Twelve Angry MenTwelve Angry MenReginald Rose
Examines the following:Examines the following:
PrejudicesBiasesWeaknessesAngerPersonalitiesIgnoranceFears
Miscellaneous Facts:
Court Room DramaJury room drama ClassicCould be any time in our nationOriginal takes place in 1950’s so all jurors are white men
Historical ContextHistorical Context1950’sA socially conservative time.People were very materialistic.
The American Dream had turned into the dream of owning things.
Juvenile delinquency was said to be at an all-time high
African Americans were subject to racial discrimination.
Comics were published and growing in popularity.
Television sales were booming.
JusticeJustice*The administration of the law*Fairness*RighteousnessVoir dire-questioning of potential jurors
Civil case-”lawsuit” caseHomicide- MurderPetty Jury- A jury of twelve peopleAbstain- Refrain from (in this case voting)
Circumstantial evidence- evidence used which may or may not be true.
Questions to PonderQuestions to Ponder
Does your perspective (vote) change during the play?
How do personal experiences affect the votes of different jurors
Why do we have a “jury” system?
When Reading a Play….When Reading a Play….Look for stage
directions◦ Show what the
characters are doing◦ Show sound effects,
lighting
◦ Help reader to pick up mood or intention Example: character
moves close to another character could show intimidation
About the Play…..About the Play…..The play deals with the sensitive issues of prejudice and
racism, relying heavily on the portrayal of stereotypesYou must be alerted to the fact that the views of the jurors,
as improper as they are (mid 20th Century), did influence the jury system/decisions for many years
This influence comes from the use of Persuasive ElementsThis controversy emphasizes the play’s important theme of
justice prevailing, even if one person stands up for what is right
Law of EvidenceLaw of Evidence in the United States’ criminal justice in the United States’ criminal justice
systemsystem
Burden of Proof◦ Burden of producing evidence beyond all reasonable doubt
(persuading the jury to believe) rests with the prosecution to prove guilt.
Prosecution: ◦ The party instituting or conducting legal proceedings against
someone in a lawsuit. Relevance
◦ Evidence is relevant when it has a tendency to prove or disprove disputed facts. i.e. eyewitness testimony is relevant because it can prove an
event happened
VocabularyVocabularypremeditated
◦ thought out or planned beforehandreasonable doubt
◦ the standard of evidence required to validate a criminal conviction
unanimous ◦ (of two or more people) fully in agreement
hung jury ◦ a jury that cannot agree on a verdict after extended
deliberation and is unable to change its votes
Vocabulary continuedVocabulary continueddefendant
◦ an individual, company, or institution sued or accused in a court of law
coroner ◦ A government official who confirms and certifies the death
of an individual within a jurisdictionacquit
◦ To find a defendant ‘not guilty’ of a chargebigot
◦ Someone who is intolerant of someone else’s beliefs, opinions, race, ethnicity, or other differing characteristics
Vocabulary continuedVocabulary continuedverdict
◦ The decision of guilt or innocence issued by a jury after a trial deliberate
◦ To discuss the facts of a case and come to a conclusion of guilt or innocence
evidence ◦ That which is used to prove a point or case (in a court of law)
Modern Example The casey anthony trial of 2009-2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/us/06casey.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
EL(EVATED) TRAINSEL(EVATED) TRAINS
CharactersCharactersA small, petty man who holds
authority over jury. He is formal and not overly bright.
A meek hesitant man who finds it difficult to maintain any opinions of his own.
A very strong, forceful, opinionated man with whom can be detected a streak of sadism.
A man of wealth and position. He presents himself as a little bit above the rest of the jurors.
Foreman
Juror two
Juror three
Juror four
CharactersCharactersA naïve, frightened young man
who takes the case very seriously.
An honest man who makes decisions slowly and carefully.
A loud, flashy salesman who has more important things to do than to sit on a jury.
A quiet, thoughtful, gentleman who sees all sides of the story and constantly seeks the truth.
Juror five
Juror six
Juror seven
Juror eight
CHARACTERS CHARACTERS
A mild, gentle, old man who has been defeated by life, and now simply waits to die.
An angry, bitter, antagonistic man. He is a bigot and places no value on human life.
A refugee from Europe. He speaks with an accent and seeks justice.
A slick, bright advertising man who thinks of human beings in terms of percentages, graphs, and polls
Juror nine
Juror ten
Juror eleven
Juror twelve
