The essay questions are as follows:
1. ‘Twelve Angry Men depicts the way in which economic, social and cultural factors can have a significant impact on the process of justice.’ Discuss, making reference to each of the three factors.
2. “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 three instances in the play in which facts prove to be important and memory proves to be unsound.
3. “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 three of the minor characters and describe their influence on the jury.
4. The play Twelve Angry Men takes place almost exclusively in one setting – the jury room. What are the limitations caused by this single setting, and what techniques does the writer use to overcome such limitations? In one paragraph, explore the limitations of this setting, and in the following two paragraphs, the playwright’s techniques.
5. Twelve Angry Men is a play about twelve men whose names we never know sitting in a bare room discussing the fate of someone we never see. It seems to break all the rules about what makes a good play, yet it succeeds.’ Discuss, making references to three major ways the play manages to succeed.
6. How does Twelve Angry Men show that prejudice can obscure the truth? Explore three instances of prejudice in the play.
