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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 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?

2. Which juror rebukes Juror Ten for his racist comment?

3. What does Juror Ten point out about an eyewitness to the murder?

4. What important facts are revealed about the circumstances of the defendant's life by the juror who votes "not guilty" in the first round of voting?

5. Apart from the action of the dissenting juror in Act 1, what other contributions from a juror suggest there is at least one other juror willing to stand up against the behavior of others?

Short Essay Questions

1. What additional suggestion does Juror Four make in Act I to support his assertion that the defendant is guilty?

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

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 is the defendant's alibi and how does Juror Four respond to it?

5. What is Juror Ten's contribution to the discussion of the evidence?

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

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the view that "Twelve Angry Men" is a vehicle through which Reginald Rose vindicates rather than destroys the legitimacy of the jury system as a means of securing justice.

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of Juror Eight, presenting reasons for your portrayal and commenting on this juror's impact on the events in the play.

(see the answer keys)

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