Q. Is it ever correct to put punctuation marks both before and after a final parenthesis? Should the following sentence have a period at the end? Write an essay in response to one of the questions posed by the narrator (e.g., “When is it right to pretend to believe a lie?”)
A. Yes, a period should follow the end parenthesis. A parenthesis that falls within a sentence is a disposable interruption; you mustn’t leave the sentence hanging with no end punctuation. On the other hand, if the parenthesis follows the end of a sentence and stands on its own, then its own internal punctuation is enough. (Need an example?) (Here’s another one.)