Arobbo

12 Angry Men Study Questions – Annelise Robinson

1. Referring to the opening scene, how might the following affect the jurors:

a. The jury room

The jury room is described as being ‘large, drab, bare room in need of painting’. The environment can be seen as evoking negative emotions in people leading to an unavoidable conflict. The confined space together with the minimal facilities serves to heighten the tension amongst the jurors.

b. The weather

The intense new york summer heat indicates how confined and claustrophobic the jurors would have felt. ‘You would think they’d at least air-condition the place. I nearly dropped dead in court” depicts how physically demanding the heat was. The oppressive heat may affect the juror’s willingness to be there. It is also possible that the men are driven into madness by the heat, as demonstrated in the irrational behaviour. In the second scene where it begins to rain, the jurors become more civilised and reasonable.

2. What is the defendant’s testimony about the knife?

The defendants testimony to the knife was that “he claims that the knife fell through a hole in his pocket sometime between eleven thirty and three fifteen while he was on his trip to the movies and that he never saw it agin” as described by the fourth juror. Page 22.

a. How to juror 4 and juror 8 differ in their interpretation of this testimony?

The 4th juror does not believe the defendant stating “now this is a tale gentlemen”. He does not belive the defendant went to the movies at all that night as he knows he was not seen either leaving the house or identified by anyone at the theatre. He was unable to recall any of the movies he had seen when questioned by the police in the apartment.

Juror 8 on the other hand is of the belief that the defendant could be innocent saying “No, I’m saying it is possible that the boy lost the knife and that someone else with a...