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"Twelve Angry Men": Reasonable Doubt - College Essays

"Twelve Angry Men": Reasonable Doubt

Every person may have his own way of defining the term "reasonable doubt." In the play "Twelve Angry Men", by Reginald Rose, one juror, number Eight, stands alone against 11 others to convince them that the boy is not guilty. He looks beyond the given testimonies in order to give the boy a fair trial, though this is more then the others think the boy deserves. If the jury finds a "reasonable doubt", it must declare an innocent verdict.
A young man stands accused of fatally stabbing his father, and his fate now lies in the hands of his "peers:" 12 men from all walks of life, each with his own agenda, fears and personal demons. At first, based on their conversation, it seems that it ...

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to him. He first brings in a knife directly like the one used in the killing, to prove that it was not one of a kind. He discounts the testimony of the old man, saying it was impossible for him to hear the boy scream over the roar of the passing El-train. He also makes a point of demonstrating that it was impractical for him to reach his door in 15 seconds, in order to see the boy running down the stairs. To some this and other logical arguments proved to be a "reasonable doubt", and in consequence they changed their votes to not guilty. By the end, Juror Eight has everyone convinced, besides Juror Three, who holds true to his ground. Eight was the juror responsible for giving the boy a chance. If he would have given into the others in the beginning, the boy would have been falsely convicted of murder.
Juror Three is the last juror to change his vote; nothing anyone says can convince him that there is a "reasonable doubt" in the case. This man was the most stubborn of ...

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"Twelve Angry Men": Reasonable Doubt. (2004, May 1). Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Twelve-Angry-Men-Reasonable-Doubt/7128

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 5/1/2004 01:26:57 PM
Category: Arts
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 802
Pages: 3

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