Justice System In The Crucible And 12 Angry Men

The Crucible and 12 Angry Men are two plays that expressed the same theme of justice differently throughout each play. From their differing time periods and setting, both plays explore the justice system within society and the role people play within the system. Both 12 Angry Men and The Crucible have similarities, both plays have main characters that are attempting to right wrongs that they see being committed in their respected plays. Once the authors introduced the characters to us they then showed us how they implement the justice system in their plays and the effect it had on the plays societies. The outcome of these plays is different and they express varying effects the justice system can have on society. In 12 Angry Men, we see that …show more content…
Within each play, we see characters that bully other characters into believing or siding with their side. While we do have these characters in The Crucible and 12 Angry Men we also have one character in each play arguing for justice, to stop the execution of innocent people. In 12 Angry Men, we have Juror #8 who changes the other jurors minds slowly, the first change of voting happens when the foreman tallies the votes from the second vote. He says “ Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty, Guilty. Please. Six guilty. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty. Not guilty. Guilty.” (Rose 26) Juror #8 was able to persuade another juror into believing that the boy was innocent of any crime. Juror #8 persuaded the other jurors by arguing the facts and making the other jurors see them in a new light. Juror #8 did not lie or bully the other juror to believe in his side of the story instead he argued the alternate facts of the case because Juror #8 is looking at the case from as unbiased a view as he can attempt. Juror #8 is trying to offer the boy compassion and fairness instead of mistrust and hatred like some of the other jurors. In The Crucible, Abigail demanded the other girls listen to her and she told them this, “Let either of you breather a work, or the edge of a word, about the other thing, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you.” …show more content…
Our judicial system is one that influences people of all walks of life and it has influenced people for generations, there is no escaping it. In 12 Angry Men, Juror #8 was able to convince the other jurors to believe that the boy was innocent, he convinced Juror #4, who then said, “I’m sorry. I’m convinced. I don’t think I’m wrong often but I guess I was this once. There is a reasonable doubt in my mind.” (Rose 62) Juror #8 was able to argue using the facts to persuade his fellow jurors to see the boy as innocent so that they did not send an innocent man to his death. Our judicial system worked in this play and we received a fair verdict for the boy that was charged. However, The Crucible ended differently, eventually leading John Proctor to say, “ You have made your magic now, for now, I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to wave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.” (Miller 144) Proctor is saying here that by keeping silent and not admitting to a crime he didn’t commit it makes him a better person, he has kept his soul and not sold it to save his himself. He will not be persuaded to abandon who he is but stand by the fact that he knows he is innocent and the people who are sending him to be hung are the real witches. In both plays, the justice system has an