The Wager
Discussion
Act 5,
Scene 2
Lines 123-126
Osric
Osric’s two differing descriptions of the wager is a minor inconsistency by Shakespeare: In a match of 12 bouts, Laertes must score at least 3 more hits than Hamlet to win the bet. If he scores 7 hits to Hamlet’s 5, he loses the bet. He needs at least 8 hits to Hamlet’s 4. The King has received favorable odds of “12 to 9”; that is, Laertes must score 12 hits before Hamlet scores 9 in order to win the bet.