It is hard to disagree that all people are trying to achieve justice, equality, and freedom, and drawing the public’s attention to the fundamental problems is one way to do that. Since writing and words themselves are a great power, it has become a common practice for authors to express their concerns and attract readers’ consideration by describing social issues in their books. One of such creations is Reginald Rose’s courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men. This play’s central themes remind people of the necessity of being fair and dedicated to truth and justice.
About the Play
To appear on the bookshelves, TV, and stage, Twelve Angry Men had to go through a long process of production and revision. Interestingly, Reginald Rose first got inspired by this play after serving on a jury in a manslaughter case. It was Rose’s witnessing the fierce eight-hour fighting of the jurors and their attempts to decide the fate of the defendant that became the impetus for the courtroom drama and the teleplay called Twelve Angry Men. From the historical point of view, it is possible to look at this play in the context of 1957. For the United States of America, that year was a rather politically transitional time as the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Therefore, a significant number of the themes and issues of social and racial discrimination discussed in Twelve Angry Men were played out on the national scene.
Summary of the Play
It is 1957 and a New York City Court of Law jury room. The play starts with a Judge giving a set of final instructions to the jurors, from which the readers and the audience learn about the details of the case. The defendant is accused of killing his father and, if found guilty, will be sentenced to death. All but one presume the defendant’s obvious guilt, while the eighth Juror believes in his innocence and tries to convince his colleagues.
Going around the table and discussing the case and evidence, the jurors one by one notice serious inconsistencies in case details and witness statements. Realizing them, the jurors gradually change their opinion and finally convince the last of them, the third Juror, to give up and find the defendant not guilty. Therefore, this play is a unique way of showing how a group of people may be wrong with their judgment while just one person can change their minds. Moreover, even if everything seems to be clear and simple, it is necessary to make sure once again. All people can make mistakes and miss important details that change the essence of the event or issue.
Main Themes
In Twelve Angry Men, there is a significant number of vital themes discussed by Reginald Rose. They are related to racial, social, class, and some other issues that concern many people’s minds. This play may be considered outside of time and space since its action can relate to any person. In other words, each reader and his or her friend, neighbor, or relative can be in the place of a jury member or a defendant. Anyone can make a mistake without noticing inconsistencies in the details or can be one against all while defending his or her opinion. Some of the main themes, such as justice, prejudice, and father and son relations, are discussed below.
Justice
To begin with, it does not seem quite fair that twelve persons are trusted with determining the fate of a man accused of murder. In the world of this play, the ultimate purpose is to find the defendant innocent or guilty and complete this severe responsibility. These jurors only have some evidence and witnesses, but these documents cannot guarantee that their final decision is right. Therefore, where is justice, and is it fair to trust people with determining the future of another person? Is it justified to consider the defendant’s poor and difficult childhood and unfavorable circumstances and give him another chance? Probably, it is fairer to find him guilty and punish him for his crime? It is hard to disagree that everyone decides which of these ideas is more acceptable.
Prejudice
Throughout the play, prejudice is discussed on several levels. First of all, Twelve Angry Men deals with racial discrimination. Even though the defendant’s race is not mentioned directly, it is possible to understand that he belongs to a minority, which becomes a problem among some jurors. Second of all, it seems that they enter the jury room while already having some irrational ideas and preconceived notions. It is a prejudice to think negatively about a person accused of murder even before studying the case or because of his young age.
Father and Son Relations
It is an essential detail that the defendant was accused of killing his father, which brings the readers to the problem of generations. Moreover, this is the reason why the third and the eighth Jurors understand the accused differently. Both of them are fathers, and the eighth Juror, not knowing the defendant personally, exemplifies a paternal relationship with him. He stands up for him in a very paternal way and empathizes with the plight of his life. Simultaneously, the other Juror projects his lousy relationship with his son onto the accused, which leads to prejudgment.