Hamlet did not kill Claudius because he did so while
Claudius was still in prayer, his soul would go to Heaven but the Spirit of his
father will remain in Purgatory. He
instead quarrels with his mother while Polonius listens behind the
tapestry. When Hamlet stabs the tapestry
he kills Polonius instead. Things take a turn for the worse after that as
Ophelia commits suicide and during a fencing Gertrude drinks poison while
Hamlet wounds Laertes with a poisoned sword and Hamlet uses that sword on him. As Gertrude dies, she reconciles with her
son. Laertes confesses that Claudius
caused all this and Hamlet kills Claudius.
Before he dies he names Fortinbras the successor to the throne.
