4. What term used in Act 1 establishes that the defendant is thought to have committed a murder that is intentional and deliberately planned ahead of time?

5. How does Juror Four challenge the defendant's alibi?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why do the jurors take a vote before any discussion of the evidence, and what is the impact of the outcome?

3. On what point do Juror Eight and Juror Four agree concerning the performance of the defendant's lawyer? How do they differ?

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

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

6. What important instructions does the judge give to the jurors as they depart to deliberate on the case?

7. How does Juror Eight respond to the evidence that Juror Three presents about the knife, and what dramatic turn of events does this cause?

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

9. What are the physical and personal concerns facing the jurors as they begin their deliberations?

10. What inconsistency in Juror Ten's arguments does Juror Eight point out, and what is the result?

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"?