12 Angry Men
Bell Work

How much do you know about what
a jury does when they are
deliberating a case?
Take Notes

Take Cornell Style Notes of the
information on 12 Angry Men, this is
for a grade so be sure to pay
attention!
What is the play about?
12 Angry Men is a drama
 The play takes place in 2 settings

A courtroom (5%)
 A jury room (95%)


An 18 year old boy is on trial for
murdering his father
Is he guilty or not guilty?
 12 jurors must decide his fate

Do you know your law?
Cornell Notes
 What
are the
terms of law?

Guilty/Not guilty


to commit/not commit a
crime
Reasonable doubt

having uncertainty
Do you know your law?
Cornell Notes
 What
are
the terms
of court?

Defendant


Prosecution


team trying to prove defendant guilty
Jury



“the accused” person/group on trial
citizens chosen to hear the case
Juror is a member
Evidence

pieces of the case used to help
convince the jury (ex. weapon)
How does a court hearing work?

Two sides work to prove a defendant guilty
or not guilty



Defense – works for the defendant
Prosecution – works against the defendant
The jury (the 12 angry dudes) listen to
both sides of the case

They determine guilt/innocence based on
def. and pro. info.
 NOT
ON THEIR OWN BELIEFS!
What happens in a Jury Room?

Citizens decide if the defendant
(accused) is guilty or not guilty
The jury will deliberate (discuss the
case) anywhere from a few hours to a
few weeks
 They re-examine evidence and witness
accounts thoroughly

Back to the play…



All 12 must vote guilty for the defendant to be
found guilty or not guilty
If there is a reasonable doubt then they must
acquit (find innocent) the defendant
So who are the jurors?

Their names are never revealed

They are only known by numbers
Juror 1 (the foreman)



He has an air of authority above the rest
of the Jurors.
He generally does not speak unless a
tense conflict arises between the Jurors.
He wants the trial to be as fair and
efficient as possible.
Juror 2
Juror Two is a very timid man.
 He simply goes along with the
previous Juror’s opinion.

Juror 3
Juror Three is the antagonist
 Tries to force his opinions upon
others.
 Utterly convinced suspect is guilty.
 Quick to anger

Juror 4
Solely interested in the facts of the
case.
 Although he’s a skeptic, he abides
by the rules of his position.
 At times he can make offensive
generalizations without recognizing
the emotions of others.

Juror 5
Grew up in similar situation as
defendant
 Is intimidated easily by the
strong personalities of the Jury
early on
 Expert in knife fighting due to
watching them as a child

Juror 6



Stands up for his fellow jurors
Has a dislike for juror 3
Juror Six is an unsure man who
participates more as the play goes on.
Juror 7
Wants to leave to see a movie
titled ‘The Seven Year Itch’
 Is a bigot
 Does not take case seriously

Juror 8
Believes that the boy deserves a
fair trial and deliberation
 First one to say he is not guilty
 Protagonist of play
 Strong sense of justice

Juror 9
Oldest juror member
 Has great “one-liners” that irk
the other jurors
 Identifies with one witness and
explains his actions
 Ally of juror #8

Juror 10
Has a summer cold
 Has no respect for defendant’s
background
 Bigot, hypocrite, and all-around
butthead

Juror 11
Juror Eleven is an immigrant
 Very patriotic
 Has strong moral character as
well

Juror 12
Advertising executive
 He goes along with the crowd.
 He comes off as an introvert
 Interested in the facts of the
case.

Themes in 12 Angry Men

Perseverance: not giving up even
when things are difficult

Bias: a tendency to believe that
some people, ideas, etc., are
better than others that usually
results in treating some people
unfairly
Themes in 12 Angry Men

Justice: the quality of being fair

Social Inequality: groups are
not equal in terms of wealth or
opportunity
Themes in 12 Angry Men

Social Responsibility: obligation
to act for the betterment of the
society such as serving on a
jury
Vocabulary
On a separate piece of paper
do the following
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write down the word & part of
speech
Write down the definition
Use it properly in a sentence
Create a drawing or symbol for it
TOTD

What are your expectations for
the play and why?