Friday, 2 January 2015

“12 Angry Men” by Reginald Rose (in English)

[Juror #9 has pointed out that the witness across the street had marks on her nose, indicating that she normally wore glasses]
Juror #8: [to Juror #4] Do you wear glasses when you go to bed?
Juror #4: No. I don't. No one wears eyeglasses to bed.
Juror #8: It's logical to assume that *she* wasn't wearing them when she was in bed - tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep!
Juror #3: How do *you* know?
Juror #8: I don't *know* - I'm guessing! I'm also guessing that she probably didn't put her glasses on when she turned to look casually out of the window - and she herself testified the killing took place just as she looked out, the lights went off a split second later - she couldn't have had *time* to put them on then! [stops #3 from stopping him]  Here's another guess: maybe she honestly thought she saw the boy kill his father - I say she only saw a blur!
Juror #3: How do you know *what* she saw? How does he know all that? How do you know *what* kind of glasses she wore? Maybe they were sunglasses, maybe she was far-sighted! What do you *know* about her?
Juror #8: I only know the woman's eyesight is in question now!
Juror #11: She had to be able to identify a person sixty feet away, at night, without glasses.
Juror #2: You can't send someone off to die on evidence like that!
Juror #3: Oh, don't give me that.
Juror #8: Don't you think the woman *might* have made a mistake?
Juror #3: [stubbornly] No!
Juror #8: It's not *possible?*
Juror #3: No, it's not possible!
Juror #8: [gets up and speaks to Juror #12] Is it possible?
Juror #12: [nods] Not guilty.
Juror #8: [goes to #10] You think he's guilty?
[#10 shakes his head "no"]
Juror #3: *I* think he's guilty!
Juror #8: [ignores #3; goes to #4] How about you?
Juror #4: [looks at #8, pauses, then shakes head] No... I'm convinced. Not guilty.
Juror #3: [shocked, having just lost all support] What's the matter with ya?
Juror #4: I have a reasonable doubt now.
Juror #9: Eleven to one!

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