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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. Which juror accuses the juror who is adamant that he will not see the defendant set free of wanting to be the defendant's executioner?

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

3. What attribute is consistently demonstrated by Juror Eight which helps the other jurors to unravel the case?

4. Why is the decision making process conducted by a group more complex than one that is made by just an individual?

5. What source of information from the trial do the jurors use to help them estimate the time of the events surrounding the murder?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. As the jurors contemplate the evidence given by the woman across the street, how does a comment from Juror Eight complicate the discussion?

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

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. 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?

6. What important contributions does Juror Nine make to the deliberations in Act II?

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

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

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

10. What evidence of preconceived notions and prejudice does the writer present in Act II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes in "Twelve Angry Men" is the impact of prejudice and preconceived notions on the deliberations by the jury. Discuss in detail the instances in which prejudice and preconceived notions are revealed in the play, and comment on the extent to which they represent problems in real-life group situations.

Essay Topic 2

What are the advantages and disadvantages of including "Twelve angry Men" in the literature syllabus for high school students?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the play there is no reference to the names of any of the characters. The defendant is referred to as 'the boy' and the witnesses as the 'old man' and 'the lady across the street'. The jurors are given numbers to differentiate them. Discuss the reasons for the writer's decision to do this and comment on the impact of this technique on the play.

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