A Psychological look into Disney’s The Lion King “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone just remember those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I” -Mufasa; The Lion King. Walt Disney’s Animation musical film The Lion King debuted in June 1994, where a story influenced by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa. Children watch and the young Simba rises up against his evil uncle to save their home land, but a psychologist will see the fundamentals psychological themes such as brother rivalry as seen in family dynamics and the psychology of death and redemption. They will also see how these themes contribute to the psychodynamic …show more content…
Simba then runs away from the pride lands in shame exile until he meets his confidants Timon and Pumbaa who teach him to have no worries. Simba is then set right by his childhood friend Nala and journeys back to the pride lands to avenge his father by challenging his uncle. The Lion King has achieved tremendous popularity at the box office and in merchandising. As of 28 March 1995, The Lion King had grossed $312.8 million, making it the fifth-highest "domestic grossing film in history" (Honeycurt 13).Psychodynamic psychology is the psychology of mental or emotional forces or processes developing especially in early childhood and their effects on behavior and mental states, explanation or interpretation (as of behavior or mental states) in terms of mental or emotional forces or processes motivational forces acting especially at the unconscious levels (Merriam) Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed that behavior and personality derives from the constant and unique interaction of conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious, the conscious, and the unconscious. (Hulusi, H. M., & Maggs, P.) He believed motivation derived from childhood …show more content…
He says, “I laugh in the face of danger!”. This demonstrates his lack of feeling toward death. He only becomes vulnerable when the reality hit of Mufasa’s death. His world is sucker-punched, and it becomes crippling and in his state of vulnerability scar convinces Simba is responsible for his father’s death. Through shame and guilt Simba was able to take the accountability and even later in the movie Scar taunts him with his guilt. It has also been theorized Simba’s son “I just can’t wait to be king!” is not just a child wishing for adulthood but he is unconsciously aware of his wish to supersede him. (Freud’s (1897)) This thought of pushing his father out the way to become king even if he does not realize that means Mufasa’s death. And when Mufasa dies he may realize what he really was wishing for. This demonstrates the Oedipus
In the movie Simba feels that the death of his father, Mufasa, is his fault and that he is the one to blame, when in actuality Scar killed Mufasa so that he would have chance a being next in line for the throne to claim the title as King. Because of his father's death Simba runs away and tries to live a life of no responsibilites. “As Simba says, “I just needed to get out on my own, live my own life, and I did, and it’s great.” There are clear parallels here with Jesus’s Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 32). In the parable, the son thinks he can live better without the responsibilities he has while living with his family, and so leaves to live in a ‘far country’. This is exactly how Simba behaves.” (Barfield, Jonathan), so as you can see, the two have a lot in common, The Lion King retold the story in a children friendly
The Lion King is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with some minor differences and a happier ending. Both narratives follow the Hero’s Journey, but The Lion King follows all twelve steps flawlessly. Simba’s experience in the belly of the whale is perhaps the shortest of the three examples, only really encompassing his fight with his uncle. It is Scar that initiates the fight, throwing embers into Simba’s eyes, they fight for a few minutes, and just when the audience thinks Simba is doomed, collapsed on the ground as his uncle pounces on him out of the flames, he throws Scar over a nearby cliff and into a group of vengeful
Hamlet decides that if he can convince everyone that he is insane, then maybe he will be able to get someone to tell him more about his father’s murder. In The Lion King, Simba is the prince. Simba’s father, Mufasa, is killed after he falls from a cliff into a herd of hyenas. Simba falls into a deep depression after his uncle Scar twists things around and convinces Simba that he is the one responsible for the Mufasa’s death. Simba can not deal with what has happened and he runs away from the kingdom.
The Lion King is a story based around the betrayal of a king by his brother. The brother’s ambition of becoming the king leads to him killing the true and current king. In The Lion King, Scar betrays his brother by killing him to gain the throne for himself. Through Psychoanalytic Theory, it is clear that Scar feels shame because he is not the king and the next in line for the throne is his nephew. This shame eventually leads to Scar betraying his brother because of his ambition.
The biblical characters are prophets and kings. In the narratives of the people of Israel, it is not difficult to see the pattern of almost all the kings. All but a few are corrupted, and get Israel in a lot of trouble with God. They help lead Israel to destruction. The role of the prophets is not only to warn the people of the coming punishment, but to also give hope and advice on how to make things right in the future. When looking at the Lion King, Scar embodies the kings and Simba embodies the prophets. Scar is a corrupt figure, and once he becomes king, the land becomes more desolate and the food supply starts running out. This resembles how the Israelites were to be punished for corruption. Simba comes
The Lion King is a well-known children’s movie that was produced by Disney. The movie begins with a small cub being presented to the kingdom by his parents, Mufasa and Sarabi (Hahn, Minkoff, & Allers, 1994). The small cub is named Simba and he will one day become the king of his father’s kingdom. Mufasa’s brother, Scar, does not like that Mufasa’s son will one day take over, and plots to kill Mufasa and Simba (Hahn, Minkoff, & Allers, 1994). The movie continues on, and Mufasa saves Simba from a stampede, but Scar will not save Mufasa (Hahn, Minkoff, & Allers, 1994).
