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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. Considering the information available about the defendant, to what extent does the composition of this jury reflect the principle that should guide the composition of a jury trying a case?

2. In the acting out of the old man's movements from his bed to the door, which juror plays the role of the old man?

3. Which juror is adamant that he will not see the defendant set free?

4. As the jurors analyze the evidence and arguments more closely, it becomes evident that the dissenting voter is playing a critical role as an agent of change. Which of the following words best describes this role?

5. How does Juror Three justify his assertion that the defendant must have meant it when he said "I'm going to kill you"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What controversy occurs after Juror Nine shares his insights about the old man in Act II?

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

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. After the uproar following Juror three's accusation about which juror changes his vote in Act II, what do the jurors proceed to do?

6. How and why do the discussions of the old man and the alleged threats made by the defendant affect one of the jurors?

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

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

9. How does the writer use Act II to establish Juror Three and Juror Eight as the antagonist and the protagonist respectively?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the attributes that contribute to the ability of individuals to change the course of events in a group? To what extent do individual jurors display these attributes in "Twelve angry Men"?

Essay Topic 2

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 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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