Hamlet a well-known Shakespearean Play, filled with violent deaths and tragic heartbreak is filled with timeless ideas of brother betraying brother and the father always guiding their sons. What you may not know is that these ideas have been transformed into the childhood classic ‘The Lion King”. Composers have made multiple choices in the ways to keep the texts similar yet modern and good for young children.
In the film Hamlet, Hamlets character had been transformed into Simba, next inline prince of pride rock. Their character traits of procrastinating over their father’s death are similar. In Hamlet, Hamlet pretends that he has gone crazy to try and buy time to avenge his father. While in The Lion King Simba runs away and starts living with Timon and Pumbaa living and breathing the phrase ‘Hakuna Matata’ (no worries). The composers would have made this change so that younger children would be able to follow the movie and it doesn’t allow the terrible repercussions of pretending to be crazy.
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Bloodshed is never good, but family bloodshed is the worst kind.
In both Hamlet and The Lion King the well loved and honored king is brutally murdered by his brother. In hamlet, Claudius pours posin down his brother’s ear while he is sleeping to ensure Old King Hamlet never awakens. Furthermore in The Lion King, Scar schemes a plan to end Mufasa’s life and being able to pin point the blame on young innocent Simba. The composers were not able to alter this idea to much as it is what sets up the plot line for the rest of the
movie. The original Shakespearian play hamlet has been transformed from the Elizabethan era language and style into the 21st century language spoken today. This change in vocabulary is used through the entire film the language is noticeable different though the meaning behind some lines have reminded the same. When it becomes apparent to Simba that his father is in fact dead Scar reinforces that it is entirely his fault and advise him to “Run Simba. Run away and never return.” This concedes when Claudius explains to Hamlet the depth of him killing palenous by expressing that he must hurry out of the land. “Hamlet, this deed… For that which thou hast done- must send thee hence with fiery quickness… to England.” The reason for the composers put in place this change was to attract people and accept and have a deeper knowledge of the plays plot. The most significant event that remind the same was the ghost of the dead father appearing to their son, to give explicit instructions on how to live out their legacy. In the case of Hamlet his father appeared to express that he must avenge him but ending Claudius’s life. Whereas in The Lion King Mufsa appears to Simba to remind him of the duties he has as a King and how he must fulfill his rightful place in the circle of life. The change in the request of the king was due to the fact being giving an instruction to murder someone was not a message you want conayed to young children. In summary it is obvious that has Hamlet has been transformed into the modern day Disney film The Lion King. The movie is a product of the same underlying ideas and themes as the original text, though changes have occurred to coincide with the era it was produced in and the target audience for the movie.
During class we have reviewed many versions of the play Hamlet. The two movie versions that I chose to compare on the play Hamlet are the David Tennant version and the Kenneth Branagh version. I chose these two versions because these were the two that most interested me. I believe that some scenes from each movie were better than the other, but overall I liked these two versions just as equally. The three main scenes that stood out to me that I will be comparing are ‘Ophelia’s Mad Scene’, the ‘Hamlet Kills Polonius’ scene, and Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ scene.
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.
Hamlet and The Lion King shared majority of the themes that were found in each story. A theme of revenge was prominent in both the film and the original play as Simba and Prince Hamlet worked towards avenging their fathers throughout the story. Politics can also be seen in both as the stories explain to the viewer/reader that a bad king can mean a corrupt and equally bad kingdom (murders committed by the new kings). Although some harsh themes, family also seems to be mutual in both tales, more so seen in The Lion King. Shakespeare was able to show the reader the importance of family throughout Hamlet, when there is a power-hungry family member, and the rest of the family must stick together to overcome the struggle. The producers of The Lion King do a similar job as they explain the same thing, however also digging into the loyalty of Sarabi for Mufasa. The reason for a greater theme of positivity in the newer film is due to the demographics. The Lion King was primarily a children’s film, thus it required a simpler and happier tone. This also changes the overall plot by reducing the number of deaths and ruling out madness. This tone also affects the number of comic relief moments in the story. In Hamlet, there were only a few moments in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were able to lighten the mood of the play by offering comedic anecdotes. In The Lion
Preceding Act 1, King Hamlet is murdered by his brother, Claudius. Claudius’s feelings regarding his treacherous act are well represented by the song “Be Prepared” from the Disney Movie, The Lion King. Claudius constructs a ploy against his brother Hamlet, so as to be the king of Denmark. Scar, who sings “Be Prepared”, also plots against his brother in order to seize the throne. “Be prepared…For the death of the king! / Why? Is he sick? / No, you fool, we’re going to kill him…and Simba too!” (Be Prepared). Scar uses the hyenas to convey his strategy, and plans to murder Simba. It can be argued that Polonius was able to assist Claudius in the murder of his reigning King. Polonius is a constant voice in Claudius’s head, and is much like his own personal spy. Of course, Polonius is using this connection in an attempt to widen his foothold in the monarchy, and is striving for the attention of the current king, even if it means sacrificing the happiness, safety, and trust of his only daug...
