The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Foil 1 key example

Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Foils of Dorian Gray:

Three characters hum about the center of The Portrait of Dorian Gray, serving as foils for one another and for Dorian. First is Basil Hallward, who in painting Dorian Gray unwittingly gives the man the enabling tool of his downfall. Second is Lord Henry, whose words corrupt Dorian and lead him to make his unholy pact with his portrait in the hopes of preserving his youth. Third is Dorian Gray himself, who—influenced by the pressures of these previous two figures—stumbles his way into the hedonistic life and, from there, to his death. Both Basil and Henry act as foils for each other and for Dorian, emphasizing through their juxtaposition their deep-set ideologies and visions for how Dorian should live his life.