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Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza, by Gustave Doré: their character contrasts are made manifest not only by their behavior, but their physical appearance.

A foil is a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist ^[1], and, in so doing, highlights various facets of the main character's personality. A foil has some important characteristics in common with the other character, such as, frequently, superficial traits or personal history. The author may use the foil to throw the character of the protagonist into sharper relief. The term refers to the practice of putting polished foil underneath a gemstone to make it shine more brightly ^[2]. It is also likely that widespread use of the word "foil" in literature comes from the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, in which Hamlet says that "I'll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ignorance / Your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed" (Act 5 Scene 2). Look up Foil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza. ... Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza. ... This article is about the fictional character and novel. ... Doré photographed by Felix Nadar. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... Shakespeare redirects here. ...

A foil's complementary role may be emphasized by physical contrasts. Dreamy and impractical Don Quixote is thin; realistic, practical Sancho Panza is fat. Sherlock Holmes is tall and lean; Doctor Watson, although at first, on his return from Afghanistan, described as lean, is later described as "middle-sized, strongly built." This article is about the fictional character and novel. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Dr Watson (left) and Sherlock Holmes, by Sidney Paget. ...

In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot. This is especially true in the case of metafiction. One example of a plot being used as a foil can be seen in the graphic novel Watchmen, in which a comic book within the Watchmen universe presents a story similar to that of one of the main characters. Look up metafiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Watchman. ...

The "straight man" in a comedy duo is a comic foil. While the straight man portrays a reasonable and serious character, the other portrays a funny, dumb, or simply unorthodox one. The humor in these partnerships derives from the interactions between these drastically different personalities. A straight man is a role in a comedy double act where a performer works with a comedian by setting up the situations or feeding the lines that allow their partner to make a joke. ... The double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a predominantly British institution, a term used for describing the comedic tradition of a pair of performers. ... The use of a character who, by contrast, brings out the comic qualities of another character (or of other characters). ...

Examples

Foils are very common in literature, film and pop culture. The lists below are meant as representative samples to illustrate the nature of foil characters; it is not intended to be a comprehensive list.

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Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

Classical literature

• In Jane Eyre, St. John Rivers is a foil for Rochester.
• In Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras, whose fathers have been killed, are foils for Hamlet.
• In Macbeth, Banquo is a foil for Macbeth because they both met with the "weird sisters" yet Banquo remains loyal to Duncan.
• In Othello, Emilia is a foil for Desdemona.
• In Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt is a foil for Romeo.
• In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Olivia contrasts to Viola, the main character, because, although both lost their father and brother (even though Viola does not know that her brother is actually alive), Viola is willing to move on while Olivia shuts herself from the presence of any man for seven years. This is just one of the many cases in which Viola and Olivia contrast.
• In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abby and Elizabeth Proctor are foils.
• In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Svidrigailov is a foil to Raskolnikov, as are Sonya, Luzhin, Razumihin, and Marmeladov, arguably.
• In Antigone, Ismene, being thoughtful and calm, serves as a foil to irrational, impulsive Antigone.
• In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character of Lennie is a foil to the character of George, both in physical appearance and in character.
• In A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, Kristine Linde serves as a foil for the main Female protagonist Nora.
• In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Biddy serves as a foil for Estella.
• In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Mr Collins serves as a foil for Mr Darcy.
• In Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier, Ruby can be considered a foil for Ada Monroe.
• In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, obedient Sid can be considered a foil for disobedient Tom.
• In The Stranger (novel), by Albert Camus, Raymond Sintés is a foil for Mersault.

