Lady Macduff as a Complement for Lady MacbethIn many of Shakespeare's plays, there is a major character and a minor character whose character traits contrast directly with those of the main character. This literary device is called a foil. An example of this exists in the play Romeo and Juliet, where Mercutrio foils Romeo's character with his disdain for love and faith in man creating his own destiny. Another example of foil exists in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The character of Lady Macduff foils Lady Macbeth in her lack of ambition, her genuine love of family life, and her devotion to her husband. Although we can only give a brief glimpse of the life that Lady Macduff and her husband share, it is quite easy to assume how different they are from the Macbeths. An example is simply fr...