I have a weapons question, Internet!
Now, to me, a foil is a very particular kind of sword used in fencing. It’s a thin bendy thing with a handle. Like a little poking device.
Is a foil the SAME as a rapier? Rapier comes from the French for two edges sword – whereas a foil is more round. But then “foil” comes from “thin piece of metal” – so it well may be the same.
I’ve seen this fight scene with fencing foils. I’ve seen it with broadswords. I’ve seen it with daggers. I’ve seen it with daggers and swords.
In terms of contemporary staging, the sky’s the limit. But I’m curious about any shifts in the language around the swords here. Is Hamlet calling the swords “foils “ a small dis on Laertes’ famous French swords? Or is “foils” just a generic word for light swords?
