37 Most Iconic 12 Angry Men Quotes
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'12 Angry Men' is an American courtroom drama.
Sidney Lumet directed the movie. Adapted from the teleplay ‘12 Angry Men’, the movie was released in the year 1957.
The movie, written by Reginald Rose in 1954, is co-produced by Rose and Henry Fonda. Boris Kaufman was the cinematographer for the movie. Reginald Rose was convinced to write the screenplay of the drama based on his own experiences as a jury member.
It is a story about a young boy who is charged with the murder of his father. A jury of 12 men is being called to decide if the boy is guilty or not.
The story revolves around the prejudices of all the twelve jurors about the trial, the accused boy, and each other.
If charged guilty, the boy will be given a death sentence. The twelve jurors cast a vote through a secret ballot to decide the verdict, and (spoiler alert!)
it comes as an 11 to one vote with 11 jurors casting a vote of ‘guilty’.
However, with just one juror not casting a 'guilty' vote, the story turns as all the other jurors are also brought to a stage where they start thinking about their decision.
This is when the verdict turns to a ‘not guilty’ one and the young boy’s life is spared as the judge already said that if proven guilty, no plea for mercy will be considered.
However, by the end, the movie is not just about the verdict about the young boy’s life. It becomes a story about an argument between the 12 jurors based on reasonable doubt about the guilt of the 18-year-old boy. It ends up portraying the distinct personalities, occupations, backgrounds, prejudices as well as the emotional biases, of the twelve jurors.
‘12 Angry Men’ was nominated for three Academy Awards. However, ‘The Bridge On The River Kwai’ beat '12 Angry Men' to take home the Oscars in the categories of Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. However, at the seventh Berlin International Film festival, the movie did grab the Golden Bear Award.
This article has a list of '12 Angry Men' quotes from the book written by Reginald Rose. Reginald Rose also wrote the screenplay for the movie '12 Angry Men', from which some of these quotes are taken. The article also has Reginald Rose quotes about various aspects like prejudice and guilt.
If you like our list of movie quotes then also check these A Few Good Men quotes and 'A Streetcar Named Desire' quotes.
Juror 8 Quotes
The role of Juror 8 is played by Henry Fonda. This juror cared about justice and stood up against all the other jurors.
He also sympathizes with the defendant. It is because of him that the story takes a turn in favor of the boy and he is finally proven ‘not guilty’. A list of Juror 8 key quotes is given below.
1. “...Look, this boy's been kicked around all his life. You know - living in a slum, his mother dead since he was nine. He spent a year and a half in an orphanage while his father served a jail term for forgery. That's not a very good head start.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
2. “But supposing he really did hear it. This phrase, how many times has each of us used it? Probably hundreds,'I could kill you for doing that, darling'... We say it every day. It doesn't mean we're going to kill someone.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
3. “I want to call for a vote. I want eleven men to vote by secret ballot. I'll abstain. If there are still eleven votes for guilty, I won't stand alone. We'll take in a guilty verdict right now.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
4. “Maybe he didn't bring it up because it would of meant bullying and badgering a helpless old man. You know that doesn't sit well with a jury, most lawyers avoid it if they can.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
5. “I feel sorry for you. What it must feel like to want to pull the switch! Ever since we walked into this room, you've been acting like a self-appointed public avenger! You want to see this boy die because you personally want it, not because of the facts!”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
6. “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.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
7. “It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know."
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
8. “You don't really mean you'll kill me, do you?”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
9. “You're probably right.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
10. “According to the testimony, the boy looks guilty... maybe he is. I sat there in court for six days listening while the evidence built up. Everybody sounded so positive, you know, I... I began to get a peculiar feeling about this trial.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
11. "Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
Juror 10 Quotes
Juror 10 is portrayed by Ed Begley. He is shown as an ignorant and racist man. Here are some quotes said by Juror 10.
12. “I’ve lived among them all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. You know that. I mean, they’re born liars.”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
13. “Look, let’s talk facts. These people are born to lie. Now, it’s the way they are and no intelligent man is gonna tell me otherwise. They don’t know what the truth is... They are different. They act different.”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
14. “I'm trying to tell ya... You're makin' a big mistake, you people! This kid is a liar!... Listen to me... They're no good! There's not a one of 'em who is any good!”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
15. “I don't understand you people! I mean all these picky little points you keep bringing up. They don't mean nothing! You saw this kid just like I did. You're not gonna tell me you believe that phony story about losing the knife, and that business about being at the movies.”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
16. “I'll tell you something. The crime is being committed right in this room.”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
Quotes About Prejudice And Quotes About Reasonable Doubt
Given below are some quotes said by the Judge about prejudice and some reasonable doubt quotes from ‘12 Angry Men’.
