DRAMATIC FOIL
A dramatic foil is a character that highlights or brings out the personality traits of another character in a play. Usually, the foil contrasts with the other character, and the contrast serves to emphasize the other character’s traits.
Character who are foils are effective in literature for highlighting other characters' assets and shortcomings. These foils are usually set against the main personages in a literary work in order to make more pronounced the characteristics of the protagonists and antagonists. However, inRomeo and Juliet,the foil character of Mercutio is such a well-developed and strong character that it seems Shakespeare must kill him off in the third act to keep the focus more on Romeo.
Benvolio and Romeo: Benvolio has a calm and sensitive disposition, which contrasts with Romeo’s moody, emotional disposition. Benvolio, whose name is in part Latin forgood [bene],has been the one to calm Romeo in an earlier act; however, at the beginning of Act III, it is, ironically, the volatile Mercutio who attempts to diffuse the heat:
After Mercutio dies and the enraged Romeo kills Tybalt, Romeo bemoans his misfortune, but Benvolio urges him to flee lest the Prince condemn him to death for his action against the recent law against feuding: "Romeo, away, be gone!" (3.1.94)
Benvolio and Tybalt: Benvolio tries to quiet the brawling servants, which contrasts with the fiery Tybalt who always wants to fight.
Romeo and Mercutio: Romeo’s artificiality of sentiment contrasts with Mercutio’s sense of reality. Mercutio is a carefree, outgoing, and optimistic person to whom almost everything is a joke; Romeo is sensitive, moody, pessimistic, and romantic.
Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.(3.1.9-10)
After Romeo comes upon the scene as Mercutio becomes heated in his words with the fiery Tybalt, Romeo steps between them and then tries to diffuse the tension by placing himself before Mercutio and by telling Tybalt that he has no argument against him:
I do protest I never injured thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise...(3.1.56)
And, although Romeo urges Benvolio to break up the fight with his sword, Tybalt surreptitiously stabs Mercutio, fatally injuring him. Mercutio berates Romeo jokingly at first and then seriously for having caused his fatal injury.
Romeo and Paris:Paris becomes a foil to Romeo after Mercutio dies; Paris is built up as a lover whose conventionality and inexperience contrast with Romeo’snewly developed range and depth of feeling for Juliet
Paris comes to pay respectful homage to Juliet; Romeo to visit his dead love and to join her in death as he has poison. When Paris starts to enter and then challenges Romeo as a felon, the fiery Romeo slays him.
Paris. I do defy thy conjurations
And apprehend thee for a felon here.
RomeoWilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy! (5.3.69-70)
Juliet and the Nurse: The Nurse is crude and she talks senselessly. Juliet is romantic, which contrasts with the Nurse’s practical approach to love. The nurse’s easy-going moral indulgence is contrasted with Juliet’s purity.
Friar Lawrence and Romeo: Romeo is all passion and courage while Friar Lawrence counsels caution and moderation. The Friar is a very thoughtful man, one who ponders life’s mysteries, while Romeo is much more a person of action, one who is essentially driven by a single passion
Friar Laurence is the voice of maturity against the weeping of Romeo. He tells Romeo when Romeo pulls out his dagger in despair,
Hold thy desperate hand
Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art. (3.3.108-109)
Friar Laurence/ Juliet
Again, Friar Laurence is the voice of maturity as Juliet comes to him is desperation and he devises a plan to give him a few days in order to fix some of the family problems.
Friar Laurence. And if thou darest, I'll give thee remedy
Juliet. Oh, bid me leap, rather than marry Paris.
From off the battlements of yonder tower.... (4.2.76-78)