Reading & Creating Texts – Unit 1
By Reginald Rose
JUSTICE AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM Twelve Angry Men highlights not only the strengths of the American justice system, but also its fragility. All of the jurors have taken an oath to listen carefully to the evidence presented in court and to deliver the defendant a fair and considered verdict that has been reached unanimously. This means all twelve jurors agreeing whether or not 'reasonable doubt' exists. If it does not exist, the defendant is guilty — and faces the death penalty. If the jury finds there is reasonable doubt, the defendant is to be deemed innocent. On the surface, this seems an easy task. However, the jury system also brings together twelve men from different walks of life who are suddenly expected to spend several days listening to the trial and are then placed in a room together to consider their verdict. This is where the notion of justice is essential; all members of the jury need to be united in their desire for a fair result. Some of the jurors in the play have to learn that no one needs to prove the defendant innocent; the burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove he is guilty. The playwright, however, also highlights some ironies of the justice system. There are certain personalities who shape the course of deliberations and queries are raised about the 'twisting of the facts'. Plenty of persuasion and manipulation goes on as the jurors try to guess the truth of witness testimonies. As Juror 5 reminds them, witnesses can make mistakes. The audience sees how certain individuals have the potential to undermine the search for justice, whilst others do all they can to ensure justice is achieved. • Juror 8 is the epitome of a fair and conscientious juror who is prepared to stand alone in order to see a just verdict delivered. • Juror 8 also is able to acknowledge that the real truth may never be known, but he would rather, if there was any doubt, see a guilty man live rather than an innocent man die. • Juror 8's calm, reasoned delivery of facts and his ability to refute some of the evidence means that other jurors start to realise that a fair verdict means letting go of their preconceived notions and prejudices about the defendant and his background. As he says: 'No one can really know. But we have a reasonable doubt, and this is a safeguard that has enormous value in our system', (p.66) • Jurors 9 and 11 are crucial in supporting Juror 8's quest for justice. • Juror 4 eventually realises that justice must prevail when he starts to have doubts about some of the witness testimony: 'I now have a reasonable doubt'. (p.71) • Juror 3 finds it impossible to administer justice fairly as he is so bound up in his personal angst about his relationship with his son: 'You come in here with your sanctimonious talk about slum kids and injustice...', (p.47) • Juror 2, who changes his vote quite late in the play, tells Juror 3: 'You can't send someone off to die on evidence like that', (p.71)
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• Although Jurors 7 and 10 have questionable motives about voting 'not guilty', in the end their decisions allow justice to triumph and the original intentions of the writers of the Sixth Amendment to the American Constitution are met.
QUESTIONS 1. ‘Justice and fairness can prevail over intolerance and prejudice if one fair and just person is willing to speak out.’ Do you agree? Discuss. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
‘Reginald Rose vindicates rather than destroys our belief in the jury system as a means of securing justice.’ Do you agree? Why?
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3. The Judge tells the jurors it is their ‘duty to try and separate the facts from the fancy’. How do the jurors separate the facts from the fancy? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
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PREJUDICE AND STEREOTYPING One would hope that all people consider other human beings as equal to themselves and don't make assumptions based on race or socio-economic background. We would also hope that jurors would give every person the same careful consideration, no matter where they come from. Rose goes out of his way to highlight that some men are unable to put aside their personal beliefs, even when they have sworn an oath to do so. Prejudice in the play is personified by Jurors 3 and 10. Juror 3's prejudice stems from his troubled relationship with his own son. He views the defendant through his blinkered misconceptions about young men. Juror 10 represents those who are prejudiced against people from differing ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This prejudice reaches its peak during his hyperbolic tirade against 'these people'. To him, this trial is a chance to get rid of one of 'them' by finding the defendant 'guilty', even at the expense of a fair trial. Rose has deliberately provided several jurors who test the preconceived notions of the other jurors: Juror 5 is from the slums, Juror 9 is elderly and Juror 11 is a European migrant who has sought refuge from persecution in America. Students should also remember that one of the ironies of the play is that the jury consists of twelve white men. • Juror 10 is prejudiced against anyone from the slums: 'You can't believe a word they say. I mean they're born liars', (p. 13) 'They are different. They think different. They act different', (p.64) 'He's a common, ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English', (p.37) He is unable to make a fair judgement about individual guilt. • Juror 4 also stereotypes those who live in poor socio-economic areas: 'Slums are a breeding ground for criminals', (p. 18) • Juror 11 responds with This sensitivity I understand' when Juror 10 offends Juror 5 with his denigration of those who live in slums. Juror 11 has had to face prejudice himself, (p. 18) • Juror 7 later offends these sensitivities when he speaks angrily of Juror 11: 'I'm tellin' ya they're all alike', (p.55) • Juror 8 knows that prejudice endangers the process of a fair trial: 'It's very hard to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And no matter where you run into it, prejudice obscures the truth', (p.66) • Juror 9 is also able to view the defendant fairly: 'I don't think the kind of boy he is has anything to do with it', (p.51) • Ageism is seen in respect to the old man who testifies. Juror 3 says: 'He's an old man ... Half the time he was confused. How could he be positive about anything?' (p.43) Rose gives Juror 9 an excellent memory, eyesight and observational skills to show that age isn't always an issue. • Juror 3 stereotypes young men: The man's a dangerous killer. You could see it', (p. 11) That goddamn rotten kid. I know him. What they're like', (p.72)
