If you have the Harry Potter series, or almost any other story you have been introduced to this literary device that instantly makes your story attention-grabbing, and page-turning. This writing tool is known as a character foil. A character foil is a character that displays contrary, or opposite character traits. An example of a character foil is Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter. Their rival relationship and other conflicts are the perfect example to showcase foils at work. To continue, in the iconic “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, there are two known character foils in the first Act: Benvolio and Tybalt, and the Nurse and Lady Capulet.
Tybalt is related to Juliet, and is naturally a character foil to a relative of Romeo named Benvolio. Tybalt contains a quick temper, and makes a multitude of rash decisions. Tybalt also responds to disrespect with violence, and without much consideration. Benvolio’s name rings true to word that sounds similar:
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Conversely, Juliet's mother is stiff and cold towards, and uses Juliet as a tool to make the family name look good. As we learn in towards the beginning of the story Juliet is the last child of the Capulet line, and as a result her mother also puts pressure on Juliet for having a two year engagement with the Prince. Nurse obviously seems to be closer to Juliet, than her biological mother. Hence, this is yet another character foil present in Shakespeare’s play involves Juliet’s nurse and Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother.)
William Shakespeare, author of thirty-eight plays includes the literary technique, foil, in one of his most popular plays, “Romeo and Juliet.” The tragedy consists of conflicted, complex characters, and characters whose personality contrast with another and emphasize another’s attributes adds another dimension to an already celebrated piece of
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet portrays Tybalt as a pugnacious fighter who is often quarreling with his opponents, the Montagues. At the dawn of the book a fight breaks out between a couple of low standing Montagues and Capulets. When Benvolio tries to step in and keep the peace Tybalt attacks him. “What, draw, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee” (I,i,80). Tybalt, even through Benvolio’s insistence on peace, attacks him for his hatred of his foe is strong. Later in the act Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio are attending the party put on by Lord Capulet. Tybalt eventually spots Romeo dancing with Juliet, and makes to end Romeo for it. It fits, when such a villain is a guest: I’ll not endure him” (I,v,698).
A character foil is a pair of characters that portray opposite characteristics to highlight the other’s traits. The characters Don Pedro and Don John in the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is a great example of such. Much Ado About Nothing is a play about deceit, conflict, and love. The conflict in this play can be easily avoided, hence the name Much Ado About Nothing. The meaning of the play is that conflict can oftentimes be easily avoided if thought through. This meaning is illuminated by the character foils Don John and Don Pedro by their opposite traits of honesty and dishonesty.
The nurse practically raised Juliet, she was like her mom. Nurse was responsible for many reasons, she did not counsel Juliet when she saw that she was in love with Romeo, a foe of her family; she was also disloyal to Juliet when Juliet had asked advice from her for her refusal to marry Paris. The Nurse was not only disloyal to Juliet, but to her own kind, the Capulets. Running around behind their backs trying to get Juliet
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a well known play. Shakespeare uses foils in Hamlet to further create and explain Hamlet’s character. Foils are created in a play to help the audience better understand a major character by giving the character someone to talk to and compare the major character to. [Using the definition as the thesis was not a good idea in this paper. The assignment said not in the first paragraph, i.e., the paper was to be about how foils affect the meaning of this play.]
William Shakespeare uses several characters in his play, Hamlet, to create a more in-depth look at their characteristics. Shakespeare uses characters called “foils” to offset the attributes of other characters. Foils are characters that contrast with another character to further highlight qualities of the other character. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s characteristics are emphasized with the help of his foils.
William Shakespeare made Tybalt Capulet as the foil character for Romeo Montague. There are similarities between Tybalt and Romeo they both care about Juliet. They have differences because they are from different families and different ways of growing up. Tybalt judged Romeo for his name and not for his character.
