N2
はたして
Wonder if ~ (really)?, Wonder how ~ (actually)?, Sure enough, As expected
果たして彼が言っていることは本当なのだろうか。
I wonder if what he is saying is the truth.
Explanation
「はたして」 has 2 uses
1I wonder
With a question ending such as 「だろうか」「のか」, showing doubt: 「果たして本当だろうか」 (is it really true, I wonder?).
果たして彼が言っていることは本当なのだろうか。
I wonder if what he is saying is the truth.
果たして、あのやり方で本当に成功するのでしょうか。
I wonder if that approach will really work.
2Just as expected
In a statement: it happened just as expected, usually in the past: 「果たして彼の言った通りになった」 (sure enough, it went as he said).
彼は取引先の信頼を失う事をしてしまった。果たして、彼はクビになった。
He did something to lose the trust of his clients. As expected he was fired.
彼女は自分の意見を彼に押し付けようとしたが、果たして彼は自分の意見を変えなかった。
She tried to push her opinions onto him, but as expected he did not change his.
Mixed up with
When you see 「はたして」 at the start, look at the end of the sentence.
A question mark or 「~だろうか」 means 'really, I wonder'.
A plain past 「~た」 means 'sure enough'.
Don't take 「はたして」 for a question word in a positive sentence.