Question

4. In Act One, juror three has an outburst about his own child and their relationship. After his outburst, the stage

directions in the play indicate that he is embarrassed. Why might juror three be embarrassed about what he has
just said?

Answer 1

Juror Three is likely embarrassed after his outburst about his personal life because it exposes his vulnerability and could potentially question his impartiality as a juror in a legal case.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Act One of the play, Juror Three experiences a moment of vulnerability when he has an outburst about his own child and their strained relationship. After this emotional revelation, the stage directions indicate that he is embarrassed, likely because he has unintentionally exposed his pain and weaknesses in front of others. This display of strong emotion, especially in a room full of strangers focused on a legal case, might make him feel that he has lost face or revealed too much of his private life, which is unrelated to the case at hand.

Moreover, this lapse into the personal may also bring into question his impartiality as a juror, making him feel uncomfortable about his professional conduct. Juror Three's embarrassment could also stem from the realization that his issues may be clouding his judgment, leading to concerns that he may not be living up to the civic responsibility of objectivity entrusted to him as a member of the jury.

Answer 2

The Bully

Do you know someone who shouts, bullies, and belittles others to try to get control? Juror 3 is the type of guy that always gets his way. He has no problem bullying the other jurors when they think differently from him. With a teenage boy's life in their hands, the jury has an important job of determining whether or not the defendant is guilty of murdering his father. Let's learn more about Juror 3 in 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose.

As soon as the jurors move to the deliberation room, Juror 3 begins throwing his influence on the weakest member of the jury, Juror 2. Juror 3 is annoyed that it has taken as long as it has, as to him, the boy is obviously guilty. He is anxious to get the vote out of the way and is shocked when he discovers that there is one juror who sees things differently than he does. He has no sympathy that the defendant is only 19 years old and is annoyed when other jurors want to review the evidence.