Foil
Definition:
The term ‘foil’ refers to a literary device where the author creates a character whose primary purpose is to create a contrast to another character by laying emphasis or drawing attention to the latter’s traits and characteristics through the former’s obviously contradictory ones.
Example:
In the popular book series, Harry Potter, the character of Hogwarts principal Albus Dumbledore, who portrays ‘good’, is constantly shown to believe in the power of true love (of all forms and types) and is portrayed as a strong, benevolent and positive character while the antagonist Lord Voldemort, who depicts the evil and ‘bad’ in the series is constantly shown to mock and disbelieve the sentiment of love and think of it as a foolish indulgence, a trait that is finally his undoing.
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Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is like, " I mean I want to be king but I really don't want to kill nobody..." And then Lady Macbeth is like, "You should toats kill Duncan and his son so you can be king because I'm cray and the personification of evil. Oh and I think you're such a wimp, Macbeth so you better do what I want."
Would another example of foil be Javert and Valjean from Les Miserables?
OMG I <3 Hermione
Clearly Harry Potter's mom went back into time to save him, and she used her love to bring Harry back to life. And Harry cheated on his wife, with Hermione. Then Ron got mad and they have to duel in order to regain their honor. DUH!
Voldemort is a well fleshed out character and deserves more than "mocking love". He was fear. Not the act of fear, but full of it. He feared death, aka Dumbledore, who was powerful enough to briing about his death.
One could argue that Dumbledore is human weaknesses as well, as we find out after he dies. Voldemore is weakness as well, in his fear of death. He doesn't set out to hurt others, he enjoys seeing others hurt to achieve his own goal. Which is immortal life, becasue he fears death. But Dumbledore feared losing the love of the ones he loved. He wasn't a perfect person, but he was a well fleshed out character. It's not all good and bad. Are we saying that trying to achieve your own goals is bad? In Voldemort's case, yes, because he hurt others, but who says they deserve help at all? Did they "deserve" the pain brought upon them Harry Potter is much deeper than some think, and just cheering for "houses" is demeaning the complexity of the plot.
that example's a bit of a stretch...Atticus and Mr. Ewell would be better
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure..."
*Rowena Ravenclaw*
-Luna Lovegood-
E'RE DAY I'M HUFFLIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just....no...
the potter example is wrong...be warned. batman and the joker is wrong too..
i totally agree
i wonder why they call it foil.....
"Foil" is a term that comes from gemology and jewelry-making. The foil is the backing that gets put on a cut stone, such as a diamond or a ruby, in order to make its surfaces reflect light to their absolute best advantage. So, to return to the original example, we see Dumbledore's love and faith all the more, because it's contrasted against the darkness of Voldemort.
thats correct now i know what is foil this i choose to be my report. <3
Batman & The Joker
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Laertes is Hamlets foil, because they both suffer unjust loss, and Hamlet, by his values, takes the whole play to make the decision to take revenge, but Laertes is an example of the good "medieval son" and acts impulsively.
I love how no one comments on the actual information but on the Harry Potter example. :)
That was a very good example and it makes alot of since .
And "sense," not "since."
*a lot not alot
love the example.
RAVENCLAW FOREVER.
Hufflepuff FTW
LOOL that got my attention
WOOHOO! Harry POtter is awesomeee! it has taken over the internet ;)
I love how they use Harry Potter for an example :)
Nice example. GO GRYFFINDOR!!!
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