Twelve Angry Men: Essay Essay, Research Paper

Jack Lemmon was a very persuasive speaker, using the methods of speech called logos and pathos, he convinced his audience (11 angry men) otherwise. He was capable of changing 11 men’s minds, which seemed to be sure about their decisions.

Foremost, using proof by logos was a very important skill. Jack rationalized with his audience, trying to convince them that the testimony of the “witnesses” was false because of the facts and figures. Jack proved that the old man who lived down stairs could not walk to the staircase from his bed in a matter of fifteen seconds. He also proved that the lady across the street does wear eyeglasses, and that she would not be able to see the murder occur across the street through a passing train.

Furthermore, the proof by pathos played as big a roll as logos. Using the emotions of the audience, he explained that the life of the defendant was dependant on their answer and that they should think very carefully. Using pathos effectively by using it in conjunction with logos, Jack Lemmon got himself and others to act out the scene in the old man’s bedroom, to prove that the old man would take longer than 15 seconds to get to the staircase. Also, Jack repeatedly asked the bailiff if he could get a new piece of evidence, which also called for moving people to action.

Finally, Jack Lemmon conducted a perfect argumentative and persuasive speech. He had convinced eleven angry men to change their minds by giving them a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty. Using proof by logos and pathos, Lemmon was capable of changing their minds through using appeals on rationality and emotions, relying on facts and figures, and relying on examples. Jack Lemmon could not have given a better performance to save a young man’s life.