Did you know when they wrote The Lion King movie they had no intention of basing it on the premise of Hamlet? However, they noticed how similar they sounded, and kept going with it while adding their spin to the story. In the story of Hamlet, we follow the young prince as he slowly descends into madness as he struggles to stomach the idea that his uncle killed his father for the throne that was rightfully his. Hamlet tries and tries again to prove his uncle guilty and avenge his father. He gets what he wants, but at the cost of his own life. In The Lion King, we follow Simba and his journey to be king. Initially, he was just a small cub eager to become king. Eventually, his uncle Scar comes up with a plan to have Simba and his father killed so he may take the title of king. …show more content…
Simba eventually gets his revenge for his father, takes his rightful place as king and restores the land. Although both these works are similar in some big ways, the writers of The Lion King use those similarities and their spins on the narrative to create their story. One example of these works having big similarities would be how both protagonists' fathers died at the hands of their brothers. Hamlet discovers his uncle's treachery from his father's ghost as he tells Hamlet,.but know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears the crown (Shakespeare l.V. Line 6 -. Hamlet's father was poisoned so Claudius could steal the throne, and so Hamlet could not become king since he was the next in line. The Lion King takes a somewhat different approach. Scar comes up with a plan to get Mufasa stuck in a stampede of wildebeest, although he nearly
The featured protagonists in the Lion King, Scar, and in Shakespeare's Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, Claudius, are two comparable characters due to their envy of what has been denied to them by birth right — to be king. In the following you will read what separates the text from the 1994 film and what brings them together, with details of how they murdered their brother, whether they’re capable monarchs, and how their treason comes back to haunt them. By comparing the children's classic villain, Scar with the early modern english classic, Claudius, we can identify the subtle differences as well as the similarities between the characters from the film and the play.
No story is entirely original. Authors, playwrights, and songwriters all pick and choose elements from stories regardless of whether they intend to or not. Some stories mirror those of the past more similarly than others while adding a fresh, new twist. The Disney movie The Lion King contains many similarities to Shakespeare's play Hamlet, some of which are more obvious than others. Similarities in the character complexes of the three hyenas and Polonius's family, betrayal from Scar and Claudius, and the kingdoms deterioration and resolution are a few examples of the likenesses of the movie and play.
There is no doubt that today's entertainment has lost most of its touch with the more classical influences of its predecessors. However, in mid-1994, Walt Disney Pictures released what could arguably be the best animated feature of all time in The Lion King. With a moral base unlike most of the movies released at the time, TLK placed a children's facade on a very serious story of responsibility and revenge. However, this theme is one of the oldest in history, and it is not the least apparent in one of the oldest works of literature by The Bard himself, William Shakespeare. The work that Disney's TLK parallels is none other than Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, and the film shadows this work so closely, that parallels between the main characters themselves are wildly apparent. This very close comparison has led critics "to compare the movie to Hamlet in the importance of its themes" (Schwalm 1). But with a closer inspection of the characters themselves do we see just how apparent these similarities are.
Some stories that are considered ‘classics’ often get reiterated to offer a similar message to a younger generation. As Shakespeare was such a strong author and playwright, many of his pieces are retold. The story of Hamlet is often retold with different characters, however, perhaps the most popular adaptation is the Walt Disney film, The Lion King. As The Lion King and Hamlet were developed for different demographics, there are similarities and differences between the main characters, and the supporting characters, which also affect the overall theme and plot tone.
Hamlet and a popular amount of Disney movies share many parallels. The Lion King was actually based entirely off the play Hamlet. There are many themes in this play that are relevant in many other pieces, such as Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, and Hercules. Beauty and the Beast helps convey betrayal among people who care for each other, while Mulan allows people to see a deeper meaning in Hamlet’s own personal passion. Furthermore, Hercules allows one to connect the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia to a romance that is almost as complicated. While constructing this essay, I was able to discern a deeper meaning from the wise words of Shakespeare by taking the minute details, and linking them back to something similar and familiar.
Lion King vs Hamlet The movie, The Lion King, and the book, Hamlet, both have a similar story line. In both stories, the king is killed and revenge is sought by the king’s son. The murderers in the story are the king’s brothers who want the power of the throne. After the death of the Kings, both of the villains successfully took over the kingdoms. While these villains ruled, the kingdom slowly deteriorated.
The Lion King and Hamlet. In one film it is “to be or not to be” and the other is “to hunt or to be hunted”. At the surface these two seem to have nothing in common, but when one digs deep he/she can see how similar they are. Yet with all their similarities a few of their characters are written differently. Was it really bad for Claudius to be king? Was Hamlet’s Crusade as justifiable as Simba’s? Was Hamlets plot a reverse of The Lion King? Was their circle of life corrupt from the beginning and was Claudius Mufasa? Hamlet/Simba and Claudius/Scar may be similar in terms of ideology, but different from their results.
