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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What two reasons cause a juror to believe there is reasonable doubt about the defendant's guilt after adding doubts about the old man's testimony to earlier discussions about the murder?

2. What attribute is demonstrated by Juror Nine which helps the other jurors to unravel the case?

3. As Act II progresses, how does Juror Three's attitude contrast with the attitude of Juror Four?

4. What does Juror Three do to infuriate Juror Eight in Act II?

5. What does Juror Nine observe about the old man witness, which leads to his insights about his life?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do threats contribute to conflict in Act II, and how are the conflicts resolved?

2. What do the events of Act II demonstrate about the group and about the influence of Juror Eight?

3. As the jurors assess whether the old man told the truth in his testimony, how does Juror Nine use his own life experience to provide insight into the old man's behavior?

4. How do the tone and mood of the play vary as Act II develops from the result of the second vote to the taking of the third vote?

5. How is irony used by the writer in the confrontation between Juror Three and Juror Eight? What is the result?

6. Identify the major themes illustrated in Act II, and give brief explanations of how each theme is brought out.

7. How do the jurors seek to verify some of the old man's testimony?

8. What incident ensues as a result of the experiment to verify the old man's testimony?

9. There are two "physical episodes" in Act II. Describe them briefly and comment on the purposes they serve.

10. How does the writer use the events of Act II to establish Juror Eight as the protagonist?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play "Twelve angry Men" takes place almost exclusively in one setting - the jury room. What are the limitations caused by this single setting, and what techniques does the writer use to overcome such limitations?

Essay Topic 2

Today's audiences have been fed a steady diet of courtroom dramas through cinema, television and theater. Discuss the pros and cons of the observation that this diet has reduced the impact of "Twelve Angry Men" as an outstanding example of this genre.

Essay Topic 3

Select one of the scenes in which the jurors stage an event or portion of testimony from the trial in order to verify details. Discuss in detail the contribution made by the selected scene to action, suspense, tension and conflict, or its resolution in the play.

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