William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language. He was a renowned poet and actor born in 1564, who is believed to have written 38 plays, including the famous work Hamlet. On the other hand, the Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, is an American entertainment company with over 740 movies produced. The Lion King is a Disney animated film that follows the journey of Simba, a lion prince. After the death of his father, Mufasa, Simba's uncle, Scar, takes over the kingdom. Feeling responsible for his father's demise, Simba goes into exile, where he befriends Timon and Pumbaa. Years later, he must confront his past and reclaim his rightful place as the king of Pride Lands. Similarly Hamlet revolves …show more content…
In Hamlet Claudius kills his brother, King Hamlet, to seize the throne, while Scar does the same to Mufasa in The Lion King. Both Hamlet and Scar possess a strong thirst for power and are willing to do anything to attain it. Their actions have great consequences, resulting in chaos and unrest in their kingdoms. Claudius and Scar misuse their power for selfish gain, causing hardship for the people they rule. In Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays this in the lines of "Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves." Claudius acknowledges the death of his brother but momentarily emphasises the need to prioritise his own interest and consolidate his power. Juxtaposing "thinking of him" with "thinking of himself" highlights Claudius's self-centeredness. On the other hand, the outcome and resolution of the two narratives differ significantly. In Hamlet, the tragic ending sees the death of key characters, including Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes. The climax unfolds through a climactic duel and a series of fatal events driven by revenge and internal conflict, resulting in a catastrophic outcome where the royal family is drenched in blood. Hamlet's words, "O, I die, Horatio; The rest is silence," convey his emotions and give an idea to the audience that Hamlet's life is over and what follows is silence. In contrast, The Lion King presents a more optimistic resolution. Simba confronts his internal struggles and self-doubt, challenging Scar in a prolonged battle and defeating him and his pack of hyenas. Simba's triumph symbolises the restoration of order, justice, and harmony in Pride Lands. While Hamlet concludes in tragedy and chaos, The Lion King offers a brighter ending as Simba reclaims his rightful place as king, bringing peace back to the
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.
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.
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
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.
The leading roles in each of the stories had a corresponding role in the other. The corresponding characters shared a number of similarities, but it was the ways in which they were different that determined their fate and that of the kingdom. In Hamlet, the prince is Hamlet. He is in deep grieving of his father’s death. He is angry because he believes that everyone has already forgotten how great of a king his father was. Hamlet does not know for sure who is responsible for his father’s death, but he suspects Claudius who is his uncle and the new king. 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.
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.
Before reading Fahrenheit 451, I was warned that it had a bad ending. After completing the book, I wholeheartedly agree. Initially, the book had a unique storyline with likable characters, such as Clarrise. However, as the story progressed, it ended with a boring cliffhanger. Chapter three opens with the department arriving at Montag’s house, where he discovers that his wife–Mildred–has betrayed him by reporting his books to the authorities.
Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.
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.
Many perceive The Lion King, Disney's most successful movie to date, as Disney's only original movie; the only movie not previously a fairy tale from one country or another. This, however, is not the case. While The Lion King seems not to be beased on a fairy tale, it is in fact strongly based on the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Disney writers cleverly conceal the basic character archetypes and simplified storyline in a children's tale of cute lions in Africa. To the seasoned reader, however, Hamlet comes screaming out of the screenplay as obviously as Hamlet performed onstage.
Tera Kraushaar April 5, 2024 Junior Honors Literature To Be Or Not To Be King Hamlet is one of the most fascinating pieces of English literature many schools teach thus far. Many children have never understood how many parallels there are within The Lion King that resemble significant events in the famous Shakespearean play, Hamlet. In High School, many begin to find parallels between not only The Lion King and Hamlet, but also parallels between several other Disney movies and Shakespearean writings as well. The premise of The Lion King and Hamlet is generally similar regarding the plot. They both follow the same story line, with the father dying initially and the uncle taking over the throne.
Hamlet’s Tragic Betrayal William Shakespeare, born sometime in April of 1564, is often regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets. Shakespeare helped reinvent the English language by inventing over 1,700 words. He would gain popularity through works such as Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Henry V, Macbeth, and Hamlet. Shakespeare’s popularity is not limited to the aforementioned works; however, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark will be of the primary focus. Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play and was written sometime between 1599 and 1601.
Shakespeare is known for being a great writer, his play have been rewritten, re-adapted, and turned into films to keep their magic alive. However what many people do not know is that many of Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted into many Disney Films. More precisely “Hamlet” is one of the most used plays. Movies such as “Tarzan," “Aladdin," and “101 Dalmatians” used many scenes in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” to inspire scenes in the films. The movie The Lion King by Disney, however, is one of the strongest and more closely related to “Hamlet” than any other Disney film, but how? More importantly what makes this movie more important and the focus of this essay?
Hamlet is nearly the perfect tragic hero. Nearly. At the beginning of the play, the motives behind the crime he wants to commit against the new king are noble, seeing as though his goal is to avenge his murdered father’s death. Fitting glove-like to the definition of a tragic hero given by Abram in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Hamlet is accompanied by a tragic flaw that results in his downfall, doesn’t get to survive to see the outcome of his actions, and aids in or directly causes all of the deaths in the play, including but not limited to Polonius, Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Ophelia, making him an almost perfect example of a tragic hero. What has seen the most controversy in the argument of Hamlet as a tragic hero is the inability to find his true tragic flaw.
He gets a chance to kill the crown, and thinks ‘’Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven/ And that his soul my be as damnes and black/ As hell, whereto it goes’’ (3.4.98-99). But he hesitates, Claudius prays so he might go to heaven if Hamlet kills him now; he wants Claudius to burn in hell and wants himself to go to heaven. He looses his temper and kills the person behind the curtain, ‘’ How now, a rat? Dead for ducat, dead’’ (3.4.25-30). He assumed that was Claudius who sneaked into his mother’s closet and now he goes back to being a sinner so he can kill the crown now, but the one behind the curtain turns out to be Polonius. Hamlet does not care about him although Ophelia loves Polonius. Hamlet decides to take action after he sees Fortinbrass and his army ‘’O, from this time forth/ My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth’’ (4.4.68-69). He sees that they go to death willingly and he does not stand up against Claudius, with this he sets his mind to killing Claudius. Sadness comes with the loss of Ophelia and he goes in a duel with Laertes. Horatio tries to change his decision, but Hamlet says ‘’Not a whit, we defy augury. There is a/ Special providence in the fall of a sparrow’’ (5.2.233-234). Hamlet decides to do the duel and he thinks that he cannot run from his destiny. He gets into a duel full of cheats, Hamlet looses his mother to