What Does Juror 9 Mean In 12 Angry Men

Juror 9’s Diverse Perspective In Reginald Rose’s 1950s play, “Twelve Angry Men,” Juror 9’s knowledge and age are used to demonstrate the value of diverse perspectives throughout the play. In the beginning of the play, Juror 11 is described as “...a mild, gentle old man, long since defeated by life, and now merely waiting to die” (Rose Page 5). Juror 9 is a quiet old man and shows that through Act 1, all that is known is this little description in the notes. He goes with the group by voting guilty which also shows an insignificance in his character from the start. Being in a new place where people have never met each other can sometimes be uncomfortable so it’s the easy way out to just sit quietly and let others do the work. In the play, some stage directions include, “...nodding to himself…” (Page 10) and “Nine nods slowly…” (Page 16) provides examples that in most diverse groups there is always going to be

Then the mood shifts in Act 2, where Juror 9’s personality starts to unfold more. He shares key points in the evidence and is able to voice his opinions more powerfully. This generates a change in his vote to not guilty and he is the first out of eleven jurors to do so.. One of his key points is that the neighboring old man's testimony in court doesn’t add up with the murder. As he and a couple of the jurors including number eight uncover this lie from the old man, other jurors like number three and ten, disagree with their statements saying he wouldn’t lie. Although nine clearly had an understanding because he shared to the other jurors, “He made himself believe he told the truth…I speak from experience…I am the same man”(Page 34). Juror Nine sharing that he is “the same man” can be inferred that like the old man lying in court is him wanting attention after not being important and Juror Nine feels the same way. Going back to his small description on page five says he is “merely waiting to die” therefore shows he might also crave