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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Is Catherine pleased that Hal kisses her?

2. What does Claire fear about Catherine?

3. How old is Catherine turning?

4. What beauty product does Claire insist that Catherine try?

5. What has become Claire's fiance's new hobby?

Short Essay Questions

1. Are Claire and Catherine very comfortable around one another?

2. Describe how Catherine treats the police when they arrive.

3. When did Hal and Catherine first meet?

4. Why is Hal's entrance at the end of the scene helpful for Catherine?

5. Does Hal think he will still have the next great mathematical revelation?

6. How does Hal describe the mathematicians at his conferences?

7. Who is Sophie Germain?

8. What does Claire plan to do with the house?

9. What is Hal's song Imaginary Number?

10. How is Claire's personality different from Catherine's?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hal feels some sort of a connection to Catherine. When she is catatonic in bed, he insists to Claire that Catherine may talk to him.

1.) What events my have led Hal to feel more connected with Catherine?

2.) Could he feel guilty and somewhat responsible for her breakdown?

3.) Is Hal a victim of circumstance, or could he have handled the situation more graciously?

Essay Topic 2

While Hal is a mathematician and a doctoral candidate, he mishandles almost his entire relationship Catherine.

1.) Describe Hal and Catherine's relationship in chronological order, starting with their first meeting and moving through the end of Act 2.

2.) Does Hal really care for Catherine, or is he only interested in her proof?

3.) Could Hal's attraction to Catherine also be tangled up with his sorrow over Robert's death?

Essay Topic 3

PROOF is a play, not a novel, and is meant to be viewed and performed in front of an audience. Discuss the structure of the play and why or why not it is effective.

1.) What do you think an audience is meant to take away from the play? What major elements of the play make it different from a novel?

2.) Did you notice a difference between reading the play by yourself and hearing it read aloud?

3.) How do stage directions play a role in understanding the play?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample