By Ketan Aggarwal
12 ANGRY MEN QUESTION
(Use this answer when the question is for 20 Marks)
INTRODUCTION
12 angry man’ was written by the writer ‘Reginald Rose’ and Directed in the form of movie by
Sidney Lumet. The Movie was so popular and outstanding that a Bollywood movie was also
made in 1986 about the same. This is a famous movie and an excellent example of a socially
aware, psychologically focused American style of mid-20th century realism, portraying ordinary
people in daily situations. May the most attention is the responsibility of jurors, they seem to
bother to think twice the case before the first vote, except jurors 8. Jurors 8 vote ‘ Not guilty’
against 11 votes of “ guilty’ from other guys, so this is the most interesting me in this story ‘one
against many’ perseverance, belief injustice, jurors 8 made other people change their mind.
STORY & SUMMARY
In summary, this film is about twelve men in charge of deciding whether or not an 18-year-old
Hispanic boy is guilty of first-degree murder…of his father.
The film starts in the courtroom with the judge stating that it’s the juror's duty to “sit down and
separate the facts from the fancy.” The jury retires to discuss the seemingly unanimous verdict
of guilty. After the first ballot, all vote guilty — all but one: Juror #8, The main charecter.
Juror #8 votes not guilty strictly because he isn’t sure…and that’s all it takes. After he expresses
his desire for discussion, Juror #8 slowly convinces more and more of the jury to hear his side of
the arguments, swaying them to believe the boy is not guilty as the film progresses — due in
large part to reasonable doubt.
THEMES
Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men offers plenty of food for thought, as it explores many
different themes. Three of the play's primary themes are human motivations, the difference
between appearance and reality, and the courage to stand up for one's beliefs.
1. Human Motivations.
By Ketan Aggarwal
Several of the jurors are operating out of personal motivations that are revealed throughout the
play.
The tenth juror, for instance, has major issues with racial prejudice and judges the
accused solely because of his race.
The third juror, who holds out to the end before changing his verdict, is bitter because
of the conflict he has with his own son, and he takes his bitterness out on the accused.
Even the witnesses are operating out of their own motivations. For example, the
eighth juror thinks that the old man who testified is seeking attention.
2. The Difference Between Appearance And Reality
Second, we notice from these motivations and from other elements of the play that appearance
and reality are not the same thing. The accused appears to be guilty of murdering his father. All
the evidence seems to be stacked against him. Yet when the jurors, led by the eighth juror, begin
to look more closely at the evidence, they find all kinds of holes. The appearance, they discover,
does not match the reality. The accused is not, in fact, guilty. He did not murder his father.
3. The Courage To Stand Up For One's Beliefs.
Third, the eighth juror notices this difference between appearance and reality, and he is not afraid
to speak up about it. He votes "not guilty" even in the face of opposition from all the other jurors,
and he sticks with it. He could have easily caved in to peer pressure and gone along with the
crowd to convict the young man, but he will not. He has plenty of courage to keep fighting for
what he believes in and to discover the truth.
CONCLUSION
By the conclusion of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men, the audience is left questioning the
truth behind the case. As the real occurrences behind the victim's murder are never disclosed, the
play asserts that the procuring of justice is more important than the acquiring of truth. Having the
courage to stand alone in one’s beliefs may be one of the hardest thing a person can do. This
theme is the driving force behind the the film 12 Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose.
By Ketan Aggarwal
IF THE QUESTION IS OF 5 MARKS TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE
COURAGE.
THEN ANSWER WILL BE-
INTRODUCTION
12 angry man’ was written by the writer ‘Reginald Rose’ and Directed in the form of movie by
Sidney Lumet. The Movie was so popular and outstanding that a Bollywood movie was also
made in 1986 about the same. This is a famous movie and an excellent example of a socially
aware, psychologically focused American style of mid-20th century realism, portraying ordinary
people in daily situations. May the most attention is the responsibility of jurors, they seem to
bother to think twice the case before the first vote, except jurors 8. Jurors 8 vote ‘ Not guilty’
against 11 votes of “ guilty’ from other guys, so this is the most interesting me in this story ‘one
against many’ perseverance, belief injustice, jurors 8 made other people change their mind.
STORY & SUMMARY
In summary, this film is about twelve men in charge of deciding whether or not an 18-year-old
Hispanic boy is guilty of first-degree murder…of his father.
The film starts in the courtroom with the judge stating that it’s the juror's duty to “sit down and
separate the facts from the fancy.” The jury retires to discuss the seemingly unanimous verdict
of guilty. After the first ballot, all vote guilty — all but one: Juror #8, The main charecter.
Juror #8 votes not guilty strictly because he isn’t sure…and that’s all it takes. After he expresses
his desire for discussion, Juror #8 slowly convinces more and more of the jury to hear his side of
the arguments, swaying them to believe the boy is not guilty as the film progresses — due in
large part to reasonable doubt.
An Act Of Bravery Against The Group To Do What’s Right’:
“Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.”
Courageous people understand the danger that they face when they act how they do. That is what
courage is all about. Many historical events occur due to people having the courage to do what
they think is right, or because of those who use their courage to do what they want. Having the
By Ketan Aggarwal
courage to stand alone in one’s beliefs may be one of the hardest thing a person can do. This
theme is the driving force behind the the film 12 Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose.
COURAGE AS A THEME
Third, the eighth juror notices this difference between appearance and reality, and he is not afraid
to speak up about it. He votes "not guilty" even in the face of opposition from all the other jurors,
and he sticks with it. He could have easily caved in to peer pressure and gone along with the
crowd to convict the young man, but he will not. He has plenty of courage to keep fighting for
what he believes in and to discover the truth.
