Twelve+Angry+Men

=On this page I shall post resources for Twelve Angry Men. You may post as well and I would encourage you to do so.=



Glossary:

Defendant First-degree murder Hung jury Unanimous Reasonable doubt Constitution Circumstancial evidence Prejudice/prejudicial Stereotypes Anonymous Values Subjective/Objective

Metalanguage: Symbolism/symbols Foreshadowing Irony Personifies/embodies Protagonist/antagonist Stage directions (pauses, punctuation, interuptions) climax/denouement

Essay topics:

‘The relationship between 3rd and 8th jurors is the most important element in Twelve angry Men.’ Do you agree?

‘Twelve Angry Men extols the virtues of a judicial system based on compassionate, reasoned decision made by ordinary people.’ Discuss.

‘Twelve Angry Men depicts the way in which economic, social and cultural factors can have a significant impact on the process of justice.’ Discuss.

‘Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men suggests that a jury system is not the most adequate way of ministering justice.’ Do you agree?

‘“Somebody saw the kid stab his father. What more do we need?”. Twelve Angry Men explores the values of facts and the fallibility of human memory.’ Discuss.

‘”I have always thought that in this country a man was entitled to have unpopular opinions…” It is the seemingly minor characters that have a significant impact upon this case.’ Discuss.

====Practise with some of these topics as preparation for the exam. If you don’t write a full essay, at least practise PLANNING as this is a vital skill, and you can do this multiple times. Planning should at least involve:====

If you get excited and write a full essay or two then I will, or course, mark them for you as soon as possible.
Some common criticisms of recent essays:

- More good metalanguage and vocabulary recommended - More good character description needed, particularly of "minor" characters such as jurors 7, 10, 11, 9, 4 and 5 - More APPROPRIATE discussion of historical context, E.g: "...preceding the civil rights movement of the 1960's ..." or "...during the McCarthy era in which society was fearful of change and sceptical of those who are different..." - Stage directions, including weather, gazing out the window, removal of jackets, etc. - Structure of play, e.g. "real time" and anonymity of jurors (explain why the author did this)

And of course, good planning and proofreading.

Enjoy! :-)