Play by Reginald Rose Teaching Activities by Rivka Lewenstein

THREE
: I want an open ballot. Let’s call out our votes. I want to know who stands 
where.
FOREMAN
: That sounds fair. Anyone object? (
No one does.
) All right. I’ll call off your 
jury numbers.
He takes a pencil and paper and makes marks now in one of two columns after 
each vote.
FOREMAN
: I vote guilty. Number Two?
TWO
: Not guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Three?
THREE
: Guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Four?
FOUR
: Guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Five?
FIVE
: Not guilty.
725
730 
735
740
SAMPLE PAGE FROM 
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
© 2011. A.E.L. Publications

---

Twelve Angry Men
4
FOREMAN
: Number Six?
SIX
: Not guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Seven?
SEVEN
: Guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Eight?
EIGHT
: Not guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Nine?
NINE
: Not guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Ten?
TEN
: Guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Eleven?
ELEVEN
: Not guilty.
FOREMAN
: Number Twelve?
TWELVE
: Guilty. 
FOUR
: Six to six.
TEN
(
Mad
):
 
I’ll tell you something. The crime is being committed right in this room.
FOREMAN
: The vote is six to six.
THREE
: I’m ready to walk into court right now and declare
1
a hung jury. There’s no 
point in this going on any more.
SEVEN
: I go for that, too. Let’s take it in to the judge and let the kid take his chances 
with twelve other guys.
745
750
755
760
1. declare = announce
SAMPLE PAGE FROM 
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
© 2011. A.E.L. Publications

---

Act Three
FIVE
(
To 
SEVEN): You mean you still don’t think there’s room for reasonable doubt?
SEVEN
: No, I don’t.
ELEVEN
: I beg your pardon. Maybe you don’t understand the term “reasonable 
doubt.”
SEVEN
(
Angry
): What do you mean I don’t understand it? Who do you think you 
are to talk to me like that? (
To all
) How do you like this guy? He comes over here 
running for his life, and before he can even take a big breath he’s telling us how to 
run the show.
1
The arrogance
2
of him!
FIVE
(
To 
SEVEN): Wait a second. Nobody around here’s asking where you came 
from.
SEVEN
: I was born right here.
FIVE
: Or where your father came from … (
He looks at 
SEVEN, 
who doesn’t answer 
but looks away.
)
 
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt us to take a few tips from people who 
come running here! Maybe they learned something we don’t know. We’re not so 
perfect!
ELEVEN
: Please — I am used to this. It’s all right. Thank you.
FIVE
: It’s not all right!
SEVEN
: Okay, okay, I apologize. Is that what you want?
FIVE
: That’s what I want.
FOREMAN
: All right. Let’s stop the arguing. Who’s got something constructive to 
say?
TWO
(
Hesitantly
): Well, something’s been bothering me a little … this whole business 
about the stab wound and how it was made, the downward angle
3
of it, you 
know?
1. run the show = manage things
2. arrogance = belief in one’s superiority (belief that you are better than anyone else)
3. (an) angle = a direction
765
770
775
780
785