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 stories 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 kingdoms slowly deteriorated. Neither of the sons liked the villains, but they did not know at first that they had anything to do with their father’s death. It took an outside force to convince them that they must vow revenge for their father’s death. Both sons had the wit to approach revenge strategically. They wanted the villains to know that they knew about how their fathers were murdered.
Is 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 it Claudius Mufasa? Hamlet/Simba and Claudius/Scar may be similar in terms of ideology, but different in their results. In Hamlet, the plot begins with Hamlet’s father dead and his brother Claudius taking the throne.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:5). This quote is the third Beatitude in “The Bible” which means that any person who exhibits self-control and modesty will be rewarded with peace, prosperity and eternal life. There are many stories in the bible, as well as novels, plays, and motion pictures that help display the consequences of not leading a humble life. Macbeth (from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”) and Scar (from Rob Minkoff and Roger Aller’s “The Lion King”) are two characters that fail to portray the virtues of the third Beatitude. In both adaptations, there are many parallels between both characters as they possess selfish qualities and murder for their own benefits. Although Scar and Macbeth both commit regicide out of their own desire for power and create chaos among the land, Macbeth presents moral qualities while Scar is corrupt and dishonest throughout the “Lion King”. The main characters of both adaptations bring attention to the
It is said that Shakespeare wrote plays, not scripts. His work was meant to be read aloud and not just read. This became apparent while I watching the BBC 's 2009 version of Hamlet. I choose this version because the director Gregory Doran put a modern twist on the classic tale. The director’s display of contemporary technology, dress, and presentation of relationships enhanced the idea that Hamlet’s madness was simply a dramatic act.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to name only a few creative liberties modern productions of Hamlet have taken.
William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet strikes many literary chords and themes. It primarily chronicles a quest for revenge, political intrigue and a slow descent into madness. Throughout the play, two men of different rank and intellect; Hamlet and Laertes are portrayed in this play as each other’s foils. Hamlet who has lost his father in the hands of his uncle and Laertes who has lost his father in the hands of Hamlet, seek out similar goals but in very distinct ways. Hamlet and Laertes both go through stages of their carving vengeance to finally fulfill their goals of killing their fathers’ murderers. The readers detect that Hamlet goes in the path of plotting and deceiving to kill Claudius whereas Laertes goes in a more haste and reckless path
William Shakespeare composed the play Hamlet, around 1600-1601. This play, named after his only son, in my opinion is one of Shakespeare’s best works. The play shows the literal as well as the realistic sides of people during this culture as well as those generations to come. During the play, Hamlet’s character went through several different transitions. In the beginning he was shown as a child, by his actions and curiosity, but towards the end of play his manhood begins surface and he begins to be aggressive at getting what he wants.
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.
The factor that sets the play Hamlet apart from other notable works from other artists is that Shakespeare is able to influence his audience by weaving a gripping yet tragic tale of a revengeful son. Soon after the death of his father, Hamlet’s mother marries Claudius, making him the new king of Denmark. Hamlet is heartbroken to find that neither his family nor the members of the court are able to display grief over the death of his father – the late king. Hamlet is written in the form of a poem that is constant th...
Hamlet’s morals tell him killing his uncle is wrong, and simba feels responsible for the death of his father so he does not want to return home. Another strong theme is revenge and corruption. Both uncles in the stories are blinded by power and go as far as to kill their own family and the only solution both protagonist seem to find is revenge for the murder of their father/parents. One last theme that can be found is justice. Both characters feel the need to take matters into their own hands, which is necessary to a degree, instead of going to higher authorities or seek help from other people instead of acting alone. Hamlet’s notion for revenge nearly drove him insane. Though they do receive some justice in the death of their uncle, Hamlet being the original adult version of the book end with the death of all the royalty family. The Lion King being a movie designed for children ends with the demise of
Michael Almereyda’s movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet brings about a new perspective through its performance. The movie adaptation, Hamlet (2000), retells the original play in a modernized setting, bringing out various different elements of characters, which highlights a new reading of these characters as individuals, and a newfangled reading of the play as well. Throughout the movie, Ophelia and Gertrude, the woman-leads, are advanced in a progressive manner compared to the original play. In particular, Gertrude from Hamlet (2000) is noticeably altered from Hamlet, the play. This new interpretation of Gertrude and the play created by the movie adaptation advances the position of Gertrude as a woman, as well as motifs of incest, misogyny,