View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What reason does the juror who changes his mind give for doing so?

2. What principle is supposed to guide the composition of a jury in relation to the defendant?

3. As the jurors discuss "reasonable doubt", why does Juror Nine become more and more uneasy?

4. Based on the developments of Act II, what are the jurors on their way to proving?

5. How old is the man who gives evidence about the events he heard from his room?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How do the jurors seek to verify some of the old man's testimony?

4. How is irony used by the writer in the confrontation between Juror Three and Juror Eight? What is the result?

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

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

7. Referring to events in Act II, track the process by which Juror Eight is established as the protagonist.

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

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

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 3

Discuss the roles of the three most active minor characters in "Twelve angry men". To what extent do they contribute to conflict in the play and how do they assist in the resolution of such conflict?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,665 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample