Twelve Angry Men Lecture

70 minutes, a dictionary and a pen. Show us what you know! English SACs...

What sets you apart? Your knowledge of the text? Your expression? Your insight?

Welcome to Year 12

Use the resources available to you... Your teachers! They have a wealth of experience and knowledge. If you are confused or worried, ask them for help.

Resources continued... Study guides Your textbook Online notes and summaries The film (but be careful) Handouts / the Year 12 English wikispace

OUR WIKISPACE Course outline 2012 Examiners Report Resources such as PowerPoint presentations, background information, focus questions, tips, etc.

Todays talk Addressing the assessment criteria Some handy tips

The most important thing is expression Improve your vocabulary Make sure you punctuate between sentences Use quotation marks Clear paragraph breaks Metalanguage

# 1. You will need to show us that you understand the social, historical and/or cultural values embodied in the play. What was American society like in the 1950s? What was Reginald Rose worried about? What did he want to change about the society he lived in? What customs, traditions or institutions did he want to protect or preserve?

American society was changing rapidly It was a time of fear and suspicion – the old ways were under threat People were questioning the effectiveness and fairness of the judicial system Many minority groups were demanding change

# 2. You need to show us that you have an understanding of the ideas, characters and themes constructed by the playwright How well do you know the jurors? Are you familiar with the various witnesses and their testimony? How many quotes have you memorised? Do you have something to say about the big ideas or themes in the play?

This list of themes might help... The strengths and weaknesses of the jury system Justice and the concept of a fair trial Democracy and the structure of American society Prejudice and fear / reason and logic Truth, facts, certainty and the concept of reasonable doubt The effects of pressure and conflict on individuals

# 3. You need to show an awareness of the structures, features and conventions used by the playwright to construct meaning Playwright... not author Audience... not reader Stage directions Set design Act 1 / Act 2

Ask yourself: How do I feel about the characters? Do I like certain characters and dislike others? How do I feel at the end of the play? Am I happy and satisfied or angry and frustrated?

Understand that Reginald Rose has used certain structures, features and conventions to make you feel that way! He has constructed the play and its characters.

How has Rose constructed the 10 th juror? He interrupts the other characters and is openly dismissive of their opinions. He is rude to the 2 nd juror (a quiet, reserved man) and the 9 th juror (an old man). This appeals to our sense of justice. He raises his voice and sometimes swears at the other jurors. He makes broad, sweeping statements (generalisations). He adopts an aggressive tone of voice and uses threatening body language. When he doesnt get his way, he broods in the corner.

Ask yourself... how is his behaviour different to the 8 th juror? Whose opinions does the playwright endorse? Whose opinions does the playwright condemn?

Rose also constructs meaning with... Symbolism = heat, a storm, rain 5 th Juror: Look how dark its getting. Were gonna have a storm. Boy its hot. (pg 50)

He constructs meaning with stage directions The 8 th juror stands alone for a few moments and we know this (the possibility that the boy really did kill his father) is the problem that has been tormenting him. He does not know and he never will

He constructs meaning with the setting (realism)

This is not a play about kings and queens. It is not set in an exotic location It does not involve dazzling special effects or ornate costumes. These are ordinary men sitting in a very ordinary room.

What they do is extraordinary!

# 4. You need to show us that the play can be interpreted in different ways by different readers

To interpret = to establish or explain the meaning or significance of something

People in an audience respond in different ways. They sometimes interpret things differently...

Use one or two sentences like this... Some may see ________ as __________, but Rose suggests otherwise. It is true that ___________, but he also _____________. ________ might easily be seen as ________. However, it could also be seen as ________. While it is tempting to see ___________, in reality __________

You should also try to use words like: suggests / implies / appears to be / may be

Top tips Know how much you can write in 70 minutes. Write practice essays under timed conditions. You dont want to finish too soon. You dont want to run out of time.

Plan your essay before you write Take 5 – 7 minutes to plan your response. Underline key words and phrases from the essay topic. Try to use these key words (or synonyms for these key words) in your essay. It will remind the marker that you are on topic.

Planning continued Form a clear contention (a clear line of argument in response to the essay topic). Make your contention the first sentence of your introduction. Write down your quotes and evidence in your plan. If you cant think of any evidence from the text to support your point, scrap it and think of something else.

Take a dictionary with you Use it to check the meaning of words in the essay topic If you have time at the end, use it to double check your spelling Try to be precise with words

Finally, please use a blue or black pen Take a few pens into the SAC with you. Find the pen that works just right for you. Do not write in pencil or luminescent pink!

The jibba jabba stops here!