Connected in the Circle of Life

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Recommended: The summary of Lion King

The Circle of Life is a cycle of life and death that restarts every day. According to Mufasa in The Lion King, “Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all creatures from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope” (Disney). Mufasa explains Simba’s duties as king and the connection of all the animals in the Circle of Life. The theme is further conveyed by using examples of light and dark to symbolize the life cycle. The Circle of Life is present in literature such as The Lion King by Disney, Lightning Crashes by Live, and His Immortality by Thomas Hardy.
In The Lion King by Walt Disney, the theme of the Circle of Life is illustrated. Disney displays this theme by using the concept of light and dark. During Mufasa’s reign, light touches Pride Rock enabling plants and animals to live and claiming their kingdom. The light represents life and all that it touches, brings peace and joy to their kingdom. Once Mufasa dies and Simba runs away, Scar takes control of the kingdom. He and the hyenas destroy life, the animals leave, and darkness sets upon the kingdom as they struggle to survive. Death is symbolized by using the darkness that kills life and happiness at Pride Rock. Disney further conveys the Circle of Life by also using the concept of life and death itself. The story tells of a baby lion cub, starting his Circle of Life, as he is born into the royal family to become the next king as the sun sets on Mufasa’s kingdom and rises on Simba’s. For every male birth, a male death must occur. As Scar’s hatred becomes murderous, Mufasa is thrown off a cliff and into a stampede and he is brutally trampled to death. When Mufasa dies, his soul continues to live within h...

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...e theme of the Circle of Life. In The Lion King, a son is born; starting the life cycle and a father is killed, ending his Circle of Life. Pride Rock starts as a life-filled kingdom when it is ruled by Mufasa. It turns into a dark lifeless desert when Scar controls the land, only to be burned for new life and the rightful king returns to bring joy and peace back to their home. Lightning Crashes displays a mother giving birth to baby girl and another mother dying, one is beginning their life cycle and the other is completing her Circle of Life. Finally, His Immortality shows a man whose death starts a chain of memories. The memory bearers die, and the memories fade until one last man lives with his memory. He dies with single memory of the dead man, and as he dies, he starts a new cycle of remembrance. The Circle of Life is present in all of the pieces of literature.

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