twelve angry men reginald rose
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Twelve Angry Men Reginald Rose. Year 12 English and ESL Text Study Reading and Responding Ekaterina Xanthopoulos. ‘ The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government ’ Scales of Justice. Images – discuss these. And more. Life in the1950s. Reginald Rose. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Twelve Angry Twelve Angry Men Men
Reginald RoseReginald RoseYear 12 English and ESL
Text Study Reading and Responding
Ekaterina Xanthopoulos
‘‘The true administration of justice is the The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government’ firmest pillar of good government’
Scales of JusticeScales of Justice
Images – discuss theseImages – discuss these
And moreAnd more
Life in the1950sLife in the1950s
Reginald RoseReginald Rose1920-2002 and born/grew up in New
YorkEnlisted and served in WWII until 1946Wrote since being a teenager, for TV
plays, many plays made into films and TV series
1954 – first time called for jury duty – manslaughter case – eight hours before unanimous vote – wrote Twelve Angry Men as live one-hour legal drama which later became a film
Won many awards, such as Emmys
SettingSetting1957 - ‘A very hot summer afternoon’In a jury room of a New York Court of
LawDescribed as ‘scarred table’‘a large, drab bare room in need of
painting’Oppressive, stifling: ‘The Guard exits
and in the silence the sound is heard of the door being locked.’
‘It has grown considerably darker in the room and it’s oppressively still.’
Jurors at times move to washroom
Plot/synopsisPlot/synopsisYoung man accused of ‘murder in the
first degree – premeditated homicide’Twelve jurors locked in a jury room to
determine if there is a ‘reasonable doubt’Initially all but one juror find him “Guilty”
but with discussion, arguments and persuasion – all change to “Not guilty”
Question ability of defence counsel and accounts of witnesses as well as use of evidence – also strip away layers of prejudice, artifice, ‘fancy’…
What is reasonable doubtWhat is reasonable doubt“Reasonable Doubt” is explained thusly:
“That state of minds of jurors in which they cannot say they feel an abiding conviction as to the truth of the charge.”
Source: Charles Montaldo
In the play, both the jurors and audience must decide in the end if they agree – never given proof of the defendant’s innocence 100%
GKRGKR: “Guilty”: “Guilty”Oxford English Reference
Dictionary definition: ‘Law: adjudged to have committed a (specified) offence, especially by a verdict in a trial’ (1995)
1.PARAPHRASE THIS MEANING2.WHAT IS YOUR MEANING?3.LIST 3 SYNONYMS and ANTONYMS
Vocabulary – add more to Vocabulary – add more to listlistword meaning synonym
defendant
counsel
witness
prosecutor
hung jury
premeditated murder
METALANGUAGE
script
dialogue
props
stage directions
CharactersCharactersWhy are they anonymous?Why are there 12 people in a jury? Why is the first juror called FOREMAN
and what are his duties?
In groups of three, quickly research and discuss these questions and report back to class – 10 minutes
What motivates a What motivates a character? character?
Fear
Relationships
Desire
Values/Morals
Actions
Family
Security
Politics
Greed
Money
Status
Power/Authority
Love/Lust
Hatred
Gender
Culture/History
Emotion
Understanding/Interest
Spiritual/Religious
Ignorance
Experiences
Themes/Ideas/Views and Themes/Ideas/Views and ValuesValuesJustice and the court/jury system –
jury’s deliberation and decisionWhat is truth – is it fallible?Memory – witness accountsWhat is a fact – can details be
‘twisted’?PrejudiceStereotypes and class‘Reasonable doubt’ VS certaintyHistorical Context: McCarthyism -
use of trials in 1950s AND use of television drama
Genre and structureGenre and structureDrama – serious play Realism and Naturalism – explore
daily life – a ‘slice of life’ – 1950s movement
Legal drama but also about interactions between characters
Two acts and all characters remain on stage despite washroom visits
Employs Aristotle’s ‘unity of action, place and time’ – less than a day
Language and DialogueLanguage and DialogueNatural – language patterns of era
and geographical setting of the playWorking-class men yet different ie
some ‘white collar’, share cultural interest in sport and film – same vernacular: ‘…ought to be down in Atlantic City at that hairsplitters’ convention.’
Use legal terms comfortably: ‘reasonable doubt’, ‘defendant’, ‘counsel’, ‘evidence’
Play TechniquesPlay TechniquesSetting – description of roomProps/sets – bare, minimalCostume – clothing of JURORsStage directions – what they doStage – of jury room and washroomLighting – darkening ‘It is now
darker than before’ – due to weather and atmosphere of tension
Sound – Judge’s voice, etc.
What to do:What to do:1. Read the play at least twice 2. Summarise in point form each scene3. Takes notes on each character4. Collect quotes and group them under headings5. Ask yourself: What is the message or point of
this play? What questions does the plot raise?6. Answer the set questions7. Vocabulary8. Reflect upon each reading and how your
views/readings change9. Which character do you like/dislike the most?
Why?10. How does the language in the play influence
and position the audience? What about the stage directions and props?