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Twelve Angry Men
by Reginald Rose
NOTE: The text of the play may be found by clicking its link on
Ms. Culliton’s homepage, www.culliton.org. The page numbers
on the web text are different from those in the textbook. You
can either sign a textbook out and bring it home and back with
you to class each day, or – IF, and ONLY if, you have reliable
internet access at home – you can leave the book in class and use
the website at home. Either way, you ARE responsible for
completing the Study Guide questions before the test date! A
copy of the Study Guide and Vocabulary can also be found on
the web page, in case you lose something.
Act I
1. As the play begins, the JUDGE is charging the twelve jurors. What are his specific instructions to them?
2. How might the jury room itself, the time, and the weather affect the jurors?
Which juror is particularly anxious to reach a quick decision? Why is he in such a hurry?
3. Before the first vote is taken, what do you learn about the nature of the crime, and the defendant?
What are the basic facts of the case, including the testimony of two witnesses, against the nineteen-year-old boy?
4. What is the result of the first vote? Which juror seems the least confident of his vote (see p. 314, r)?
What are some of EIGHT’s reasons for not wanting to vote guilty right away?
How do the jurors react to EIGHT's statements?
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5. Juror TWO thinks the defendant is guilty because “nobody proved otherwise.” In what way is his thinking in
conflict with the legal system?
6. Look at the dialogue between TEN and EIGHT on pages 315- 316. What does TEN mean by phrases such as
“knowing what he is” and “can’t believe a word they say”?
What is NINE’s reaction to these statements; what does he mean by “group characteristic,” and why does he say that
what TEN is saying is “dangerous”?
What is another term for a so-called “group characteristic”?
What occurrences in To Kill a Mockingbird were similar to the issues brought up by this piece of dialogue?
7. In order to convince EIGHT of the defendant’s guilt, the jurors decide to discuss the facts of the case. How does
TWO interpret the facts?
How does EIGHT answer TWO's interpretation?
What is the testimony cited by THREE?
How do the FOREMAN and FOUR support THREE's statement?
What is the testimony cited by TEN?
By SIX?
How does EIGHT counter their statements?
8. What is known to the jurors of the defendant’s past behavior and police record?
9. Which jurors seem to show prejudice against the defendant?
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What are their prejudices about?
What comments do SEVEN, THREE, and FOUR make about the defendant? Do their comments pertain to the
facts of the case? Explain.
10. What personal experience made THREE say what he does regarding “kids”?
11. Why does FIVE react as he does?
12. What did TEN say about the trial on page 315?
How does EIGHT now describe his own reaction to the trial? (p. 318, l.)
EIGHT believes that the court-appointed defense attorney did not thoroughly cross-examine witnesses for the
prosecution. What are some reasons the attorney may have behaved this way?
If Juror EIGHT is right, how might this situation affect the defendant’s chances?
How does THREE react to EIGHT's comments regarding the trial?
13. Why is the switch-knife an important exhibit in evidence?
What was the defendant’s testimony about the switch-knife?
How do FOUR and EIGHT differ in their interpretation of this testimony?
What does the knife that EIGHT supplies contribute to the discussion? What does EIGHT prove by his action?
14. What proposition does EIGHT make to his fellow jurors at the end of Act 1?
How do you think FOUR, THREE, FIVE, and NINE will vote on the second ballot? Cite specific passages from the
play to account for your answer.
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Act II
1. What is the result of the second vote?
Who changed his vote? Why? (p. 323, r)
2. What does ELEVEN say about the United States?
Is he right, in your opinion? Explain.
What do you think he’s about to say about his “own country” before TEN cuts him off on p. 323?
3. Why does NINE believe that EIGHT has “a great deal of courage”?
How does this statement relate to the events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird ?
4. What evidence does EIGHT offer first to discount the old man’s testimony? What is the connection between the el
train’s noise and the old man’s testimony?
5. Reread on pages 325-326 the comments NINE makes about the old man. Are NINE's comments based on fact or
do they reflect his personal feelings? Explain.
In what way might NINE here be following a piece of advice that Atticus gave to Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird ?
6. What is the significance of TEN's comment that the defendant “don’t even speak good English”?
How does this comment affect ELEVEN?
FIVE?
Is the comment consistent with TEN's previous behavior (is it “in character”)? Why or why not?
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7. How does EIGHT interpret the result of his timed experiment?
8. In Act Two, Juror THREE contradicts his earlier views. In what ways?
9. At the end of Act II, Juror THREE shouts, “I’ll kill him!” What is the significance of this statement at this point in
the play?
10. Suppose the defendant had had a first-rate defense attorney. What points might that attorney have tried to bring
out in cross examining each of these witnesses?
a. the storekeeper who sold the knife
b. the old man who lived downstairs
c. the woman who lived across the street
11. How do you think each juror would vote at the end of Act Two?
Act III
1. The jurors vote for the third time. What is the result of the third vote?
Which jurors have changed their votes?
2. What information does Juror FIVE provide that shows a piece of evidence to be false?
Is he qualified to speak as an expert? Why or why not?
Is FIVE’s ability to provide this information too coincidental to be believable? Explain.
3. In what way is SEVEN’s willingness to change his vote consistent with his earlier behavior?
Why does ELEVEN question SEVEN so closely?
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4. What is the result of the fourth vote?
5. State in your own words the argument that Juror TEN makes for the guilt of the defendant in his monologue on
pages 336-337.
How do the other jurors react to TEN’s statements of his true feelings? Explain what they do and why.
6. Why does FOUR feel that he still cannot vote for acquittal?
How does Juror SIX prove that the evidence provided by the woman is invalid?
Juror FOUR changes his vote to “not guilty” after the evidence he believes is most damning is shown to be doubtful.
What does this tell you about Juror FOUR?
7. As the play draws to its close, THREE stands alone in his conviction that the boy is guilty. Do you think THREE
was unjustly pressured into agreeing with the majority? Explain.
A “hung jury” would have resulted if THREE had refused to change his vote. Would this have been a good thing or
not? Explain.
What does THREE reveal about himself in changing his vote? Explain the character traits that make him give in at
the end.
8. Did the jury establish a “reasonable doubt” as to the guilt of the defendant? Explain.