17. “However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event that you find the accused 'Guilty', the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case.”
- Judge, '12 Angry Men'.
18. “One man is dead. The life of another is at stake. I urge you to deliberate honestly and thoughtfully.
- Judge, '12 Angry Men'.
19. "If this is a reasonable doubt - then you must bring me a verdict of ‘not guilty'. If, however, there's no reasonable doubt, then you must, in good conscience, find the accused 'Guilty'.”
- Judge, '12 Angry Men'.
The Best 'Twelve Angry Men' Quotes
Find the best movie quotes from ’12 Angry Men’ here, including quotes from Juror 2 and Juror 11, among others.
20. “What d'you think of the case? It had a lot of interest for me... I'll tell you we were lucky to get a murder case. I figured us for a burglary or an assault or something. Those can be the dullest.”
- Juror 12, '12 Angry Men'.
21. “I honestly think the guy is guilty. Couldn’t change my mind if you talked for 100 years.”
- Juror 7, '12 Angry Men'.
22. “Facts may be colored by the personalities of the people who present them.”
- Juror 11, '12 Angry Men'.
23. “I mean, to come to court like that. He was a very old man in a torn jacket.”
- Juror 9, '12 Angry Men'.
24. “This is a quiet, frightened, insignificant old man who… who has been nothing all his life.”
- Juror 9, '12 Angry Men'.
25. “So what are you gonna do about it? We can be here all night.”
- Juror 7, '12 Angry Men'.
26. “At fifteen he was in reform school. He stole a car. He's been arrested for mugging. He was picked up for knife-fighting. I think they said he stabbed somebody in the arm.”
- Juror 7, '12 Angry Men'.
27. "It's a very awkward thing to stab down into the chest of someone who's half a foot taller than you are."
- Juror 2, '12 Angry Men'.
Juror 3 Quotes
Juror 3 is a short-tempered businessman played by Lee J. Cobb. He has rigid opinions about the defendant being guilty. A list of quotes said by Juror 3 are given below.
28. “When he was nine years old he ran away from a fight. I saw it; I was so embarrassed I almost threw up. I said, 'I'm gonna make a man outta you if I have to break you in two tryin'. And I made a man out of him.”
- Juror 3, '12 Angry Men'.
29. “It's these kids - the way they are nowadays. When I was a kid I used to call my father, 'Sir'. That's right. 'Sir'. You ever hear a kid call his father that anymore?”
- Juror 3, '12 Angry Men'.
30. “He's an old man. You saw him. Half the time he was confused. How could he be positive about… anything?”
- Juror 3, '12 Angry Men'.
31. “Wait a minute, what are you trying to give us here? The phrase was 'I'm gonna kill you'; the kid yelled it at the top of his lungs... Don't tell me he didn't mean it! Anybody says a thing like that the way he said it, they mean it!”
- Juror 3, '12 Angry Men'.
Guilty Quotes Or Not Guilty Quotes
Some quotes about the boy being guilty or not are given below. These quotes will give you an idea about the dramatic courtroom story. These are said by Juror 7 and 9, played by Jack Warden and Joseph Sweeney respectively.
32. “Listen, there are still eleven of us who think he's guilty. You're alone. What do you think you're gonna accomplish? If you want to be stubborn and hang this jury, he'll be tried again and found guilty, sure as he's born.”
- Juror 7, '12 Angry Men'.
33. “It's only one night. A man may die.”
- Juror 9, '12 Angry Men'.
Juror 6 Quotes
Edward Binns plays the role of the sixth Juror. He does not have a very visible role in the movie. He is a blue-collar worker and does not have a very rigid opinion. Two quotes said by Juror 6 are given below.
34. “What are you talkin' to him like that for? Guy talks like that to an old man really oughta get stepped on, you know. You oughta have more respect, mister. If you say stuff like that to him again... I'm gonna lay you out.”
- Juror 6, '12 Angry Men'.
35. “I'm not used to supposing... But I'll try one. Suppose you talk us all outta this and the kid really did knife his father?”
- Juror 6, '12 Angry Men'.
Famous Movie Quotes From '12 Angry Men'
Read the two '12 Angry Men' movie quotes given below to get a glimpse into the dramatic courtroom story.
36. “Let me ask you this: Do you really think the boy'd shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don't think so - he's much too bright for that.”
- Juror 8, '12 Angry Men'.
37. “Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.”
- Juror 10, '12 Angry Men'.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the most iconic '12 Angry Men' quotes, then why not take a look at these 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' quotes or Goodfellas quotes for more interesting quotes?
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Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".
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