Read the excerpt from act iii of hamlet, in which king claudius tries to pray and is observed by hamlet, and answer the question.

o wretched state! o bosom black as death!
o limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
art more engaged! , angels! make assay!
bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel,
be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!

hamlet could kill claudius at this moment but does not because he wants to kill the king in the midst of sin, not prayer. this moment provides dramatic irony because readers know what hamlet does not: the king

a.) confesses in his prayer that he is sorry for his brother's death
b.)finds that he cannot pray because he is not sorry for his gains
c.) has sent his courtier spies to carry out hamlet's death sentence
d.) knows that hamlet is watching him and is ready to defend himself