In literature, a foil is a character who serves as the opposite of another, typically the protagonist. The general purpose of a foil is to highlight some characteristic of the opposing character.
In the case of Romeo & Juliet, Romeo has a foil in his best friend Mercutio. Before the audience even meets Romeo, he is described as being very depressed and forlorn. It is later revealed that Romeo is lovesick over a girl...
In literature, a foil is a character who serves as the opposite of another, typically the protagonist. The general purpose of a foil is to highlight some characteristic of the opposing character.
In the case of Romeo & Juliet, Romeo has a foil in his best friend Mercutio. Before the audience even meets Romeo, he is described as being very depressed and forlorn. It is later revealed that Romeo is lovesick over a girl who will never love him back. Romeo is very serious, especially over matters concerning the heart. Mercutio, on the other hand, is a natural entertainer and tries not to take matters so seriously. The best portrayal of Mercutio as Romeo's foil is his speech about Queen Mab in Act 1, Scene 4, when the two, along with Benvolio, are headed to the Capulet party. Romeo admits that he had a dream which made him second-guess their decision to attend the party. Mercutio responds with an entertaining speech about a mystical fairy that brings dreams of deepest desires. He claims that dreams are fanciful creations of bored minds and are not to be taken seriously. Romeo, on the other hand, being the serious, love struck character, feels the exact opposite.
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