What are 4 examples of dramatic foils in Romeo and Juliet in Acts 3-5

Character who are foils are effective in literature for
highlighting other characters' assets and shortcomings. These foils are usually set
against the main personages in a literary work in order to make more pronounced the
characteristics of the protagonists and antagonists. However, in Romeo and
Juliet, the foil character of Mercutio is such a well-developed and strong
character that it seems Shakespeare must kill him off in the third act to keep the focus
more on Romeo. 

Here, then, are the foil characters in Acts
III-V:

• Benvolio/Mercutio

Benvolio,
whose name is in part Latin for good [bene], has been the one to
calm Romeo in an earlier act; however, at the beginning of Act III, it is, ironically,
the volatile Mercutio who attempts to diffuse the
heat:

Come,
come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as soon moved to be moody,
and as soon moody to be
moved.  (3.1.9-10)

• Mercutio/Romeo;
  Romeo/Tybalt

After Romeo comes upon the scene
as Mercutio becomes heated in his words with the fiery Tybalt, Romeo steps between them
and then tries to diffuse the tension by placing himself before Mercutio and by telling
Tybalt that he has no argument against him:

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I do protest I never injured thee,
But
love thee better than thou canst
devise...(3.1.56)

And,
although Romeo urges Benvolio to break up the fight with his sword, Tybalt
surreptitiously stabs Mercutio, fatally injuring him. Mercutio berates Romeo jokingly at
first and then seriously for having caused his fatal
injury.

• Benvolio/Romeo

After
Mercutio dies and the enraged Romeo kills Tybalt, Romeo bemoans his misfortune, but
Benvolio urges him to flee lest the Prince condemn him to death for his action against
the recent law against feuding: "Romeo, away, be gone!"
(3.1.94)

• Juliet/Nurse

Juliet
remains loyal to her husband while the Nurse cries out "Shame come to Romeo!"
(3.2.91)

• Friar
  Laurence/Romeo

Friar Laurence is the voice of
maturity against the weeping of Romeo. He tells Romeo when Romeo pulls out his dagger in
despair,

Hold
thy desperate hand
Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art.
(3.3.108-109)

• Friar
  Laurence/ Juliet

Again, Friar Laurence is the
voice of maturity as Juliet comes to him is desperation and he devises a plan to give
him a few days in order to fix some of the family
problems. 

Friar Laurence.
 And if thou darest, I'll give thee
remedy
Juliet.               Oh, bid me leap,
rather than marry Paris. 
                        From off the battlements of
yonder tower....
(4.2.76-78)

• Romeo/Paris

Paris
comes to pay respectful homage to Juliet; Romeo to visit his dead love and to join her
in death as he has poison. When Paris starts to enter and then challenges Romeo as a
felon, the fiery Romeo slays
him.

Paris.   I do defy thy
conjurations
            And apprehend thee for a felon
here.
Romeo  Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at
thee, boy!
(5.3.69-70)