my entire attitude changed.”
Rose was greatly impressed by the gravity of the
situation, the somber activity of the court, and
the “absolute finality” of the decision that he
and his fellow jurors would have to make. He
also thought that, since no one other than the
jurors had any idea of what went on in a jury
room, “a play taking place entirely within a jury
room might be an exciting and possibly moving
experience for an audience.”
Making Connections:
 What
books, shows, movies,
songs, poems can you think
of that have a jury as part
of the conflict of the plot?
Meet the Characters!


Twelve Angry Men is a character driven play.
That means that the theme and plot unfold as
we get to know the characters. Although they
are only known to us by numbers (no names are
used in the play until the very end), their
personalities are distinct, and the inter-reaction
between characters is worth our focus.
Juror 1

He is a small, petty man
who is impressed with
the authority he has and
handles himself quite
formally. He is not overly
bright, but dogged.
Juror #1 – played by Martin Balsam
Juror 2

He is a meek, hesitant
man who finds it
difficult to maintain
any opinions of his
own. He is easily
swayed and usually
adopts the opinion of
the last person to
whom he has spoken.
Juror #2 – played by John Fiedler
Juror 3

He is a very strong, very
forceful, extremely
opinionated man within
whom can be detected a
steak of sadism. Also, he
is a humorless man who
is intolerant of opinions
other than his own, and
accustomed to forcing his
wishes and views upon
others.
Juror #3 – played by Lee J. Cobb
Juror 4

He seems to be a man of
wealth and position, and
a practiced speaker who
presents himself well at
all times. He seems to
feel a little bit above the
rest of the jurors. His
only concern is with the
facts in this case and he
is appalled with the
behavior of the others.
Juror #4 – played by E. G. Marshall
Juror 5

He is a naïve, very
frightened young
man who takes his
obligations in this
case very seriously
but who finds it
difficult to speak up
when his elders have
the floor.
Juror #5 – played by Jack Klugman
Juror 6

He is an honest but dullwitted man who comes
upon his decisions slowly
and carefully. He is a
man who finds it difficult
to create positive opinion,
but who must listed to
and digest and accept
those opinions offered by
others which appeal to
him most.
Juror #6 – played by Edward Binns
Juror 7

He is a loud, flashy,
glad-handed sales-man
type who has more
important things to do
than to sit on a jury. He
is quick to show temper
and equally quick to
form opinions on things
about which he knows
nothing. He is a bully,
and, of course, a
coward.
Juror #7 – played by Jack Warden
Juror 8

He is a quiet, thoughtful,
gentle man– a man who
sees all sides of every
question and constantly
seeks the truth. He is a
man of strength
tempered with
compassion. Above all,
he is a man who wants
justice to be done, and
will fight to see that it is.
Juror #8 – played by Henry Fonda
Juror 9

He is a mild, gentle old
man, long since defeated
by life, and now merely
waiting to die. He
recognizes himself for
what he is, and mourns
the days when it would
have been possible to be
courageous without
shielding himself behind
his many years.
Juror #9 – played by Joseph Sweeney
Juror 10

He is an angry, bitter
man– a man who
antagonizes almost at
sight. He is also a bigot
(racist) who places no
values on any human life
save his own. Here is a
man who has been
nowhere and is going
nowhere and knows it
deep within him.
Juror #10 – played by Ed Begley
Juror 11

He is a refugee from
Europe. He speaks with
an accent and is
ashamed, humble, almost
subservient to the people
around him. He will
honestly seek justice
because he has suffered
through so much
injustice.
Juror # 11 – played by George Voskovek
Juror 12

He is a slick, bright
advertising man who thinks
of human beings in terms
of percentages, graphs and
polls, and has no real
understanding of people.
He is a superficial snob, but
trying to be a good fellow.
Juror #12 – played by Robert Webber
Theme Connections
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Prejudice gets in the way of the truth.
Getting to the bottom of a complex issue takes
time and effort.
Check your intuitions -- neither dismiss them,
nor trust them blindly.
Details can be important, in context; think in
terms of contingencies.
There are many interpretations of "the facts."
Test others' opinions, question their
assumptions, and draw your own conclusions.
More Theme Connections
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Civility will encourage your opponents to keep
listening to you.
Tailor your tactics to your target.
Coalitions can work for or against you -- and
they can shift.
Reason and assertiveness can both be powerful
tactics, depending on the situation.
Patient silence and loud persistence can both be
powerful, at the right times.
One determined and skilled individual can wield
a lot of influence.