This article is about the Victorian novel. ... Jane Eyre is a classic romance novel by Charlotte Brontë that was published in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Company, London. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, Laërtes (Greek: Λαέρτης) was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. ... Fortinbras is a minor fictional character from William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet. ... This article is about Shakespeares play. ... The Ghost of Banquo by Théodore Chassériau. ... This article is about Shakespeares play. ... The Weird Sisters, (sometimes Wyrd Sisters or Three Weird Sisters), is the Germanic mythological group name given to the Nordic fates, or Norns. ... The Ghost of Banquo by Théodore Chassériau. ... Donnchad mac Crínáin (Anglicised Duncan) (born 15 August 1001 died 14 August 1040)[1] was king of Alba. ... For other uses, see Othello (disambiguation). ... Emilia Jager, daughter of Cathy and John Jager, has been aproved that her French Rose has been awarded painting of the year. The Centre house, Lane Cove community have been very proud of this young 14 yr old girl. ... Desdemona may refer to: Desdemona (Othello), is a fictional character in William Shakespeares play (Othello) Desdemona (moon), a moon of Uranus 666 Desdemona, an asteroid Desdemona, Texas Desdemona Music Festival, 2006 music festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... Romeo and Juliet in the famous balcony scene by Ford Madox Brown For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... Tybalt in the 1968 film as portrayed by Michael York. ... °Å#REDIRECT Romeo and Juliet gsgfhasfhhfdhjsehewbbshhhdbfsh ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Olivia is a female name pronounced oh-LIV-ee-ah. ... For other uses, see Crucible (disambiguation). ... Arthur Bob Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright and essayist. ... Elizabeth Proctor was an indirect victim of the Salem witch trials whose husband, John Proctor, was executed. ... Fyodor Dostoevsky. ... For other uses, see Crime and Punishment (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Antigone (disambiguation). ... Of Mice and Men is a novella by Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck, first published in 1937, which tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced Anglo migrant ranch workers in California during the Great Depression. ... Cover page to manuscript of A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen, 1879 For other uses, see A Dolls House (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Great Expectations (disambiguation). ... For films named Pride and Prejudice, see Pride and Prejudice (film). ... See Han-Shan (Cold Mountain) for the Chinese poet. ... The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, is a popular 1876 novel about a young boy growing up in the Antebellum South on the Mississippi River in St. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. ... The Stranger, or The Outsider, (from the French L’Étranger, 1942) is a novel by Albert Camus. ... For other uses, see Camus. ...

Pop culture

The foil is a common literary device that continues to be used in modern storytelling regardless of the medium. A few of the more noteworthy examples include:

• In the American TV series Lost, a number of characters and their beliefs parallel John Locke and his ideologies. Jack, being rational and logical, is a foil to Locke, who believes the island has a connection to destiny and the supernatural (as explicitly addressed in "Man of Science, Man of Faith". Mr. Eko is also a foil to Locke, as while he shares John's strong faith, he serves primarily to reaffirm that sense of belief within Locke. Series antagonist Ben may also be considered another of Locke's foils, as he too shares the belief in the supernatural properties of the Island, but is one of the "Others," - while he shares a connection to the enigmatic "Jacob", sees visions and at one point uses a wheelchair like Locke, he differs in that he seeks darker ends through means such as casual and extensive deception, manipulation and even murder.
• In Star Wars: A New Hope, the gritty Han Solo stands in stark contrast to the more idealistic Luke Skywalker.
• In DC's World's Finest Comics line and subsequent appearances of Batman and Superman together, each serves as a foil to the other. In some adaptations, Robin also serves as a foil to Batman.
• In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the violent and hot-tempered Raphael serves as a foil to his easy-going and cheerful youngest brother, Michelangelo.
• In Doctor Who The Master is a stark contrast to The Doctor and personifies the Doctor's Attributes.
• In House, recurrent character Michael Tritter was used as a foil for the main character, Gregory House. There were many similarities that they share exactly — such as the belief that everybody lies and their bullyish natures — while also distinct differences emphasized through their confrontations. The regular characters of Wilson and Cuddy, mostly, also foil House in different aspects, by being more human and commonsensical than he is, and then bringing up House's sadistic sarcasm and other prominent, antagonistic traits.
• On Veronica Mars the character Tim Foyle is a foil for the show's title character; the two share a rivalry, an interest in criminal investigation, and a mentor (Criminology professor Landry).
• On Heroes, Sylar is a foil for Peter Petrelli, in that they can both obtain other heroes' powers, to very different ends.
• In British sci-fi series Torchwood, the character of Gwen Cooper finds her dramatic foil in Suzie Costello, a recurring villain.
• In the American thriller series, Prison Break, FBI Agent Alexander Mahone is a foil for Michael Scofield; both are extremely intelligent, and both will go to great lengths - and break whatever rules they must - to protect their families.
• In Hellsing, The character Alexander Anderson is a foil of Alucard as can be seen through the rivalry and the extraordinary powers the two share.
• In Siddhartha by German writer Hermann Hesse, the character Govinda, who follows his friend Siddhartha to find enlightenment, acts as a foil to his companion. This is so because whilst Govinda does not attain a state of Nirvana while following a religious path, Siddhartha abandons religion and discovers for himself that to find Nirvana, one must experience both the religious and material world, and that no one man can be wholly good or evil.
• In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, both Draco Malfoy and Ronald Weasley can be considered foils to Harry Potter.
• Throughout Doctor Who's run on television and in spin-off media, the various Companions have always served as foils for the various incarnations of the Doctor. Examples from the revived series include the enthusiastic Rose Tyler and the heroic, libido-driven Captain Jack as foils for the brooding Ninth Doctor, and the intelligent and inquisitive Martha Jones as foil for the easy-going, light-hearted Tenth Doctor.
• Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom is a foil to Peter Parker in the Spider-Man comics and media. Both are photographers and succumb to the same alien symbiote, although they differ in personality.
• In the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist, Alphonse Elric, very rational and mature for his age, is a foil of his hotheaded, immature, and vertically-challenged brother, Edward Elric.
• Faith Lehane serves as a foil to Buffy Summers in the American cult television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer providing a sharp contrast to the do-good ways of the title character; she is seen jumping into situations without a plan, getting herself into unnecessary danger or trouble for the rush of it, stealing or manipulating to get her way, and abusing her powers to great extents. Ultimately joining the opposite side, she proves that your powers are only as good as you use them.
• In the manga and anime series Naruto, calm and cool headed Sasuke Uchiha is a foil for the hyper and impulsive Naruto Uzumaki.

