Essay/Term paper: 12 angry men essay

Essay, term paper, research paper:  College Essays

A persons surroundings can influence him. In "12 Angry Men" by Reginald Rose a young mans

life is held by twelve men with contrasing views. Eight a caring man, who wishes to talk about why the

other jurors think that the boy is guilty, clashes with Three, a sadistic man who would pull the swith

himselfto end the boys life. Accroding to Rose, several elements can infulence a jury's verdict, such as the

emotional make-up of individual jurors.

Many elements can change a jurors decision. Juror Three, who is convincd that the boy is guilty,

is allied with Four who is eventually convicedEights showing of how the two testimonies given by the old

woman and old man are lies, votes guilty. Three outraged by this exclames "A guilty man's gonna be

walking the streets... he's got to die! Stay with me." (23) But Four sees the truth that Eight has brought

into th light and still votes guilty. Eight tries to convince Three how the boy is not guilty beyond

reasonable doubt but Three does not listen adn would rather see the boy die. "For this kid, you bet I'd pull

the switch."(17) This shows how emotionally unstable Three is. He is a grown man living in a civilized

community and would like to see a boy who he does not even know die by his own hands Eight does not

think highly of Three for what he says about killing the boy and shouts "your a sadist."(17) which is the

absolute truth about Three.

The emotional make-up of a juror can change his desicision on wther or not to let a man live or

die. When someone is asked judge someone else, shoud not you look at al the facts to be sure beyond a

shoadow of a doubt that the man who cimmitted the crime is guilty? Yes, a juror should look at all the

facts but some do not, they just judge the person on how that person feels.