All For Love
by John Dryden

All For Love: Foil 1 key example

Act 3
Explanation and Analysis—Cleopatra and Octavia:

One of the central themes in All For Love concerns the conflict characters experience between their internal desires (in particular, love) and their external duties to their families, countries, and society at large (in other words, honor). No two characters are as explicitly and diametrically opposed in their positions regarding the choice between love and honor as Cleopatra and Octavia. Thus, the two women are directly set up as foils of one another, and through their conflict Dryden is able to examine the pitfalls of each woman’s position. For Cleopatra, this means love at the expense of honor; for Octavia, honor at the expense of love.