Theme Of Foils In Romeo And Juliet

Opposites attract. This term is used all of the time. When people first hear it, it does not make sense, but when they really think about it, it does. Another word for this phase is foil. William Shakespeare used foils in many of his plays including Romeo and Juliet. The play is about two star-crossed lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. The Montagues and Capulets are in a huge fight. They absolutely despise each other. One night, Lord Capulet throws a party and Romeo sneaks in. The minute that he and Juliet lay their eyes on each other, they instantly fall in love. Throughout the story, many things happen including deaths. Shakespeare uses foil to emphasize the character’s personalities.

Benvolio is a sweet and kind man unlike Tybalt who is unpredictable and aggressive. Benvolio shouts at Tybalt as he begins to fight the Capulet’s servants “ Part fools! Put up your swords. You know not what you do”(I.i.66-67). Benvolio not only dislikes himself getting into fights, but he also dislikes others getting into fights. Only truly peaceful people do not want any fighting whatsoever. Benvolio happens to be a truly peaceful man. Later on during the party, Tybalt figures out that a Montague is in the building, so he says “Now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall”(I.v.101). This statement

The relationship between Benvolio and Tybalt is important because it makes the reader really understand the hatred between the two families. Using foils really emphasizes it. They represent the differences between the Montagues and the Capulets. The relationship between the nurse and Juliet is important because it shows that they can tell each other anything but at the same time, they are complete opposites. Using foil really shows Juliet’s maturity and the nurse’s confidence levels. Foil helps the reader understand the differences between the two families and the people within