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"foil"
Language
Act 5,
Scene 2
Lines 193a-196a

An explanation of the word “foil” in Act 5, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamlet

Give us the foils. Come on.

Laertes

                                               Come, one for me.

Hamlet

I'll be your foil, Laertes. In mine ignorance    
Your skill shall, like a star i'th' darkest night,
Stick fiery off indeed.

A foil is a light sword used for fencing competitions. But it can also refer to the dark background used to make a jewel stand out; by extension, anything that serves, by dint of being a negative contrast, to show something off to its advantage. Now, the term also has a literary application, referring to any character that highlights another character’s traits by contrast. Hamlet and Laertes are a classic example of this device.