Final answer:
Hamlet refrains from killing King Claudius immediately after the play within the play because he finds Claudius praying and fears sending his soul to heaven. This pause reflects the deeper complexities of Hamlet's emotions and motivations, which have been scrutinized by literary critics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hamlet does not kill the king directly after the play because he sees the king praying. Hamlet worries that if he kills Claudius while he is praying, Claudius' soul might go to heaven. This contemplation prevents him from taking action at that moment, as he believes that revenge would not be complete if Claudius were to die in a state of grace, potentially forgiving his sins.
Hamlet is torn by his intense emotions and struggles with the action he should take against his uncle, King Claudius, who has murdered his father and married his mother.
The complexity of Hamlet's character and his emotional turmoil are explored by T.S. Eliot, emphasizing the difficulty Shakespeare might have faced in trying to embody these emotions through the character's actions and the play's plot.
Therefore answer is b. He sees the king praying.