“12 Angry Men” / Principles of Democracy / Spring 2016
1.
Explain the principles of “reasonable doubt” and
“innocent until proven guilty” in the context of the
play.
2.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the American
jury system that the play exposes.
3.
Identify the different types of persuasion—both
emotional and rational—employed by the various
jurors and explain which proves to be most effective
and why it is most convincing.
4.
Explain what Juror #8 means in observing, “prejudice
obscures the truth,” and discuss whether or not total
impartiality is possible.
5.
Describe how the play is an allegory for the country at
the time it was written.
6.
Describe the importance of social responsibility in the
context of the play and the problems that result from
putting individual needs ahead of obligations to
society.
7.
Explain the role of doubt, for both the jurors in the
play and the audience watching it.
“12 Angry Men” / Principles of Democracy / Spring 2016
8.
Juror #11 remarks in Act One: “Facts may be colored
by the personalities of the people who present them.”
Does this occur in the play? Please provide examples
to support your answer.
9.
Which jurors are swayed by their emotions? Which
are more guided by reason?
10. Why
did the playwright choose not to give the
audience a definitive answer regarding the boy’s
innocence or guilt? How does the lingering doubt
about the truth affect the audience’s experience of the
play?
11. Which
characters take their role as jurors seriously?
Which ones do not? What is the playwright’s message
about social responsibility?
12. Why
do you think the playwright chose not to give the
jurors or any of the other characters specific names?
13. What
strengths and weaknesses of the jury system
does the play bring to light? What do you think the
playwright’s opinion about the system is?
14. What
is the role of racial prejudice in the play? What
statement do you think the playwright wanted to make
about prejudice in society?
15. Besides
racial prejudice, what other forms of prejudice
“12 Angry Men” / Principles of Democracy / Spring 2016
can you identify in the play? Are the jurors biased
against each other? If so, in what way?
16. What
is the role of social class in the play? Which
jurors seem to belong to which social classes? How
can you tell?
17. In
what way is the changing weather a metaphor for
the emotional trajectory of the play?
18. How
can you tell that Juror #3’s feelings about the
case are deeply influenced by his relationship with his
son?
19. In
what way is the play dated? What elements of it are
timeless?
20. What
is the task of the jurors? In the justice system,
what is the meaning and significance of the concept of
reasonable doubt?
21. How
is the play an allegory?