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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 4 page paper discusses the themes of genius and madness in the play “Proof” by David Auburn. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVAuPruf.rtf
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explored in the play. Discussion The play has four characters, Catherine, her father Robert, her sister Claire and Hal, one of Roberts Ph.D. students; its set in Chicago and the
action takes place on the back porch of Roberts house in Chicago, over the course of a long weekend. As the play opens, Catherine is talking to her father, which
wouldnt be unusual except that hes been dead for a week (Auburn). This revelation immediately sets up questions in the audiences mind: is she merely talking to herself and picturing
her father being there as a sort of "sounding board" (a sort of interior monologue) or does she actually believe hes there? Auburn doesnt make it clear, and for most
of the play we wonder about the close relationship between genius and madness. This theme is underscored in the first scene of the play, when Catherine and Robert debate whether
or not shes crazy; she is aware of her own tendency to instability and is really worried about her state of mind. But her father reassures her, saying "Crazy people
dont ask if theyre crazy. Youre fine" (Auburn). It turns out the Catherine has cared for her father during the last five years of his life, as he slowly lost
his grip on reality. This is particularly heartbreaking in someone who works with his mind, and Robert is a brilliant mathematician, though his innovative work was done when he was
in his 20s. Now in his 50s, hes no longer producing good work. One of the most wrenching scenes in the play occurs when he says hes solved a problem
theyve been working on for years, and insists that Catherine look at it. She looks it over and says its wonderful but thats not enough: he demands that she read
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