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Hamlet | What is Osric's function?
In Act V, scene ii, Shakespeare introduces a minor character into Hamlet in the person of Osric. Osric’s instrumental function in the play is extremely limited; he brings word to Hamlet that the King has requested the prince to engage in fencing match with Laertes. This transfer of information could have been handled by an anonymous messenger and need not have been dramatized at all. Because the narrative part that Osric performs is so small and his appearance on stage so arbitrary, we are given to wonder why Shakespeare wrote the character into the play. Osric’s character is...
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