VOCABULARY Define the following words; use a dictionary. The law terms are defined for you.

Transcription

1 VOCABULARY Define the following words; use a dictionary. The law terms are defined for you. Law terms: murder in the first degree the unlawful killing of a human that is willful and pre-meditated pre-meditated done deliberately; planned in advance testimony the statement or evidence of a witness under oath reasonable doubt the level of certainty a juror must have to find a defendant guilty of a crime verdict the finding/decision of a jury given to the court unanimous of one mind; in complete agreement the bench the presiding judge in a court of law mandatory permitting no option abstain voluntarily refrain from counsel lawyer defendant the person accused motive the emotions or impulses that cause a person to act in a certain way hung jury jury unable to make a decision, thus forcing a new trial acquittal dismissal of criminal charges alibi defense by an accused person of having been elsewhere at the time the alleged crime was committed Act I appall bickering petty, noisy quarreling bigot dogged glad-handed accustomed to treating people well for personal advantage intolerant meek - menace rapport agreement; connection refugee subservient submissive superficial 1

2 tempered softened or moderated Act II adlib insignificant having little importance; trivial sadist a person displaying cruel tendencies sheepish simulate Act III arrogance contort despise intimidate recount unshakable undisturbed; not able to be upset Additional words 2

3 Character Chart Imagine, then, the scene described at the start: a courtroom, then a jury deliberation room for the twelve members of the jury. The kinds of men they are will become clear as the play unfolds. One suggestion, though: pay particular attention to juror NO. 8: And it might be helpful to fix your mind the equation: 7+3=10. For jurors 7, 3, and 10 also play extremely important parts. FOREMAN: A small, petty (unimportant) man who is impressed with the power (authority) he has and handles himself quite formally. Not overly intelligent, but strong-willed. JUROR NO. 2: A meek (mild), hesitant man who finds it difficult to keep any opinions of his own. His mind is easily changed, and he usually just takes the opinion of the last person to whom he has spoken. JUROR NO. 3: A very strong, very forceful, extremely opinionated man within who shows cruelty. He is a humorless man and is intolerant of opinions other than his own. He is used to forcing his wishes and views upon others. JUROR NO. 4: Seems to be a man of wealth and position. He presents himself well at all times. He seems to feel a little bit above the rest of the jurors. His only concern is with the facts in this case, and he is shocked by the behavior of the others. JUROR NO. 5: A easily pushed, very frightened young man who takes his responsibilities in this case very seriously, but he finds it difficult to speak up when his elders have the floor. JUROR NO. 6: An honest but dull-witted man who comes upon his decisions slowly and carefully. A man who finds it difficult to have positive opinions, but he listens to and accepts other s opinions if they go along with his thinking. JUROR NO. 7: A loud, flashy salesman type who has more important things to do than to sit on a jury. He is quick to show temper and quick to form opinions on things about which he knows nothing. He is a bully and, of course, a coward. JUROR NO. 8: A quiet, thoughtful, gentle man. A man who sees all sides of every question and constantly seeks the truth. A man of strength and compassion. Above all, he is a man who wants justice to be done and will fight to see that it is. JUROR NO. 9: A mild gentle old man long since defeated by life and now merely waiting to die. A man who recognizes himself for what he is and wishes he could be courageous. JUROR NO. 10 An angry, bitter man. He is man who provokes almost at sight. He is a bigot (ignorant/racist) who places no values on any human life except his own. He is a man who has been nowhere and is going nowhere and knows it deep within him, which bothers him. JUROR NO. 11: A refugee (an immigrant who left his country because of a war) from Europe who has come to this country in A man who speaks with an accent and who is ashamed, humble, almost obedient to the people around him, but who will honestly seek justice because he has suffered through so much injustice. JUROR NO. 12: A slick bright advertising man who thinks of other people as numbers and possibly money makers. He has no real understanding of people. He is a phony snob but tries to be a good guy. 3

4 Study Guide Questions After we ve read each act in class, answer & be prepared to discuss the following questions. Act 1 1. Summarize the jury s goal. (pg. 2) 2. After Juror Eight voted not guilty, he made a point about discussing a case before making a decision. Do you think agree with this reasoning? Why or why not? (pg. 5) 3. Juror Three refers to the information the old man witness provides. List these facts. (pg. 6) 4. Juror Ten refers to the woman witness and her testimony. Under what circumstances did she see the killing? (pg. 6) 5. Why does Juror Five get upset when Jurors Seven and Ten show prejudice against people from slum areas? (pg. 7-8) 6. How does Juror Eight surprise the other jurors and how does this contribute to the discussion? (pg.9-10) 7. REACT: How would you vote at this point? Guilty Not Guilty Why? 8. How does the setting (time of day, weather, the room) affect the general atmosphere and behavior of jurors? Act II 1. Juror Three incorrectly accuses Juror Five of changing his vote. Actually, it was Juror who changed his vote because. (pg ) 4

5 2. According to Juror Three, an old man who lived on the second floor underneath the victim s apartment had heard the boy scream, I m gonna kill you! at about ten till midnight. What did he claim to hear about a second later, and what did he see fifteen seconds later? (pg. 13) 3. The el train through which the woman claims to have seen the killing had cars. She claims to have seen the killing through car numbers and. (pg. 13) 4. What is ironic about the incident when Juror Ten says, He don t even speak good English? (pg. 16) 5. How does Juror Three s statement about the old man, the witness, work against him? (pg.18) 6. What does the timed reenactment of the old man performed by Juror Eight show? (pg ) 7. As the act ends, what does Juror Eight ironically point out to Juror Three when the latter yells, Let me go! I ll kill him! (pg. 21) Act III 1. The result of the open ballot demanded by Juror Three is guilty not guilty 2. Explain the concerns the jurors have about the stabbing angle of the knife & how the knife is used. (pg ) 3. The three remaining Guilty voters are Jurors,, &. (pg. 27) 4. How do the jurors react when Juror Ten shows his bigotry? (p. 27) 5. What convinces Juror Four to have reasonable doubt? (p. 28-9) 6. Who s the last juror to change his vote? What in his background might explain his stubbornness to do this? 7. Do you think Twelve Angry Men is an effective title? Explain. 5

6 Jury Voting Chart Who votes which way and when? Juror Identity *If individual changes his vote, cross out/use post it notes. Only count votes where all 12 jurors vote. 1 st Vote (Act I) 2 nd Vote* (Act II) 3 rd Vote (Act III) 4 th Vote* (Act III) 1 The Foreman 2 The Bank Clerk 3 The Father 4 The Stockbroker 5 The Kid from the Slums 6 The Working Man 7 The Salesman 8 The Architect 9 The Old Man 10 The Bigot 11 The Immigrant 12 The Ad Man 13 You Explain your final vote. 6