Play by Reginald Rose Teaching Activities by Rivka Lewenstein

SAMPLE PAGE FROM 
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
© 2011. A.E.L. Publications

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Introduction
Pre-Reading Activity II
Twelve Angry Men
is about a jury that must decide whether a young man accused of 
premeditated homicide
1
is guilty or not. As the judge says at the beginning of the 
play, premeditated homicide is the most serious charge tried in court. Therefore, it also 
carries the most serious punishment — in those states where the 
death penalty
2
exists 
(not all American states allow the death penalty), it is the automatic sentence for a 
defendant found guilty of premeditated homicide. Since 
Twelve Angry Men
takes place 
in a state where the death penalty does exist, the jury should take the case even more 
seriously than they would take a court case with a less serious crime. 
Would you 
rather face a 
judge or a jury?
► 
Do you think that there are any circumstances that justify the death 
penalty? Explain.
►
 If you do believe that the death penalty is justified under certain 
circumstances, who should be the one to give it? Is it right to give the 
responsibility of deciding whether a person will live or die to a jury, or 
should only judges be allowed to make such important decisions? 
1. premeditated homicide = murder which was thought about and decided on long before it 
actually took place
2. the death penalty = a punishment of death decided on by a court of law
SAMPLE PAGE FROM 
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
© 2011. A.E.L. Publications

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Twelve Angry Men
Pre-Reading Activity III
Twelve Angry Men
is a famous 
drama
. It was originally written as a screenplay for 
television, but later revised as a longer screenplay for a movie and as a play to be acted 
out on stage. The play contains three