Shakespeare has created emotional character’s that contrast with the other characters strengths and their flaws. Romeo is a romantic character that is impulsive with the fact of being in love. However Juliet is cautious with how she handles her love conflict with Romeo, but determined to be with him. On the other hand Tybalt is loyal to the Capulet family, yet vengeful to the Montague family. When you love someone that your enemies with someone will always get hurt.
In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, people can see many dramatic foils. Providing contrast for the other characters, dramatic foils are essential to Shakespeare drama. An example of two foils are Benvolio and Tybalt. Benvolio is seen as peacemaker, a Montague, and calm, while Tybalt is seen as aggressive, a Capulet, and furious. Therefore, Benvolio and Tybalt are foils for each other in their temperament, families, and behavior.
A foil is a character whose traits are contrasted with those of another character. There are a few foils in Jane Eyre, however, I will be focusing on Blanche Ingram. Blanche is a significant contrast to Jane, Jane is more in doctile nature while Blanche is definitely more haughty.
In Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Right away, we get an idea of who these characters are and what kind of role they will play throughout the story. Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt share many distinctive characteristics and personalities in the story. We learn that Romeo is the romantic and handsome son of the Montagues. In the beginning of the story, he was depressed, but his mood quickly changed as the story went on. We also learn that Mercutio is Romeo’s closest and good friend who tries to make Romeo forget about his first love, Rosaline. He is a great entertainer and he’s very sarcastic too. Instantly, we learn that Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is very hot-headed, aggressive, and violent. He loathes the Montagues very much. Finally, in Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet three characters, Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt and we directly get an idea of what the characters are like.
Juliet is the only child of Capulet and Lady Capulet. She looks up to her mother, who is about 28 but her mother doesn’t act like a mother should, her Nurse is a more nurturing, respectable figure to Juliet. Because of her young mother and the norms during the Shakespearean Era, she acts older than she actually is. She has a mature personality and is a romantic, though her brain hasn’t caught up with her heart. She is very beautiful and loves Romeo more than she loves her family. Because of that she makes a lot of decisions that are guided by her heart, not her brain, which didn’t get her to a very good place.
Throughout the play the relationship between Juliet and The Nurse always shows. The Nurse has a playful as well as a caring relationship with Juliet. Even though The Nurse maybe a servant in the Capulet household, The Nurse has a far more superior role to an ordinary servant. This is seen in Act 1 Scene 3 when Lady Capulet sent The Nurse out and them immediately calls her back in as The Nurse knows Juliet so well. “Nurse come back again'; The relationship between The Nurse and Juliet is so strong that The Nurse knows Juliet better than her own mother; this is shown in Act 1 scene 3 when Lady Capulet does not know the age of her daughter.
1. Plays have foils to help the audience understand important characters in the play. Foils are minor characters that have similarities and differences with a more important character in the play. Sometimes the minor character is just there for the character to talk to; this is the basis for being a foil. In the play "Hamlet," [Titles] by William Shakespeare, the character Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet.
Accidentally, incidentally, unintentionally, intentionally; no one ever really knows, but we are for certain one thing: “the heart isits own fate.” For Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare’s masterpiece play ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ this holds especially true. Romeo and Juliet’s “misadventure piteous overthrow” is fueled by their love for each other and their determination to be together, no matter what. Romeo and Juliet’s love with stands the hate surrounding them. Thus, fate is undoubtedly the most responsible influence for the two young lovers’ heartbreaking tragedy.
In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the characters Tybalt and Benvolio are foil characters for several reasons. To begin, Tybalt and Benvolio are enemies, because Tybalt is a Capulet and Benvolio is a Montague. Tybalt yells to Benvolio and the other Montagues “Talk of peace? I hate the words as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 72). Tybalt and Benvolio hate each other because of their different families: the Montagues and the Capulets. To continue, Tybalt tries to pick fights, whereas Benvolio wants to create piece. In Act 1, Scene 1, Tybalt is trying to pick a fight with the Montagues and yells “Turn thee… Look upon thy death.” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 68). This is just an example of one of the many