In the play, Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras, and Horatio each, in turn, act as a foil to the character Hamlet. "A foil is a person who is paired with another character to develop the latter's traits and personality by contrast. A foil is much like the twin character in class, rank, and background; but has opposing characteristics that provide a mirror to those of the paired character." Foils have been used for hundreds of years in dramas to emphasize the traits of the main characters. The most common foil is the foil of the antagonist to the protagonist, who mirrors each other by their good-bad traits. Laertes, Fortinbras and Horatio all serve as foils to Hamlet to emphasize certain important traits of Hamlet.

To better understand the role of a foil in any given work, one must view the similarities and differences between the main character (Hamlet) and the...