About 12 Angry Men Book
12 Angry Men is an American courtroom drama broadcast as a television play in 1954. It was written by Reginald Rose and told of the jury of a homicide trial. Any essay about 12 angry men is often a compelling text. The book was also adapted for a film with the same name and was released in 1957, having been directed by Sidney Lumet.
It is a drama set in 1954, a late summer in a court jury room in New York City, New York. Beginning after the presentation of the closing arguments in a homicide case, these 12 jurors have to unanimously agree on a verdict. Failure of that results in a hung jury or a mistrial.
The 12 Angry Men is a winner of the following awards; Outstanding Revival of a Play at Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award in 2005 and also Distinguished Revival of a Play at Drama League Award in 2005 also.
12 Angry Men Summary
The 12 angry men analysis essay explores the nature and considerations of a jury during a homicide trial. There are a dozen “men with ties” on the jury, and their deliberations are to decide the fate of a teenager accused of murdering his abusive father.
At the beginning of the drama, all 12 Men are nearly unanimous in their decision, concluding the youth is guilty. However, one person dissents and declares the teenager “not guilty.” This sows a seed of reasonable doubt in the other jurors. At length, he can persuade the other jurors to support a unanimous verdict of “not guilty.”
As each juror begins to question their verdict, they find out that they have not been convinced beyond “reasonable doubt” that the teenager is guilty of the crime he has been said to commit and this changes their verdicts from “guilty” to “not guilty.”
12 Angry Men Quotes
“It takes great courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly.”
“Facts may be colored by the personalities of the people who present them.”
“It’s tough to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And prejudice obscured the truth no matter where you run into it.”
“There were eleven votes for “guilty.” It’s not easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first.”
“Look, this boy’s been kicked around all his life. You know – living in a slum, his mother dead since he was nine. He spent a year and a half in an orphanage while his father served a jail term for forgery. That’s not a very good head start. He’s had a pretty terrible sixteen years. I think maybe we owe him a few words. That’s all.”
Essay Structure on 12 Angry Men
Introduction
The primary intent of the introduction is to present your stance, thesis, position, or argument about the issue you are tackling in the book, the character you want to critically analyze, or the book itself. It is important to note, though, that an effective introduction has the power to make or break your essay. One major tip for writing an essay on 12 Angry Men is to start with a “hook.”
This hook baits your readers and catches their attention, making them want to keep reading what you have to say. Effective hooks can start with an anecdote, a fact from the book, or even a memorable quote (“Facts may be colored by the personalities of the people who present them”). Once you have the hook set in and you have gotten their attention, you can proceed to the thesis statement.
The thesis statement of your essay has to be clear to leave no doubt in your reader’s mind about your stance.
The Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs have one purpose: to explain in depth all of the examples you have picked to reinforce your position. The main body paragraph, the first paragraph, has to open with your most salient argument or the most relevant example.
Another critical thing to note is that you have to write in context. Every example you have used, from the symbols to the characters in 12 Angry Men must be contextualized to show your readers why you have chosen them.
Conclusion
Although the conclusion comes in last, it should not be regarded as the least because, just like the introductory paragraph, it can make or break your essay on the 12 Angry Men.
For this, you must ensure that it is beautifully crafted and worded. You can start with a transition word or words that conclude, such as in conclusion.
Tips to Consider While Writing An essay About 12 Angry Men
Read the book thoroughly
It is vital to read a book before writing anything about it, so your best bet when writing an essay about 12 Angry Men is to read it. Reading 12 Angry Men and after reading it, a series of questions will pop up in your head about the book.
These questions help you to get a better understanding of the book and also a better angle to begin your essay. Questions might come to mind about the character’s motives, the symbols used in the book, the characters’ lifestyles, virtues, and even their vices.
You learn how their actions or decisions dictated what they held in high regard, what they desired, and even what the story was trying to convey. In a little time, you will also understand what the author was trying to share as a message through the book.
Find a persuasive topic
Not all topics are persuasive enough for a reader, but by thoroughly reading the book, you will come up with several questions that will form the foundation for a compelling topic. Some questions were mentioned in the above section; answering them and finding a response to the following will form the foundation for your persuasive topic.
Were symbols used in the story? What do they represent? How did the author try to communicate the message of shared human experiences, perceptions of reality, and humanity in general? Did the author share any social problems? Did the author also try to provide solutions to those social problems? What exactly is 12 Angry Men about? These questions or even answering these questions can help you create an irresistible persuasive essay topic.
Create the outline
The next tip is to create your outline and lay out your thoughts in an organized manner. Just look at the essay structure you want to write to create an outline. The outline is a strong foundation for you to build all content upon.
Your outline comprises three major parts: the introductory paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the concluding paragraph. An outline is to help you transform all the ideas and thoughts that you have into prompts that will flow into words and paragraphs to form your essay PDF. It doesn’t have to have a long list of ideas, just ensure that all of the main ideas are represented in the outline.
From this, you can now begin to expand on your ideas and build them.up into paragraphs. Remember that your essay is as good as the outline you have created.
Write the thesis statement on 12 Angry Men
This is an essential aspect of the essay – the thesis statement. It is pretty important because it shows which position you have taken and what arguments you are sticking to. Make your thesis statement as specific and as robust as possible.
Brainstorm on the supporting points you’d like to make and the relevant examples that you will make use of to enhance your position and arguments. Also, look for memorable quotes from the 12 Angry Men that reinforce the chosen position.
Include a lesson or moral
The theme of the story always carries with it a lesson or a moral. The lesson you want your essay to convey must also be related to the tune of your text. This means it must be related to your essay’s central idea, position, or argument. It is your take-home for the readers.
Do you want your readers to also pass a verdict of ” not guilty” or “guilty”? This is where the lesson or moral of the book comes in.
Conclusion: Proofread your work
What’s a good job without perfection? That’s where proofreading comes in. Proofread your work, go through it repeatedly, edit it, revise the words used, review it, and modify your ideas if you must.
Do everything possible to make it the best it can be. Correct whatever errors are there and clarify the ideas that still appear cloudy. If you do not have the inspiration to write an essay about 12 Angry Men, our writers are here to help you with a perfect essay faster while you enjoy reading the book.
FAQs
What is the overall message of 12 Angry Men?
The overall message is that of justice and judgment, as they are the major themes that take place in the jury room. The whole story and the overall message revolve around how people determine innocence and guilt in a democratic society.
How do 12 Angry Men represent justice?
Justice is represented in 12 Angry Men by showing us that absolute justice is beyond the reach of the jurors but by the legal system. Going against their previous prejudices and personal experiences, they achieved the justice of reasonable doubt as defined by the legal system.
Why is 12 Angry Men so important?
It is important because it shows how the fate and guilt of one man, though still a teenager, is decided by twelve men. At its center, 12 Angry Men shows what happens when justice is set in motion. It shows us everything that makes us a civilized pack and draws the sharp dividing line between reason and instinct.
What are the themes in 12 Angry Men?
In the 12 Angry Men, the following themes are showcased; the reflection of the American society, justice, judgment, certainty, doubt, taking a stand and stubbornness, sympathies vs. prejudice, anonymity, one against many, race, family, and versions of reality.
