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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 is the state of mind of most of jurors as they enter the jury room?

2. Who is the defendant and for what is he being tried?

3. What two types of prejudice are evident in the comments of some of the jurors during Act 1?

4. According to one of the witnesses, what was the defendant alleged to have shouted out to his father on the night of the murder?

5. How old was the defendant when he lost his mother?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information do the jurors share about the defendant in the beginning of their discussion?

2. What clarification do the jurors receive about the conditions under which the woman is alleged to have seen the murder?

3. What assumptions do the jurors make about Juror Eight's vote, and how do they decide to respond?

4. What additional evidence that incriminates the defendant does Juror Three present to the jury in Act I?

5. What views do the jurors have about the defendant's background?

6. How does the old man's testimony implicate the defendant?

7. How do the jurors respond to the defendant's explanation of his purchase of the knife and the fact that he cannot produce it?

8. What is Juror Eight's response to the declaration of Juror Sevel about the defendant's criminal record?

9. When Juror Two states that the defendant is guilty because no one proved his innocence, the writer uses the opportunity to establish two important principles of due process. What are these principles and why does the writer have Juror Eight explain them?

10. What information does Juror Three present in an attempt to draw the jurors' attention to the "facts of the case"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

There are several votes and changing of positions by individual jurors throughout the play. Discuss in detail the incidents in which jurors vote or change their votes and assess the impact which these incidents have on the dramatic quality of the play.

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