QUESTIONS 1. How does Twelve Angry Men show that prejudice can obscure the truth? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Juror 11 says: ‘Facts may be coloured by the personalities of the people who present them’. Is he right? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONFLICT Twelve Angry Men is a drama that revolves around several types of conflict. Even allowing for the fact that the twelve men are crowded in an oppressively hot room, human nature dictates that this many people are not going to reach consensus easily. We see juror versus juror conflict, person against society conflict and also internal conflict. The differences between Jurors 3 and 8 develop throughout the jury's deliberations and reach a climax when Juror 3 threatens to kill Juror 8 at the end of Act 1. Resolution isn't reached until the very end when, after Juror 3 has voted 'not guilty', Juror 8 helps him with his coat. The defendant has battled against society all his life: he is from an economically and emotionally impoverished background and has experienced institutions such as orphanages and reform school already. Perhaps his, in all likelihood, court-appointed lawyer also exemplifies conflict; he may not be interested in making much effort on behalf of his client. Conflict of a different type is also seen in Juror 3 — part of his problem lies with his internalisation of the conflict between himself and his son. It takes him until the end of play to realise how he has been behaving. • Juror 3 is angry at Juror 8: 'Who do you think you are to start cross-examining us? (p.27). 'Shut up you son of a bitch!' (p.47) Also Juror 3's deliberately threatening re-enactment of the stabbing with Juror 8 makes all in the room take a deep breath. • Juror 4 tells Juror 10: 'We've heard enough. Sit down. And don't open your filthy mouth again', (p.66) This is after Juror 10 called him a 'smart little bastard'. • Juror 5 is provoked to anger by Juror 10: There is something personal', (p. 18) • Juror 6 doesn't like the way Juror 3 talks to Juror 9: 'A guy who talks like that to an old man oughta really get stepped on y'know'. (p.35) • Juror 8 calls Juror 3 a 'sadist' just before Juror 3 threatens to kill him. • Juror 9 finds Juror 10 difficult: 'Do you know you're a sick man?' (p.65) • Juror 10 doesn't want to try and resolve the disagreements within the jury: Those six bastards in there aren't going to change their minds', (p.54) • The stage directions are also very important when exploring this theme. Clues are given as to looks, actions, stance and demeanour.
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Reading & Creating Texts – Unit 1
QUESTIONS 1. How does the playwright use the jurors to show the conflict between right and wrong? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ‘We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. This is one of the reasons why we are strong. We should not make it a personal thing’. Discuss. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
‘The setting of the play enhances the tension among the men.’ Do you agree? Discuss.
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REASON AND LOGIC VERSUS EMOTION Twelve Angry Men shows us that not all people are able to put their personal beliefs and feelings aside to concentrate on the facts and evidence that they hear in a court room. This clash between reason and emotion also shifts into the jury room when the twelve men have the opportunity to say what they think about the case. Whilst Jurors 8, 9 and 11 are able to logically sift through the various exhibits and testimonies, other jurors can only personalise the case rather than setting aside their feelings. Jurors 3 and 10 are examples of this. These two jurors are also unable to contain their tempers as well as the others; both at various stages threaten others. • Juror 3 immediately bases his assessment of the defendant on his personal views: The man's a dangerous killer. You could see it', (p.11)
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• Juror 6 also immediately reaches a conclusion: 'I mean, I was convinced from the first day', (p. 11) • Juror 3 also uses emotional manipulation to try and persuade the other jurors, although it doesn't work: 'You're not going to intimidate me. I'm entitled to my opinion. I can sit in this goddamn room for a year', (p.72) • Juror 4 wants to use logic for self-gain: There's no reason why they can't be persuaded to do it again ... Just by using logic', (p.54) • Juror 7 isn't interested in logically working through the evidence: 'Ran, walked. What's the difference?' (p.42) • Juror 8 epitomises the value of reason and logic: 'I think we owe him a few words.' (p. 13): 'I don't know. It doesn't sound right to me', (p.33): 'Sometimes the facts that are staring you in the face are wrong', (p.38): 'We may be wrong'. (p.66) • Juror 8 also suggests the re-enactment of the old man's testimony and makes calculations about the el train. • Juror 10 allows emotion to cloud most of what he says: 'They breed like animals', (p.64) • Juror 11 is also rational and sensible: 'I don't believe I have to be loyal to one side or the other. I am simply asking questions', (p.39): To say that a man is capable of murder does not mean that he has committed murder', (p.59)
QUESTIONS 1. What does the play show us about group behaviour? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How does ‘Twelve Angry’ Men explore the role of individual influence in group settings.’ Discuss. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
‘I mean, did you ever hear so much talk about nothing?’ Twelve Angry Men shows the importance of talking and listening in the jury room. Discuss.
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4.
‘Twelve Angry Men shows the importance of asking questions.’ Discuss.
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