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In act III of Hamlet, why did Hamlet choose not to kill Claudius when he was praying?

User Eric Walsh
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Answer: D. Hamlet did not want Claudius to go to heaven with a clean soul

User Adamovskiy
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Hamlet doesn't kill Claudius at this point because he believes that Claudius is praying. He says that killing the king NOW would be "hire and salary, not revenge!" He simply cannot send Claudius to heaven, where he would surely go where he killed just after praying and purging his sins. He thinks that would not avenge his father's murder, because Claudius killed Old Hamlet without giving him the opportunity to pray, and therefore, Hamlet decided not to kill Claudius.
User Blue Eyed Behemoth
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