12 Angry Men by Leah Patel

Juror #8

lpatel28_1 — 2025-10-10 14:01:50 UTC

First to say that the boy was innocent
He's an architect
Very logical, used his reasoning to help prove why the boy is innocent
Acting almost like the boy's lawyer, using the evidence and applying it to the case
Very hesitant to put the boy in the chair because of his age, wants to be certain, getting all the different perspectives
"Well, I think that testimony that could put a human being into the electric chair should be that accurate" (Rose 35).
"No. I'm saying it's possible that the boy lost the knife and that someone else stabbed his father with a similar knife. It's possible," (Rose 22)
"As far as I know, we're supposed to decide whether or not the boy on trial is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," (Rose 31).
Changes: Juror 8 doesn't change throughout the book, he's the first one to say the boy is not guilty, and he doesn't change his opinion so far.

Juror 5

gtirri28 — 2025-10-10 14:02:27 UTC

Traits/background: Juror 5 is on the quiet side. He grew up in a similar environment as they accused boy did. He questions the rest of the jury by relating what happened in the case to his own life. He also takes offense to some things the other jurors say about the boy's situation because of his raising and nursing in the slums.

Quote: On page 18, Juror 5 snaps at Juror 10 after he says children raised in that sort of environment are trash. Juror 5 replies,

"5th Juror [rising]: I've lived in a slum all my life. I nurse that trash in Harlem Hospital six nights a week...

Foreman [to the 5th Juror]: Now, let's be reasonable. There's nothing personal.

5th Juror [loudly]: There is something personal!"

On page 42, Juror 5 raises the question about the old man running, which shifts some people's perspectives:

"5th Juror: Hold it a second

7th Juror: And the Milwaukee rooter is heard from

5th Juror: Did the old man say he ran to the door...

...5th Juror: I don't remember what he said. But I don't see how he could run"

Changes: Juror 5 changed his opinion from being guilty to not guilty

Juror 4

2025-10-10 14:02:53 UTC

Traits: Juror four is very straight to the point and logical. He believes the boy is guilty of the crime, and gets his statements from the facts of the case.

Background: He's a broker, meaning that he deals with vendor-client transactions. It's a very black and white profession, having an impact on his blunt assertions

Quotes: "Take a look at that knife. I've never seen one like it. Neither had the storekeeper who sold it to the boy. Aren't you asking us to accept a pretty incredible coincidence?" (Rose, 23)

"If you haven't got anything to add besides jokes, I suggest you listen." (Rose, 31)

Changes: Juror four is adamant in his standings, and he hasn't alluded to changing his vote yet.

Juror 3

agregory28_4_1 — 2025-10-10 14:05:18 UTC

Juror 3 is very angry. He seems to be done being a juror and has better things to do. He is getting increasingly more frustruated as time goes on. He also is very mad at Juror 8 for "wasting time".

Background: Bad relationship with his son. He hasn't talked to him in 3 years.

Quote- "Let go of me, God damn it! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" and "It's the kids, the way they are nowadays. Angry!"

Juror 11

ltyler28_2_1 — 2025-10-10 14:17:32 UTC

Traits: Juror 11 doesn't care what other people's opinions are, and is able to be open about his ideas. He's willing to vote of his own accord without being influenced by others.

Background: He's a watchmaker from Germany, and we can see this through his dialogue. His english isn't as good as the other jurors', but he's still able to get his point across in a meaningful way.

Quotes: "I don't have to defend my decision to you. I have a reasonable doubt in my mind." (Rose, 41)

"I beg pardon?" (Rose, 9)

Changes: After going along with the "not guilty" voters, 11 decided to think for himself instead of going along with the crowd. He discovered some faults in his previous argument, eventually changing his mindset around.

Juror #1

lpatel28_1 — 2025-10-13 12:42:20 UTC

Juror 1 is the foreman, he doesn't want this job, he'd rather have anyone else do it for him.
Has been getting annoyed at the jurors whenever they act out of line. He has to bring order back to the jurors by calming them all down.
He's the one who's in charge, he collects all of the evidence from the guards, attempts to keep everything organized
He's an assistant high school football coach
"I think we ought to take a break. One man's inside there. Let's wait for him," (Rose 28).
"All right. Now you gentlemen can handle this any way you want to. I mean, I'm not going to have any rules. If we want to discuss first and then vote, that's one way. Or we can vote right now to see how we stand," (Rose 10)
"OK. I think we oughta get on with it now. These side arguments only slow us up," (Rose 25)

Juror 6

agregory28_4_1 — 2025-10-13 12:58:19 UTC

Traits: He is honest, and seems to respect others. He not very smart and is easily swayed and he helps other jurors when they are being bullied

Background: he is a housepainter who is honest and is easily swayed with his opinion

Quotes: "Suppose you talk us all out of this and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?" and "What are you talkin' to him like that for? Guy talks like that to an old man really oughta get stepped on, you know"

Juror 2

ltyler28_2_1 — 2025-10-13 13:02:12 UTC

Traits: Juror 2 isn't a very significant character. He follows along with the large majority, and he doesn't really even know why. This could be because he's never been on a jury before, and doesn't really know how it works.

