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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 literary device is used by the writer when he allows Juror Three to prove something to the jurors that is exactly opposite to what he would have wanted?

2. How much influence does the foreman have on the other jurors in this case?

3. Which two jurors are moved by the discovery about the timing involved in the old man's story?

4. In the acting out of the old man's movements from his bed to the door, which juror plays the role of the old man?

5. How does the involvement of the jury in acting out and assessing the allegations of the old man compare with their earlier attitude towards the evidence?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the tone and mood of the play vary as Act II develops from the result of the second vote to the taking of the third vote?

2. 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?

3. How do threats contribute to conflict in Act II, and how are the conflicts resolved?

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

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

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

7. Identify the major themes illustrated in Act II, and give brief explanations of how each theme is brought out.

8. There are two "physical episodes" in Act II. Describe them briefly and comment on the purposes they serve.

9. What evidence of preconceived notions and prejudice does the writer present in Act II?

10. How does the writer use Act II to establish Juror Three and Juror Eight as the antagonist and the protagonist respectively?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Select one of the scenes in which the jurors stage an event or portion of testimony from the trial in order to verify details. Discuss in detail the contribution made by the selected scene to action, suspense, tension and conflict, or its resolution in the play.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

In adapting plays and novels for screen, producers and directors often make significant changes to the themes, characters and plot lines of the original. Having studied this play in detail, evaluate the assertion that the themes, characters and plot lines of "Twelve Angry Men" would have to be significantly modified to be a successful production for screen.

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