Twelve Angry Men

Act II opens with the other jurors restraining the 3rd Juror after his attempt at attacking the 8th Juror. The jurors calm down and try to restart their deliberations. The 11th Juror, a German immigrant and one-time refugee, tries to urge the others to take their duties more seriously: “This is not why we are here, to fight. We have a responsibility” (Act II, 65). He also remarks that the jury system is “a remarkable thing about democracy” (Act II, 65). A vote is called again: The jury is now divided six-six. A storm begins outside. The 7th Juror suggests that they present themselves as a “hung jury” to the judge, which would occasion a retrial with a new jury. The 11th Juror refers to the principle of “reasonable doubt,” which angers the 7th Juror, who displays anti-immigrant sentiment in response.

The jurors continue to debate the evidence. The accused’s inability to recall which films he saw the night of the crime could be a side effect of shock and stress. When the 8th Juror interrogates the 4th Juror about movies he has recently seen, the 4th Juror’s memory also starts to fail him.