Discussion Topic
Vote outcomes in Twelve Angry Men
Summary:
In "Twelve Angry Men," the jury votes multiple times throughout the play. Initially, eleven jurors vote "guilty" while one votes "not guilty." As the deliberations progress and evidence is re-examined, the votes gradually shift. By the end, all twelve jurors unanimously vote "not guilty," demonstrating the impact of reasonable doubt and thorough discussion on their decision.
What is the vote count at the start of Act 3 in Twelve Angry Men?
At the beginning of Act III of Twelve Angry Men, the men take an open vote. The split is even, with six voting guilty and six voting for acquittal.
The first juror to vote for not guilty, Juror 8, finds himself alone against all the other jurors. The first juror to join him is the elderly gentleman, Juror 9, who is not necessarily convinced yet about the boy's innocence but wants to discuss it further. He also doesn't want to leave Juror 8 alone on one side of the fence. During Act II, one additional Juror comes over to the "not guilty" side. Juror 5, the young man who grew up in the slums, becomes convinced that the old man's testimony was inaccurate because he could not have heard the boy shout "I'm going to kill you" over the sounds of a passing el train.
At the beginning of Act III, the jurors who have swung to the "not guilty" side are Jurors 2, 6, and 11--making the jury evenly divided regarding their verdict.
What are the results of the fourth vote in Twelve Angry Men?
At the start of act 3 of Twelve Angry Men, the jurors decide to take another vote. This time, the vote is evenly split, six and six. This comes shortly after a fight nearly occurred between Juror Four and Juror Eight. Everyone has calmed down again. Juror Eleven makes a plea that they all work together as they have the democratic duty to make a verdict that is not based on emotion but on the facts of the trial. At a loss for what to do next, Juror Six proposes that they take another vote. Juror Three suggests that this time they vote in the open so that they can see where everyone stands.
With the vote evenly split between guilty and not guilty, Juror Ten erupts in frustrated anger. Juror Three and Juror Seven propose giving up on ever reaching a unanimous agreement and declaring a hung jury. Eventually, the mood calms down again, and the jurors decide that they need to continue to review the evidence of the case.
This is a pivotal moment. This vote represents a possible change in the conclusions of the twelve jurors. With every vote, more of the jurors begin to have reasonable doubts about the prosecution's case.
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