Foil Character Foil: A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight particular qualities of the other character. Examples: Foil Main Character MACBETH Character Traits • Brave and strong warrior. Captain tells us of his success in the battle against Macdonald and Norway. • Starts out kind. Too kind for lady Macbeth's liking. • Ambitious. Ambition leads to poor judgement and kills Duncan. • Tyrannical and Evil. Takes to bloodshed without hesitation. Betrays Banquo by killing him, along with Macduff's family later on. • Imaginative? Hallucinates and sees things that aren't there. Hears things that aren't there, etc In Macbeth who do we think is foil to Macbeth? And Why? BANQUO Character Traits • General in the Scottish army and considered to be valiant by Duncan. • Curious. After hearing the witches prophecy about Macbeth, wants to hear his own. • Loyal. Stays loyal to Duncan and Macbeth until the time of his death. • Cautious: Cautious when first approaching the witches. Is very careful around Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. • Quick witted: Realizes dark forces are at work after the first prophecy and suspects Macbeth of foul play. • Intuitive: Can read others emotions well. Knows Macbeth is bothered by the prophecies even though he is told other wise. Reaction Prophecies: • Macbeth is said to be Thane of Glamis (which he already is). • Macbeth is said to be Thane of Cawdor. • Macbeth "shalt be king“. • Banquo shall get kings but never be one. How Macbeth reacted: • Started to worry a lot about the prophecy. Very shocked. • Wanted to know more. "Stay, you imperfect speakers..." (Act 1, Scene 3). • Got more and more paranoid/ambitious. He felt like he needed to take matters into his own hands. • Kills Duncan. How Banquo reacted: • Becomes very unnerved and suspicious by the prophecy. Thinks the Witches are a hallucination at first. • Realizes dark forces are coming into play. " The instruments of darkness tells us truths.. to betray us." (Act 1 Scene 3) • Decides it's better to not act on these prophecies but to let them play out. Why two prophecies? • The reason why there are two prophecies instead of just one is because they both contradict one another. • It also creates conflict between Macbeth and Banquo because since Banquo's sons will become king, Macbeth has a "fruitless crown". • It also shows how each character is different in the ways that they react to their prophecies. Watch the Throne • The throne of Scotland has a major affect on all the characters in the play. • The crown or the idea of power is a motive that affects many characters and their decisions. Some characters crave it and others are killed for it. • This is what really sets the characters of Macbeth and Banquo apart. • Banquo has the qualities of a good king but does not crave the power. On the contrast, Macbeth has the qualities of a bad king and craves that power. "No one man should have all that power" 1st Effect on the play: Macbeth's Decision • Because of the Banquo's prophecy, Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. • Macbeth doesn't want to lose his crown and Banquo's prophecy gets in the way of that desire. • This decision reflects on the contrast between Banquo and Macbeth's characters because this is where Macbeth becomes truly evil. 2nd Effect on the play: Good vs. Evil • In the case of Macbeth and Banquo, evil triumphs good because good does nothing to stop evil. • Because Banquo is too cautious, he does not take action on his suspicions of Macbeth's treachery. He believes that if he lets the prophecies play out, they will come true. • This leads to Banquo's downfall/death. Conclusion: • The overall effect of this foil between the two characters is that it highlights their main differences and enhances their own characteristics.
