Because he thinks Claudius will go to Heaven if he kills him right then. As in many of Shakespeare's plays, the characters are Catholic, and believe that a person's fate in the afterlife depends on whether they get to confess their sins right before they die. Hamlet's father is in something like Purgatory because Claudius murdered him in his sleep, without getting a chance to confess. Hamlet feels it isn't true revenge if he sends Claudius to Heaven...he's really doing him a favor. He decides to wait and kill him right as he's committing some sin, to be sure he goes to Purgatory or Hell.
Ironically, Claudius feels he isn't able to successfully confess his sins, since he's not willing to make proper contrition by giving up the crown and his wife. If Claudius is right, Hamlet could still have sent him to Purgatory by killing him. Hamlet doesn't know this, so he misses his chance.
Curiously, according to Catholic theology, simply praying does not absolve you from the effects of the sins--that can only be done by a priest. (That is why they have confessionals--otherwise people would just pray and not bother going to confession) Therefore even if Claudius were praying it would not wipe clean any sins he had recently committed (including murdering his brother for which he surely had not received absolution from a priest). The idea that it might do so, and that Claudius can struggle with whether his prayer will work to do so are entirely Protestant ideas. Indeed, there is a struggle between Catholic and Protestant concepts in Claudius's soliloquy and in the play as a whole.
Because he believes that because King Claudius is praying, he soul will be cleansed. Because of this, he would not be damned to hell or purgatory when he dies. Instead, Hamlet decides to wait until King Claudius has slept with the Queen later that night before killing him (theoretically his soul would be sullied because of this). The reason this is such a big deal is because the ghost of old King Hamlet wanders trapped in purgatory since he didn't have a chance to confess his sins.
Gertrude's first husband was King Hamlet. King Hamlet was the brother of Claudius. This makes Claudius and Gertrude in-laws. After Claudius murders King Hamlet, he marries Gertrude, so they are then husband and wife.
Claudius: The new King of Denmark.Claudius
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.
Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes.
Claudius hopes that Hamlet will be killed in England. Claudius is the King and is also the brother of Hamlet.
Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and wife of his Uncle Claudius, King of Denmark.
King Hamlet, in Shakespeare's play, was poisoned by his brother Claudius.
Because he believes that because King Claudius is praying, he soul will be cleansed. Because of this, he would not be damned to hell or purgatory when he dies. Instead, Hamlet decides to wait until King Claudius has slept with the Queen later that night before killing him (theoretically his soul would be sullied because of this). The reason this is such a big deal is because the ghost of old King Hamlet wanders trapped in purgatory since he didn't have a chance to confess his sins.
His brother, Claudius, came out into the garden while King Hamlet was sleeping and poured poison into his ear.
Claudius is married to Gertrude (Hamlet's mother and widow to the former king).
Before Hamlet enters his mother's chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with Hamlet's mother Gertrude. As Hamlet enters the room, Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry hanging from the wall. When he hears Gertrude begin to feel threatened by Hamlet, he cries out for help, thinking that he would kill them both. Hamlet hears Polonius, and believes him to be a rat/spy (possibly even King Claudius, but it is unclear if he truly believes this). Hamlet stabs through the tapestry killing Polonius, who remarks "O, I am slain".
Claudius kills Old Hamlet the former king, then marries Gertrude (Old Hamlet's wife) so Claudius is now the King of Denmark.
Claudius sends Hamlet to England, but he doesn't get there.
Claudius and King Hamlet were brothers. Gertrude was married to King Hamlet first, and then she married Claudius.
Gertrude's first husband was King Hamlet. King Hamlet was the brother of Claudius. This makes Claudius and Gertrude in-laws. After Claudius murders King Hamlet, he marries Gertrude, so they are then husband and wife.
Claudius: The new King of Denmark.Claudius