Tension in Twelve Angry Men Essay

In Reginald Roses play script Twelve Angry Men, the jurors are the voices of the defendants justice. Twelve men sit in a room on the brink to determine the fate of one young boys life. Did he do it? If he didnt, who did? In the beginning there was very little communication, the men enter the small bleak room, many had already come to believe the young boy was guilty, was this their real opinion or were some more anxious about getting out of the jury room and attend to their appointments, jobs and families. The setting is important in Twelve Angry Men, as it represents tension in the room. It is a hot day when the play begins; the heat outside corresponds to the heat and tension of the emotions within the jury room. Later on, it rains. Significantly this happens after the momentum swings towards a not guilty verdict.

As conversation arose, so did tension. Jurors realised they all had different reasons for believing the accused were guilty, except for one, Juror 8 assumed the young boy were innocent. Eleven to one. He was clever, cunning and persuasive in his arguments for a not guilty verdict. As Juror 8 instigated his opinion towards the other jurors, not all were convinced. Many did not want to listen as Juror 8 himself had come from a bad home, one Juror even said that slums are breeding grounds for criminals. This caused tension between the two jurors, due to the misunderstanding that most people have against those with a majorly low socio-economic status. Because these two jurors expressed their opinion, they realised that they had to use the power of persuasion. During this debate, the atmosphere is very claustrophobic as jurors express sharp disagreements and engage in bad-tempered exchanges.

The heat in the room drags on never ending, as does the jurors discussions, certain jurors began to think they were never going to leave the room as more and more jurors swung towards a not guilty verdict, especially juror three. From the beginning juror three believes there isnt a point for discussion as it is obvious of the boys guilt, and he is quick to insult anyone who suggests otherwise. For juror three, temperature heat isnt the only heat that was rising, the heat within his heart was burning as he slowly realises that his desire to convict and punish the defendant is bound up with his feeling of anger and betrayal in regard to his own son. The heat of the small room was a perfect comparison to relate to the heat in his small heart of forgiveness.

Such an extraordinary decision is being made in the most ordinary circumstances. The ordinariness of the room is emphasized at the beginning of the play as the jurors enter the room. As majority of the jurors change their verdict to not guilty, the room begins to cool down; it begins to rain outside, back to its ordinary state. This signifies hope and the release of tension inside the room, also inside some of the jurors emotional state of mind.

The setting of 12 Angry Men doesnt bring tension to the atmosphere, but represents the tension of the jurors emotions. The jurors have such strong arguments and reasons, the explanation of why tension arises throughout the play.