In Act V, scene 2 of Hamlet, Osric is the silly courtier sent by Claudius to summon Hamlet to a duel with Laertes. Osric is the kind of courtier who royalty put up with because he is rich. Hamlet says of him, "Let a beast be lord of beasts and his crib shall stand at the king’s mess." In other words, Osric is basically a beast, but because he is wealthy, he is welcome at the king's table. Hamlet also refers to Osric when speaking to Horatio as a "water-fly," a type of insect, so Osric is the type of man who lives off others.
Osric is a satirical figure who agrees with whatever Hamlet says. He first says it's hot, and then when Hamlet says it's cold, Osric agrees. He is essentially a superficial person. As Hamlet describes him, "But blow a little on this bubbly talk, and it’ll burst. There’s no substance here."
The reason that Shakespeare may have included Osric in the play was to poke fun at the English court, which was filled with figures who flattered royalty and were superficial. Shakespeare included references to life in the English court to please his patrons, first Queen Elizabeth and, after her death in 1603, James I.
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