The Hamlet Project

I mean – this is the real question, isn’t it? It’s kind of a joke question, like, a sort of facetious response to the way Osric has made the request for the wager. But what if Hamlet said no?
Like – is this a request or a demand? Is this wager something he can choose not to do? In a way, it isn’t. It’s pitched to him as an invitation but is more like a demand – which is all the more galling coming from Osric who should, in no way be in a position to make demands on Hamlet.