764 reviews for:

Twelve Angry Men

Reginald Rose

4.09 AVERAGE


I'm glad I listened to this as an audiobook. As a theatre professional, I felt that I needed to read this play, but wasn't exactly thrilled to do so. Listening to it made it much more enjoyable.
tense fast-paced
emotional reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“IITH JUROR: I can talk like that to you. If you want to vote
not guilty, then do it because you're convinced the man is not guilty--not because you've had enough. And if you think he's guilty, then vote that way, or don't you have the guts to do what you think is right?”

What a classic. While not deeply complex in a couple of aspects, this is one of those plays where simplicity makes it work. We have 12 jurors and a couple of other characters here and there, but the main focuses on the 12 men arguing about a guilty verdict that will result in the death penalty for a young man. It starts with 11 of the men finding him guilty and 1 not guilty, and the entire drama that comes from this revolves around whether or not the remaining 11 will turn to not guilty, or the one will turn to guilty.

The dialogue and the characters are all so well written that it’s impossible to not get engrossed into the setting and the predicament these men are in. The only seemingly negative aspect of the play is how it tiptoes around racial prejudice and how the only indication of what race the accused is comes from a long winded racist rants from one of the jurors. But besides that, this play is still just as a relevant as the day it was written. This is such an important piece of literature that demands to be read by anyone, with themes of racial prejudice, peer pressure, and the fear of standing out against the crowd, there is so much to take away from this masterpiece.
funny tense
Plot or Character Driven: Character

I read this play multiple times while I helped put on a production in high school. Reading in-between the lines, understanding all the details helped me appreciate this piece of work. When I read this, I saw it as a time capsule. But as time passes, the messages and ideas this play brings up are all too relevant today.
challenging emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have to teach this so my perception is warped. It is a good text. Justice is so complicated. The pursuit of it is so necessary. 
dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“One man is dead. The life of another is at stake. I urge you to deliberate honestly and thoughtfully. If there is a reasonable doubt - then you must bring me a verdict of “not guilty.” If, however, there is no reasonable doubt - then you must, in good conscience, find the accused guilty. However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous.”

This story, written as a play, focuses on twelve jurors who need to determine if a young murder suspect is guilty of murdering his father. The facts and evidence make it seem so, but juror #10 has reasonable doubts. Step by step, the men go through the pieces of evidence and the witnesses’ statements as they argue and give voice to their opinions while trying to work out what the verdict should be. And even though we never learn if the suspect actually did it, this play teaches us some valuable lessons about leadership, doing, believing in and standing up for what is right and that determination that can lead to a collective change of mind.

I saw the 1950s movie (starring Henry Fonda) a few years ago and it made a lasting impression on me. It’s a must-see and -read especially for those interested in law or with a legal background.