Why does Hamlet not kill the king in act 3?

Answer 1

Well, the basic reason is that they're not in the Chapel. The setting is Claudius's private room, the King's Room. That's stated in the play dialogue. Guildenstern says it: "(the king) is in his retirement..." It's reference to the place Claudius retires for the night, his private quarters. When Claudius left the 'Mousetrap' play, he went to his own room. Claudius prays during the scene, and apparently the idea of praying has led some people to think the scene is in the Chapel, however, the actual play dialogue tells us otherwise. People don't have to be in a chapel to pray, and many people pray in their own rooms, of course, which is what Claudius does.

Hamlet is discouraged from killing Claudius because he finds Claudius praying. Hamlet is afraid that if he kills Claudius at prayer, Claudius's soul will go straight to Heaven. However, the Ghost said, or very strongly implied, that the soul of Hamlet's father was in Purgatory. Hamlet doesn't see it as fair, that he could send Claudius to Heaven, when his own father is in Purgatory. Hamlet decides to wait for another opportunity later, when there's less chance of sending Claudius's soul to Heaven.

Answer 2

He did not want to kill King Claudius when he was kneeling because if he died while he was praying he would go to Heaven. Hamlet wanted to kill the King when he was doing something bad instead.

Answer 3

In Act 3 scene 3 when Hamlet is about to kill Claudius he sees that Claudius is praying.

Hamlet does not want to just aveng his father by killing Claudius but he also wants to make sure Claudius suffers in the afterlife so, Hamlet decides to kill Claudius when he has commited a sin (like when he is drunk). This could also be seen as Hamlets procastinating character.

Answer 4

In what's called the Prayer Scene, in Act 3 scene 3, Hamlet has Claudius alone, but Claudius is praying. Hamlet expresses worry that Claudius might be forgiven for his sins, so if he kills Claudius then, Claudius might go straight to Heaven. Hamlet doesn't think that's good enough, as revenge.

Answer 5

Hamlet believes, or appears to believe, that if you are killed without confession you go to purgatory (a Catholic doctrine), but if you are killed while praying it is the same as confession (a Protestant doctrine), so you go to heaven. Thus since Claudius appears to be praying, Hamlet does not want kill him because his sould will go to heaven, which would not be recompense for his father's death, since the Ghost is in Purgatory. He decides to wait until he can catch Claudius performing some sin, so he'll go to Hell.

Answer 6

He tells Laertes (in Act IV Scene 7) that there are two especial reasons: first, the queen his mother lives almost by his looks, and Claudius is in love with her and does not want to lose her love. The other motive is the great love the general gender (in other words the people in general) bear him. Hamlet is unaccountably popular with the general public. So Claudius feels that he cannot have Hamlet tried for the murder of Polonius, of which he is certainly guilty and would get the death penalty.

Answer 7

He doesn't want Claudius's soul to go to heaven.

Answer 8

because he does not want to kill his uncle while he is in prayer, because if he does, his uncle will go to heaven.