12 Angry Men Review Plot Review

What did the old man living underneath the defendant testify to hearing him say?

"I'm gonna kill you"

What is the point of all the measuring that Eight does?

Eight is proving that the old man could not get to the door in 15 seconds.

Why does Four change his vote to not guilty?

Eight made a point while the woman was in bed she thought she saw the boy stab his father. She wears glasses because she is near-sighted.Four now has a reasonable doubt.

Why does Juror 8 have a funny feeling about the trial?

He believes that everyone is too positive that the boy is guilty and that the lawyer didn't defend the boy to the best of his ability.

Why is it so important for Three that the boy be convicted?

He has all consuming hatred of the accused boy.

Why does Juror #5 react the way he does to juror #10 comments?

He is from the slums and lived there his whole life.

What does Juror 3 do to 8 which makes all of the other Jurors cry, "Look out!"

He mimics the stabbing and is only one inch away from 8's chest.

What does Juror #10 reveal about himself when he says "How can you believe him, knowing what he is? I lived among 'em all my life. You can't believe a word they say."

He shows how he is racist, and it is his bias and prejudice and that is mainly fueling his verdict.

What are the judges instructions to the jury?

He tells them they must decide the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All twelve must vote guilty or not guilty; otherwise there will be no verdict, and it will be a hung jury.

What is Juror #8's reason for voting not guilty?

He wants to consider all evidence carefully.

What proposition does Juror #8 make to his fellow jurors when they seem most angry at him for his not-guilty vote?

He will abstain from voting. If all 11 still vote guilty, then he will change his vote.

Why does Juror 4 change his verdict?

He wore glasses and knew she wouldn't have been accurately testifying claiming she saw the murder through a passing el train.

Describe the staging for this play and indicate what mood the staging generates. How might the room itself, the weather, and the time affect the jurors?

It is a bare, drab room that is probably depressing, even in good circumstances. On the day which is depicted, it is hot and stuffy, late in the day, and everyone is tired and uncomfortable

What was the problem with the jury room?

It was hot and the fan didn't work.

Why is the switch-knife an important piece of evidence?

It was the murder weapon. The boy bought one just like it the day of the murder and claimed he lost it.

Who is the antagonist?

Juror #3

Who is in a particular hurry to reach a verdict? Why?

Juror #7 is in a particular hurry to reach a verdict because he has tickets to a Yankees Game.

What comments do these jurors make about the defendant?

Juror #7: His criminal background Juror #3: Kids in general Juror #4: The knife

Who is the protagonist?

Juror #8

What does Juror #8 voting not-guilty reveal about him.

Juror #8 is trying to give the boy a fair chance, even if the others will not. He is brave.

What is the dramatic climax of ACT 1?

Juror #8 pulls out an identical knife.

What was the dramatic climax at the end of act 1?

Juror 3 and 8 get in a fight, and 3 screams "I'l l kill him" and 8 says, "You don't really mean you'll kill me, do you?"

Why is the 'knife theory' invalidated?

Juror 8 goes out and buys the exact same knife which invalidates the testimony of the shopkeeper that the knife used to kill the father was one of a kind.

What flaw did Juror 8 find in the older mans testimony, why does 9 also think this mans testimony isn't valid?

Juror 8 says how it would've been impossible to hear the boy say "I'm going to kill you!" if the roaring el train was passing at the same time. Juror 9 thinks that the older man just wants attention

Nine thinks the old man might have said what he said in order to get attention, not because he actually heard anything. What led him to this conclusion?

Nine can understand the old man's need for attention.

To Four, what is the most convincing evidence that the boy is guilty?

One:the evidence given by the woman across the street who actually saw the murder committed. Two:the fact the woman described the stabbing by saying she sawthe boy raise his arm over his head and plunge the knife down into his father's chest.

What evidence does Juror 9 bring up which questions the testimony of the women?

She had marks which had to be created by eye glasses, the women was in bed at the time of the killing and most likely was not wearing her eye glasses.

How does Juror 8 disprove the old mans testimony of hearing and seeing the boy run down the stairs?

Since the man was older, it would've been impossible for him to reach the door in just 15 seconds.

What are the other juror's reactions to Juror #8's vote?

Some look back at him coldly. Some cannot look at him. Only No. 9 nods slowly. No. 12 doodles steadily. No. 4 begins to comb his hair.

By what kind of knife is the victim stabbed?

Switchblade

What is the point that Eight makes about a passing elevated train?

That the train is too loud for the old man to hear the boy yelling

When Three and Nine are arguing over whether the old witness said that it took him fifteen or twenty seconds to get to the door, what does Three say?

Three says,"Half the time he is confused, how can he be positive about anything."

On what dramatic note does Act I end? What makes the dramatic climax so significant?

Three shouts, "I'm gonna kill you!" to Eight and it's the same expression the boy used.

What does Three do to Eight that causes the others to cry, "Look out!"

Three was about to stab Eight and comes very close.

What point does Eight make by questioning number 4 on the movies?

We all sometimes can forget small details about our lives.

What is the dramatic climax of the play?

When Juror 3 is standing alone and breaks down about how he misses his son and his son has hurt him. He realizes finally that what happened with his own son doesn't make all kids guilty

Who was the first juror to join 8th Juror with a 'not guilty' vote?

juror #9 the old man

7th Juror wants the deliberation to end so that he can get to what event?

the baseball game

What is the result and who changes their vote in the second vote?

10-2, in favor of guilty. Juror 9 changes his vote. He changes it since he wants the jurors to talk out the case a little more. (Juror 9 = Older Man)

What is the first vote?

11 guilty to 1 not guilty

How old is the defendant?

16 years old

According to the stage directions, when does this play take place?

1957

What are the results of the third vote after 5 brings up the point that the knife was not stabbed in the right direction?

9-3 in favor of not guilty

What information is revealed about the crime to the reader before the first vote is taken?

A young man is accused of murdering his father

In the opening of Act III, Eleven praises the fact that people can hold unpopular opinions in this country. He continues speaking about democracy. Why does Reginald Rose give him these lines?

Eleven is a refuge from Europe and it is different to him about democracy and appreciates what everyone else takes for granted.

What does # 4 say is the most convincing evidence that the boy is guilty?

The testimony that the women across the street saw the boy murder his father.

Why is Five convinced that the boy did not stab his father? What makes Five an authority?

The way the father was stabbed, a person from that neighborhood would stab them underhand. Switch knives come with his neighborhood.

Why is Juror 5 convinced that the boy didn't stab his father?

The way the switchblade was supposedly stabbed is not the way used in the slum, not over hand and down but rather sideways and underhand.

In the scene where Ten starts going on about "those people," why do the other jurors get up from the table?

They are disassociating them from him and saying,"We aren't listening to you. Be quiet, you're making a fool of yourself," with their actions.

What comments do Four and Ten make about the defendant? Why is five offended?

They describe people who grow up from slums as trash and menaces to society. Five is offended since he is successful working as a nurse and grew up from a slum.

What does the defendant claim he was doing while his father was stabbed?

at the mid-night movies

The woman across the street witnessed the murder through what?

elevated train

Why did the defendant claim to have purchased a knife the night of the murder?

he broke his friend's knife so he gave him a new one

What is the cause of Three's anger toward all young men?

his broken relationship toward his with his own son