The setting of the play enhances the tension among the men’
Aidan Barr
‘The setting of the play enhances the tension among the men’
In ‘Twelve Angry Men’ Reginald Rose creates a tone of tension throughout the play through his particular and varied/ transitional descriptions of the play’s setting. Rose immediately establishes suspense and tension in the play at the very beginning of act 1, the speech that the judge makes delivers a sense of severity and creates sense of grave importance for the case. The grave reality of the situation creates tension, anxiety and anticipation amongst the jurors.
Tension is built up early in the play with the descriptions of the background and setting of the play. The play is set in New York in the summer of 1957; the jurors are placed in a small, hot, claustrophobic and stuffy room. Throughout the play, many of the jurors comment on the weather. The seventh juror said: “You know something? I called up for the weather. This is the hottest day of the year”. The weather has different and contrasting effects on the jurors. Some get agitated and very irritable and some are exhausted and fatigued. This clash of moods creates great tension in the play from the very start. During the play the weather changes and matches the tone and atmosphere of the jury room as the moods of the jurors and the ambience of the room shifts.
The entire play takes place in a single room, the jury room, and none of the jurors are able to leave until they have reached a unanimous decision. Twelve men are confined in a tiny room, which is bound to lead into disagreement and conflict. Rose also maintains tension by having the majority of the play within a single act; this stops the story from breaking up and preserves the tone of the room.
However, Rose does not constantly sustain a high level of tension. There are brief moments when tension is dispersed and diffused through various devices. There would usually be an abrupt change to the usual tone to relieve tension, someone would offer a cough drop or use the
‘The setting of the play enhances the tension among the men’
In ‘Twelve Angry Men’ Reginald Rose creates a tone of tension throughout the play through his particular and varied/ transitional descriptions of the play’s setting. Rose immediately establishes suspense and tension in the play at the very beginning of act 1, the speech that the judge makes delivers a sense of severity and creates sense of grave importance for the case. The grave reality of the situation creates tension, anxiety and anticipation amongst the jurors.
Tension is built up early in the play with the descriptions of the background and setting of the play. The play is set in New York in the summer of 1957; the jurors are placed in a small, hot, claustrophobic and stuffy room. Throughout the play, many of the jurors comment on the weather. The seventh juror said: “You know something? I called up for the weather. This is the hottest day of the year”. The weather has different and contrasting effects on the jurors. Some get agitated and very irritable and some are exhausted and fatigued. This clash of moods creates great tension in the play from the very start. During the play the weather changes and matches the tone and atmosphere of the jury room as the moods of the jurors and the ambience of the room shifts.
The entire play takes place in a single room, the jury room, and none of the jurors are able to leave until they have reached a unanimous decision. Twelve men are confined in a tiny room, which is bound to lead into disagreement and conflict. Rose also maintains tension by having the majority of the play within a single act; this stops the story from breaking up and preserves the tone of the room.
However, Rose does not constantly sustain a high level of tension. There are brief moments when tension is dispersed and diffused through various devices. There would usually be an abrupt change to the usual tone to relieve tension, someone would offer a cough drop or use the