The Lion King is a Disney animated movie portraying the life and times of Simba, who later becomes the greatest lion king known in the land. Simba's rise to the throne is a journey fraught with perils and hardships that make it an absolutely trilling story for the whole family! Although The Lion King is an exciting and entertaining movie, the movie is also a good illustration of several psychology concepts.
In once of his many escapades his evil uncle Scar is teaching him how to growl which results in a stampede of wildebeest to come towards him. Mufasa, who is Simba’s father, in an attempt to save him dies by the hands of his older, jealous, brother. Scar pushes Mufasa off the cliff into the stampede. When Simba discovers his dead father he flees, feeling responsible for the death of his father, and Scar becomes the new ‘king’ of the jungle. Simba is raised by two strangers he meets in the desert and after some time passes he discovers that his uncle is the reason his father is dead and that he has taken control of the prairie. After being conflicted by his emotions and meeting an apparition of his father he finally decides to confront his uncle and take back the kingdom. The film ends with scar, the uncle, being eaten alive by his minions and he is the cause of his own demise. Simba restores balance to the ecosystem and all is well, which is a beautiful ending to a Disney film.
"Q&A WITH THE DIRECTORS OF DISNEY'S THE LION KING!" Interview by Victor Medina. Q&A WITH THE
In The Lion King, the plot mirrors the plot of Hamlet as well. In the very beginning, Hamlet Senior is poisoned by Claudius, who then ascends to the throne and marries Hamlet's mother Gertrude. Similarly, Mufasa is thrown to his death by Scar, who goes on to become King of the Pridelands and leader of the pack, thus "marrying" Simba's mother, Sarobi.
Simba embraces Scar valiantly, avenging his father's death, and destroying the shadow that destroyed him. The death of Scar brings the rebirth of the kingdom, the rebirth of Pride Rock, and the rebirth of power and justice. Simba roars a vociferous roar, restoring life to the pridelands. It begins to rain, symbolizing the cleansing of power, and the rejuvenation of Simba.
In The Lion King, the role of the young prince whose father is murdered is played by a cub named Simba, whose naivete procures him more than his fair share of hardships and troubles. By the acts in the story alone, one can see that Simba is a direct representation of Shakespeare's Hamlet Jr., but not only that, each of them shares similar actions in the play. Interpretations if Simba's actions are as profound as Hamlet's, particularly of why Hamlet delayed in exacting vengeance for his father's death (Harrison 236). Both Simba and Hamlet Jr. "delay" their action of retribution for their respective father's deaths. The loss of their paternal companion leaves Hamlet incre...
What is the circle of life? In a time when the Disney animation renaissance ruled the cinema world, one movie had ruled entirely over all. In 1994 at the height of the company’s own resurrection, Disney released the epic musical drama The Lion King. It was a critically acclaimed movie that has spawned off into a Broadway musical, a spin-off show, and two sequels. I first saw the Lion King when I was three years old and to this day is one of my favorite movies. Little did I know the Lion King was much more than a movie about a young lion stepping in place of his father’s absence, but more of a spin on the Shakespeare play Hamlet. The movie resonates to me now more then ever as I am older and can identify the themes and influences in the movie.
The Lion King has produced two sequels and two animated shows for television. The motion picture also inspired four video games on six gaming systems. The many toys, children books, and various merchandising gear has secured The Lion King’s place in moviemaking history and enthused the youth of the world. Personally, this motion picture inspired me with a message of determination and responsibility, as Simba believed that it was his fault for his father’s demise he returned to accept the blame for the wrong that he caused for making a mistake he made in his youth. The motion picture soundtrack won nominations and awards for the best in their category as the film continued to live on through its magnificent musical scores.
The Lion King is a movie created by Disney and was released in the summer of 1994. It is about a pride of lions that uphold the cycle of nature, or as they call it “the circle of life” (The Lion King, 1994). The lion pride is considered royalty within the “Pride Lands” and are just and fair when it comes to hunting only what they need. A young prince named Simba is introduced and he is next in line to be the future king. However, Simba’s uncle Scar had other plans. He believed that it was his right all along to be named future king and wanted all of the glory to himself. Eventually, Scar comes up with an elaborate plan to rid the Pride Lands of Simba and the current King, Mufasa and take the throne for himself.