Twelve Angry Men Characters

The leader of the jurors who facilitates the process of voting and discussion. The Foreman believes in the guilt of accused for a majority of the play. He is not particularly intelligent or actively involved… read analysis of Foreman

A strong-minded, loud-mouthed, prejudiced man. Three is the final holdout in claiming the accused is guilty at the end of the play. His strong belief in the guilt of the youth seems to stem from… read analysis of Three

A self-confident man who is clearly used to being listened to, Four is identified by marks of wealth and intelligence. Although he is a strong supporter of the guilt of the accused until nearly the… read analysis of Four

A young man whose youth shows in his timid nature. He quickly desires to vote not guilty, but only has the courage to do so when following Eight and Nine’s lead. He cowers under… read analysis of Five

The central character in the play, Eight is the only juror to initially vote “not guilty.” This vote, which prevents an immediate unanimous guilty decision, and his insistence that the jurors commit time and effort… read analysis of Eight

An elderly, good-natured man, Nine is compassionate and thoughtful, unlike many of the other jurors. He is the first to change his “guilty” vote to “not guilty” during the secret ballot vote. He does so… read analysis of Nine

The most prejudiced and cruel character in the play, Ten is driven by a deep-seated “us versus them” complex concerning rich and poor. He speaks of the accused and people like him, from poor backgrounds… read analysis of Ten

An immigrant from somewhere in Europe, Eleven exhibits an awareness of, and awe for, the idealistic principles behind the American legal system. He changes his “guilty” vote quickly, after defending the right of any man… read analysis of Eleven

A man who is defined by his job in advertising, Twelve is shallow and a snob. He maintains his vote of “guilty” more out of the comfort of maintaining his opinion than any other reason… read analysis of Twelve

Although the accused youth never appears as a character on stage, discussion of his actions and motivations drives the play. The youth is referred to as a “kid” by many of the jurors. He grew… read analysis of Accused kid

A weak elderly man who offers a significant piece of testimony in court. The man walks with two canes. Juror Nine proposes that the old man testifies because he needs to be seen and heard… read analysis of The old man downstairs

A neighbor of the accused kid, this woman testifies in court that she saw the murder occur through the windows of the passing train. Her testimony is brought up as suspect by some jurors… read analysis of The woman across the street

A minor character whose offstage voice sets the context for the play by reminding the jurors of their legal responsibilities in this case. The judge establishes the charge as “murder in the first degree” and… read analysis of Judge