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Eli Naqvi, Huabiao Wu, Aditya Subramanian, Shriya Lakkoju

English 10 Honors

Period 8

18 September 2023

Why Juror 8 Is The Most Important

Around 1 in every 20 cases are false convictions, meaning around 12,000 people are

currently in jail for things that they did not do. This could have been the case in the play “Twelve

Angry Men” by Reginald Rose if it wasn't for Juror 8. Some believe that minor characters are the

most impactful in the play due to the arguments they provide and the evidence they bring up.

That being said, we believe Juror 8 had the biggest influence on the story. Although minor

characters are impactful, Juror 8 has the most significant impact on the case due to his airing of

compassion, leadership, determination to find the truth, and resistance to peer pressure.

Throughout the play, Juror 8 shows compassion towards the defendant and the other

jurors. Juror 8 stated that “There were eleven votes for guilty. It's not so easy for me to raise my

hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first” (Rose). Juror 8's compassionate

nature emerged as he single handedly caused the case to continue. He showed thoughtfulness and

care toward the defendant when he could have saved his own time and voted not guilty. If he had

done this, the case would have ended right there and therefore the defendant would have been

unrightfully put to death. Juror 8 is the reason discourse within the jury began and the defendant

was deemed free to go.

Juror 8 showed many leadership traits, and took initiative in many aspects throughout the

play. One moment where this was demonstrated is when he stated “I want to try this thing. Let's

see how long it took him.” (Rose). In the scene in which they recreate the old man walking, Juror
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8 was the one that initiated it, directed others, and organized what was happening. This is one of

many examples of Juror 8 showing leadership traits throughout the play. If Juror 8 did not take

the lead on this recreation, nobody would have, and this piece of evidence would have been used

against the defendant otherwise.

Juror 8 was also always determined to find out the truth. As the deliberations were going

on, “NO. 8 swiftly flicks open the blade of a switch knife and jams it into the table next to the

first one. They are exactly alike” (Rose). This evidence shows that Juror 8 was persistent in

finding the truth, and did not want to rely on assumptions. He went out of his way to buy this

knife, despite it not being obligated upon him, which shows the extent he was going to find the

truth. His actions throughout the play show his determination to find the truth.

Another reason why Juror 8 is the most significant character is his resistance to peer

pressure. In the play, the narrator says “Seven or eight hands go up immediately. Several others

go up more slowly” and eventually, “NO. 9's hand goes up slowly” followed by the results

shared as “Eleven to one, guilty”(Rose). Juror 8 was the only person who voted not-guilty and

was not intimidated by the other 11 hands and had the courage to have a different opinion.

Despite the scrutiny from the other Jurors throughout the play, Juror 8 stood his ground and did

not budge. Without Juror 8’s fearless action, the jury would have otherwise made a unanimous

decision against the defendant and he may have been sent to execution not long after.

Many minor characters did help change the outcome of the case, but no other person was

as significant as Juror 8. He played a pivotal role in solving the case and determined the result

that awaited the defendant. Juror 8 showed compassion to the other Jurors, expressed leadership

through the jury, was determined to find the truth, and resisted peer pressure. Everyone can learn
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from Juror 8 by pursuing the truth despite those who are against you, as well as by reflecting his

courage and compassion to those around you.

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Work Cited

Rose, Reginald. “Twelve Angry Men.” Google Drive, 8 March 2023,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12azckEtQjbzvcPF9I_WUG3MuIFXY3X91/view,

accessed 5 September 2023.