Theme Of Equality In 12 Angry Men

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In Twelve Angry Men, Reginald Rose presents a play on criminal justice that comments on modern justice as a whole. He suggests equality as a standard for justice. While equality is the minimum that a person deserves, the scenario that Rose illustrates in Twelve Angry Men shows that sometimes people do not receive that minimum. The lack of equality brings about other elements of justice to make up for and build upon it. Equality seems to spur the pursuit of justice, while raising the ever perplexing question of: what is justice?
Equality is supposed to be the essence of justice, yet Twelve Angry Men illustrates how it is not. Regarding equality in Twelve Angry Men, the jurors do not give equal treatment like they should from the beginning.
Venice is supposed to be a city of equality and religious tolerance, yet Shylock, a Jew, is scorned by society. Shylock poses questions against the outright prejudice: “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?” (the Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 2 p.49). Is Shylock not human just like the Christians who ridicule him are? Jews and Christians are “fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, [and] subject to the same diseases”, yet Shylock is discriminated against for his religion. Because of this social inequality, Shylock desires revenge and justice. Like Rose, Shakespeare presents how an inequality spurs the search for justice. However, Shylocks’ tactic for justice is questionable. Shylock demands to cut a pound of flesh out of Shylock for breaking his bond. While this seems crazy, the law is on his side. Shylock, despite not receiving social equality from other people, is guaranteed equality under the law. This is unlike Twelve Angry Men in that Shylock cannot be denied “the course of the law,” while the defendant is denied his rights (the Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 3 p. 64). Knowing the law in on his side, Shylock manipulates the rights he has to exact revenge on Antonio as he confidently proclaims that “the duke shall grant [him] justice” (the Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 3 p. 64). But is what Shylock is doing

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