It is notable that the play is not trying to portray American society at one particular time, such as when it was first staged in 1964. Though portraying, literally, just a jury hashing out a case, the play could also be said to show the men hashing out their identities as Americans with ambivalent feelings about the jury process, and by extension, their roles as American citizens. Now the men are trying to work together within the American jury system, with the notable exception of the extremely stubborn Juror Three. Slowly, though, as the jurors are forced to sift through the evidence after Juror Eight alone votes “not guilty” in the initial vote, they become more willing to hear each other out and look past appearances. When all the jurors’ ideals and backgrounds come in close contact in the closed jury room, social differences become personal arguments and attacks. Significantly, it is the “outsiders”-Juror Eleven, who is an immigrant, and Juror Nine, who is an elderly man-who most believe in the American justice system and want to ensure a fair trial. Meanwhile, Juror Ten holds a virulent prejudice against people like “them” who grew up poor and as a minority (this last is only implied). As the trial continues, Juror Eight feels sympathy-maybe too much-for the boy on trial because the slums are a tough place to grow up, while Juror Five relates to the boy because he has a boy like him, and Juror Eleven relates the boy’s experiences to what it was like for him growing up in Europe. The characters are a cross-section of professions, classes, ages, and immigrant status, whose differences inform how they work with each other and their gut reactions to the murder case at issue. This play runs with that idea, using the jury itself-as a group and as individuals-to reflect both the things that may unite Americans and their differences in background, prejudices, daily concerns, and ideals. The process of a trial by a jury of one’s peers is often considered to be both a reflection and core practice of American democratic society.
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