Theme Of Prejudice In 12 Angry Men

Reginald Rose the playwright of 12 angry men meritoriously explores the prevalent theme of prejudice. We learn from the judges offstage opening instructions the given circumstances which include a man has been accused of murder and his fate is to be determined by 12 jurors. The play echoes the backdrop of what social and political conflict America was involved in at the time. One of which was an ongoing engagement with the soviet union called the cold war. America was also facing an internal struggle, The Civil Rights Movement, which was concerned with how racial discrimination must diminish and how respect and equality must prosper. Remaining to predetermined biases many of the jurors are quick to form opinions and therefore arrive at many …show more content…
His opinion is expressed through many quotes throughout the book such as on page 59 "...That goddamn rotten kid. I know him. What they're like. What they do to you. How they kill you every day. My God, don't you see? How come I'm the only one who sees? Jeez, I can feel that knife goin' in." This shows the vengeance and discernment he has towards the boy. This quote reveals the true side of juror 3 and his genuine motivation towards the boy on trial and how juror 8 is uncluttered by personal biast.
8th juror as a spokesperson for justice and a great example of reverse prejudice concedes the fact that he “cannot send a boy off to die without talking about it first.” (page 7) Many of his quotes deeply shows his fortitude and aptitude to scrutinize the proof to guarantee the undisputable nature of his misconduct. Juror 8 presents an idea of concern and empathy towards the defendant. He is often very repetitive in his saying of how the boy has had a miserable life however as he defends the boy many of the jurors have conflicting views towards him, one of whom is juror