1. CHARACTER FOIL
ENGLISH IV

2. LITERARY FOIL
FOIL: In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.

3. FOIL EXAMPLE
2 FRIENDS
HOUSE
LEADERS
QUIDDITCH
MISSIONS
vs.

4. THINK & DISCUSS
Think of your favorite movie or television series (or one you’ve seen recently).
Identify the main character, then try to determine if that character has a “foil” counterpart.
Jot down the two character names and write a paragraph that explains how that particular foil works: what qualities are highlighted or accentuated in one character by the presence of another?

5. APPLY & PREDICT Think about the characters we’ve met so far in Hamlet.
Can you think of any that share something in common with Hamlet?
Which one(s) do you think could turn out to serve as potential “foils” as the play progresses?