Shakespeare & Disney Characterization The Lion King and Hamlet both feature princes. Hamlet is the prince in the Shakespeare play named after him. Hamlet is very indecisive and this is shown throughout the play. Hamlet wants to avenge his father by killing his uncle but, when he is presented with an opportunity to do so while Claudius is confessing his sins.
"I was raped," the girl said to me overtaken with tears. I was taken by surprise and was at a complete loss for words. She had just taken one of the darkest secrets of her life and brought it out to the splendid light for just me to gaze upon. A little apprehensive, I responded, "I'm sorry." What is one to say at the revelation of such a horrid thing? Anything else I thought of saying sounded stupid and insensitive, so I opted for silence and hugged her to comfort her to the best of my ability. A few months later the girl came to me and thanked me. She said that my gesture meant more to her than anything anyone else had said about the rape. I then realized that sometimes, if not most of the time, actions can speak louder than words. The parts of us that are less vocal, such as our clothing, gestures, facial expressions, etc. can be more impacting than words.
The Lion King is Disney's most successful movie to date. Many believe that the Lion King is Disney's only original movie; the only movie not previously a fairy tale from one country or another. In fact, The Lion King is in on based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Disney writers conceal the basic character archetypes and simplified storyline in a children's tale of cute lions in Africa. On the other hand William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was based on the Epic of Son-Jara or Sundiata. This lead to the debate is the Lion King based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet or the West African story, the Epic of Son Jara. Simba, Hamlet, and Son-Jara are all heroes in their own story. All of them must take on a villain that knew very well, but who does Simba’s journey resemble the most Does Simba represent Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, or Son-Jara, the lion king.
The characters in The Lion King closely parallel Hamlet. Simba, the main character in The Lion King, embodies Hamlet, He is the son of the King and rightful heir to the throne. The King of the Pridelands, Mufasa, parallels Hamlet Senior, who is killed by the uncle figure. In The Lion King, the uncle is Scar, and in Hamlet, the uncle figure is Claudius. Laertes, the henchman and right-hand man of Claudius, becomes, in the movie, the Hyenas, Bansai, Shenzi, and Ed. The Hyenas collectively act as hero-worshippers to Scar, loyal subjects, and fellow doers-in-evil. They support Scar completely, just as Laertes supports Claudius. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the comic reliefs of Hamlet, and in The Lion King, this role is fulfilled by Timon and Pumbaa, who are a meercat and warthog, respectively. Both sets compliment each other, complete each other's sentences, act as caretakers to Hamlet/Simba, and are comical to the point of being farcical. The role of Horatio, Hamlet's right-hand man, is fulfilled in The Lion King by Nala. Nala concentrates on the aspect that Simba is the rightful King and that it is his responsibility to ascend to the throne. She is his best friend and someone whom he trusts. Just as Horatio loyally follows Hamlet, Nala is completely loyal to Simba. Not only are there ties of friendship, but there is also an element of respect and reverence in both friendships. Horatio and Nala both know that they are friends and loyal followers of the rightful king.
A remodel or a twist of fate? The Lion King adapted from Hamlet. The huge war of words if The Lion King is the Disnified version of Hamlet will never end. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the, if not the most notorious tragedies in the history of English literature. The mad man, Hamlet, is looking for vengeance against his uncle, Claudius, for killing his father, King Hamlet, to take over the throne and rule Denmark.
Simba, too, is framed as a rogue and forced to leave the house. Hamlet and The Lion King do share many similarities when it
Shakespeare Tragedies and the Correlation to Modern-Day Entertainment: Shakespeare, an author and notorious writer of the late 1500s, is one we have all come to know as he is an extremely influential part of modern-day literature. One of his most popular plays that he wrote was Hamlet, one of his many tragedy stories. It was an extremely big play during the decade, and even today, 400 years later, high school and numerous college students still study it. Many different books, movies, television shows, and other aspects of our lives have been written and created using Shakespearean literature ideas. One example of this is the cherished movie, The Lion King.
The Lion King is the tale of Simba, the son of the Lion King Mufasa (Rufus Bonds, Jr.). The birth of the new heir displaces the king's brother Scar (John Vickery), leading the envious Scar to plot the death of Mufasa and Simba. When Mufasa is killed while trying to save Simba, Scar convinces Simba he must go into exile. There, Simba is befriended by a meerkat, Timon (Danny Rutigliano) and a warthog, Pumbaa (Bob Bouchard), and grows to adulthood (adult voice of Matthew Broderick) blissfully free of responsibilities. However, when childhood friend Nala (Moe Daniels) coincidently finds Simba and informs him that Scar is destroying the pride land, Simba must decide whether to keep his distance or to confront his demons...and Scar....