LOST redirects here. ... For other persons named John Locke, see John Locke (disambiguation). ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Man of Science, Man of Faith is the 25th episode of Lost. ... Mr. ... Benjamin Ben Linus is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Michael Emerson. ... The Others (also known as Them, The Natives, and The Hostiles) are a group of fictional characters who inhabit the island in the American television series Lost; most of whom serve as the antagonists to the series main characters. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... Han Solo is a character in the Star Wars universe. ... Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, portrayed by Mark Hamill in the films Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Worlds Finest Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ... Robin is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... TMNT redirects here. ... Raphael (or Raph), a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). ... Michelangelo (or Mikey, occasionally Mike), is a fictional character, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). ... This article is about the television series. ... This article is about the character. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an American medical drama television series created by David Shore and executive produced by Shore and film director Bryan Singer. ... This article is about the Veronica Mars television series. ... Heroes is an American science fiction serial drama television series created by Tim Kring. ... Gabriel Gray, commonly known by his assumed name of Sylar, is a fictional character and main antagonist on the NBC drama Heroes. ... Peter Petrelli, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia, is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. ... For plants known as torchwood, see Burseraceae. ... Gwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. ... The following is a list of minor characters in the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood, including supporting characters, and important human villains. ... This article is about a television series. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... Alexander Mahone is a fictional character from the American television series Prison Break. ... Michael Scofield is the fictional main protagonist in the American television series, Prison Break. ... This article is about the manga and anime franchise. ... This article deals with Alexander Anderson from the Hellsing series. ... Alucard ) is the protagonist in the Hellsing anime and manga series created by Kouta Hirano. ... Siddhartha is an allegorical novel by Hermann Hesse which deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian man called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha. ... Hermann Hesse (pronounced ) (2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Joanne Jo Murray, née Rowling OBE[1] (born 31 July 1965),[2] who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is an British writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Draco Malfoy is a fictional character in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series. ... Ronald Ron Bilius Weasley (born March 1, 1980) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of childrens books. ... Harry James Potter is a fictional character and the main protagonist of J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of fantasy books. ... This article is about the television series. ... Rose Tyler is a fictional character played by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Captain Jack Harkness, also known as Captain Jack, is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... The Ninth Doctor refers to the ninth official incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and will appear in its spin-off series, Torchwood. ... The Tenth Doctor is the name given to the tenth and current incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Venom (Eddie Brock) is a comic book supervillain (sometimes referred to as an anti-hero) in the Marvel Comics universe, and an enemy of Spider-Man. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Venom is a moniker used by several characters in the Marvel Comics fictional Marvel Universe. ... “Fullmetal” redirects here. ... Alphonse Elric ) is a fictional character in the manga and anime series Fullmetal Alchemist. ... Edward Elric ) is a fictional character and main protagonist in the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist created by Hiromu Arakawa. ... Faith Lehane (known in the TV series only as Faith)[2] is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, portrayed by Eliza Dushku. ... Buffy Anne Summers is the eponymous fictional character in the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the television program of the same name and its numerous spin-offs, such as novels, comic books, and video games. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump BANZAI! Shonen Jump Weekly Comic Original run November 1999 – Ongoing No. ... Sasuke Uchiha ) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. ... Naruto Uzumaki ) is the title character and protagonist in the anime and manga series Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. ...

References