Sunday, June 17, 2018

The title of this play is Proof. There is more than one meaning of this word in the dictionary and in the play. Discuss the possible meanings of "proof" that you see in the play.

When you consider the title of this play, proof has two significant meanings. First, there is the more common use of the word, where proof refers to evidence which establishes the truth or validity of a claim or concept. This definition of proof is relevant to this story because the main characters spend much of the play trying to prove who wrote the mathematical proof the Hal discovers.
This brings us to the second relevant meaning of proof. Here, the title refers to the mathematical definition of the word. In math, proof refers to a series of mathematical statements that posit that a particular conclusion is demonstrably and consistently true. In the play, Hal and Catherine are searching for two proofs. One is the mathematical proof that was found in the professor's desk and the other is proof of who wrote it.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What is the theme of the chapter Lead?

Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...