Background: 2 is a bank teller, which comes with the trait of agreeableness. This is probably why he wants to vote with everyone else, even if it's against his true beliefs.

Quotes: "Well, sure I've heard of it. I know what it is. I-what I meant-well, the man is guilty. I mean, somebody saw him do it. [he looks around helplessly.]" (Rose, 14)

"Well, it's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go.' Nobody proved otherwise." (Rose, 14)

Changes: 2 doesn't really change his opinions, and doesn't really add to the conversation effectively.

Juror 7

gtirri28 — 2025-10-13 13:02:55 UTC

Traits/background: Juror 7 is hot-headed, snarky, quick to judge, and not very thoughtful. He works as a business man and enjoys sports. He does not question the evidence or provide much to backup his argument. However, he still is unmoving on his opinion that the boy is guilty.

Quote: On page 10, Juror 7 does not contribute to the case at all, but asks unrelated questions:

"7th Juror [to the 5th Juror]: Hey, you a Yankee fan?

5th Juror: No, Milwaukee.

7th Juror: Milwaukee! That's like being hit on the head with a crowbar once a day. Listen, who they got - I'm asking you, who they got besides great groundskeepers"

On page 26, Juror 7 seems to lose his temper very easily when he hears that the vote is not all guilty:

"7th Juror: And another chap flips his goddamn wig!"

Also, on page 44, Juror 7 makes this remark:

"7th Juror: You know, you ought to be down in Atlantic City at that hairsplitters' convention

6th Juror: Listen baseball, why don't you stop making smart remarks all the time

7th Juror: My friend, for your three dollars a day you've gotta listen to everything"

Changes: Overall, the 7th Juror does not change his opinion at all in the first act.

Juror 9

agregory28_4_1 — 2025-10-13 13:03:42 UTC

Traits: He is wise and observant and compassionate. He is respectful and insightful towards the other jurors. He is the oldest juror there and is swayed to the boy being innocent

Background: He is an old man, and relates to the old man who testified as witness

Quotes:I don't think the kind of boy he is has anything to do with it. The facts are supposed to determine the case". and I think I know him better than anyone here. This is a quiet, frightened, insignificant old man who has been nothing all his life, who has never had recognition, his name in the newspapers. Nobody knows him, nobody quotes him, nobody seeks his advice after seventy-five years. That's a very sad thing, to be nothing".

Juror 10

gtirri28 — 2025-10-17 15:50:37 UTC

Juror 10 is a racist bigot who thinks that the boy killed his father because of his background. Juror 10 is a garage owner, and he wants to end the trial quickly because he wants to get back to them.

Quotes: On page 25 Juror 10 says, "Listen, i don't see what all this stuff about the knife has to do with anything. Somebody saw the kid stab his father. What more do we need? I got three garages of mine going to pot while you're talking. Let's get done and get outa here."

Also, on page 65 he says, "...Don't you know it? These people are multiplying. That kid on trial, his type, they're multiplying five times as fast as we are. That's the statistic. Five times. And they are - wild animals"

In act 1, Juror 10 does not change his opinion, but in the end he changes his.

Juror #12

lpatel28_1 — 2025-10-17 17:17:58 UTC

He works as an advertising executive
Doesn't take the whole trial very seriously, he doodles his advertising job on a piece of paper, 'rice pops'
A fairly proud man, talked about the business a lot in the beginning, brought up a few times how he made the slogan himself
He takes a very business approach to the case, applying his job to trying to reach a final verdict
Juror 12 wanted to get out of the trial the whole time, was not very interested in it, wanted to speed things up
He was on 'guilty' for a while, but ended up changing his vote once the majority did, one of the ones who was easily swayed by majority vote
He ended up changing his vote to not guilty, then changing back to guilty, then not guilty eventually in the end, following whoever seemed to be talking the most at the time
"Well, look, maybe this is an idea. I'm just thinking out loud, but it seems to me it's up to us to convince this gentleman-[he indicates to the 8th juror] that we're right and he's wrong. Maybe if we each took a minute or two. I mean, it's just a quick thought..." (Rose 14).
"Looks like we're really hung up here. I wish I knew how we could break this up [...] Y'know, in advertising...I told you I worked at an ad agency," (Rose 28).
"I'm changing my vote. I think he's 'guilty'," (Rose 67).
Changes: Juror 12 doesn't necessarily have his own opinions, except in the beginning. The only time he truly votes his own is when it's anonymous and no one else's vote his know. He tends to go with the crowd and follow what everybody else seems to be doing. He changed his vote 2 or 3 times just in the second act alone, and this was when voting was plural. He was easily swayed by the opinion of the majority, not sticking to his own.