A "foil" in literature is a character whose personality and traits act in contrast to the protagonist or another major character. Usually, the foil will have a lot in common with the main character (age, gender, life situation, etc), but respond to conflicts in a very different way. The foil is meant to highlight the traits and characteristics of the main character by contrasting them. Examples include Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy (as well as...
A "foil" in literature is a character whose personality and traits act in contrast to the protagonist or another major character. Usually, the foil will have a lot in common with the main character (age, gender, life situation, etc), but respond to conflicts in a very different way. The foil is meant to highlight the traits and characteristics of the main character by contrasting them. Examples include Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy (as well as Harry and Neville Longbottom) in Harry Potter, Hamlet and Laertes in Hamlet, and Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley in Pride and Prejudice.
In Othello, Emilia and Bianca are similar in that they both unwittingly lead to Othello's jealous fury and Desdemona's death. They are also both treated pretty poorly by the men in their lives. Emilia is constantly abused by her evil husband Iago, while Cassio mocks Bianca. Bianca might be a foil for Emilia on the trait of loyalty and chastity. While Bianca is a courtesan and thus loyal and chaste for no man, Emilia is chaste to her husband and even more loyal to her mistress Desdemona.
However, I would argue that both characters are more of a foil to Desdemona herself. Emilia foils Desdemona in the two women's marriages, with Desdemona (initially) blissfully married and Emilia stuck in an abusive union. The two women also foil one another in regards to how they view the world. Desdemona's innocence borders on naivety, while Emilia is more straight-talking and cynical. Likewise, Bianca's status as a prostitute foils Desdemona's chastity and loyalty to Othello.
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