Why Does Hamlet Hesitate To Kill Claudius While Claudius Is At Prayer?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Others believe that Hamlet refuses to kill Claudius during

because that would send Claudius to a “heavenly” afterlife

. … Hamlet delays killing Claudius because Claudius represents Hamlet's innermost desires to sleep with his mother Gertrude. And by killing Claudius, Hamlet would be killing a part of himself.

Why does Hamlet First hesitate to kill Claudius?

Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius in act 3

because Claudius appears to be praying

. Hamlet fears that if Claudius dies while praying, when his soul is at its most pure, he will go directly to heaven. Hamlet wants Claudius to go to hell for his sins, so he reasons he cannot risk killing him now.

What is ironic about Hamlet's decision not to kill Claudius while Claudius is praying?

Hamlet ends up not killing him because he thinks he would go to heaven since he is praying and if he gets revenge he wants him to go to hell. It is ironic because Hamlet thought that he could not kill him because he would be sent to heaven but

Claudius says that his prayer didnt work

.

Why does Hamlet delay killing Claudius What are the reasons for his hesitation how valid are they how many times does he have the opportunity to attack Claudius What are his reasons for not doing so what does his delaying reveal about his nature?

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One reason that Hamlet delays killing Claudius is

that he wants to make sure that Claudius actually killed his father

. He doesn't want to take the word of a ghost; he wants actual proof, because the ghost could be a “goblin damn'd” bringing “blasts from hell” who has “intents wicked” (I. iv. 40-42).

What does Hamlet believe Claudius is doing that makes him hesitate in killing him?

What does Claudius do that makes Hamlet hesitate killing him?

He is praying for forgiveness

. Why doesn't Hamlet kill Claudius while he prays?

Why this is hire and salary not revenge?

To heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. With

all his crimes broad blown

, as flush as May; And how his audit stands who knows save heaven.

Why does Gertrude think Hamlet is mad?

Queen Gertrude, who is Hamlet's mother, speculates that the cause of this disturbance may be

that he is in love with Ophelia, daughter of Polonius

. This would be a very unequal match for a Prince of Denmark. The Queen then enlists Ophelia's aid in helping discern Hamlet's mental state.

Why doesn't Hamlet kill the king while he is kneeling?

Hamlet doesn't kill the King when he is kneeling

because he is praying to repent his sins

. Hamlet believes that King Hamlet didn't go to Heaven because he never repented for his sins. He wants to wait for the King to sin again before killing him so that Claudius will go to hell instead of heaven.

Why is Hamlet so rude to Ophelia?

Why is Hamlet so cruel to Ophelia? Hamlet is cruel to Ophelia

because he has transferred his anger at Gertrude's marriage to Claudius onto Ophelia

. … Hamlet may also know that Ophelia is helping Claudius and Polonius spy on him and talks to her with this betrayal in mind.

What is Hamlet's tragic flaw?

The word ‘tragic flaw' is taken from the Greek concept of Hamartia used by Greek philosopher Aristotle in his Poetics. Shakespeare's tragic hero Hamlet's fatal flaw is his failure to act immediately to kill Claudius, his uncle and murderer of his father. His tragic flaw is ‘

procrastination

‘.

How many times does he have the opportunity to attack Claudius?

At long last, and in his last few moments on earth, Hamlet has finally gained revenge for the of his father. There are

three times

Hamlet tries to kill Claudius. The first time occurs right after the play “The Mousetrap”. Claudius is praying, unguarded, and Hamlet has a perfect opportunity to stab him.

Does Hamlet want to sleep with Gertrude?

There

is no real evidence

in the text to indicate that Hamlet has ever slept with his mother, Queen Gertrude. Despite this, many literary scholars and critics have suggested that Hamlet and Gertrude's relationship has an incestuous element to it.

What does Claudius mean when he says my words fly up my thoughts remain below Words without thoughts never to heaven go?

Words without thoughts never to heaven go” In other words,

he is not willing to repent of his sin

, therefore, the sin will not be forgiven. So Claudius' words are flying up but because he does not have the repentance to go with the words, his words will never reach heaven.

Does Claudius regret killing his brother?


Claudius feels guilty about killing his brother

. We can see Claudius;s remorse when he is talking to God and gives his monologue about his his . Therefore, Claudius says, “My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent(pg.

Is Hamlet innocent or guilty?

Hamlet. In a sense,

Hamlet is both guilty and not guilty

when it comes to the murders of Claudius and Polonius. In a literal sense, technically he did kill both of these men although the word guilty can mean several things.

Does Claudius ever admit his guilt?


Claudius is overcome by guilt in Act lll

, Scene 3. Before he kneels down to pray for redemption, he utters a long-winded monologue in which he confesses his crime.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.