The Lion King Hamlet Comparison

906 Words2 Pages

Today, many people often notice that as they read or watch a story, they get an intense feeling of déjà vu – like they have already come across something strikingly similar to what they are experiencing at that moment. This is largely because many modern writers will create their ideas and visions from stories that have been successful in years past. Some argue that originality is lost in modern day story telling, but is it really? Imitation and recreation of a classic story can lead to some of the most successful and (in their own way) original stories in modern times. This essay will show just this; by using one example of many, in comparing the classic play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, with a more modern adaption based on Shakespeare’s work, The Lion King. …show more content…

The basis differs from most other Disney movies released at the time, as it focuses on a serious storyline of responsibility and revenge. The work that Disney's The Lion King resembles is none other than one of William Shakespeare’s most popular pieces, Hamlet. The modern day movie not only closely resembles the overall moral of Shakespeare’s piece, but the similarities between the specific characters are apparent as well. For example, the storylines in Hamlet and The Lion King are both tales about a prince (Prince Hamlet and Prince Simba, respectively) who experience the loss of a father by some dishonorable action by the prince’s uncle. Overall, Hamlet is a little less forgiving and ends in a lot more death than The Lion King - given that it is a children’s movie - where the end result just leads to the death of Simba’s

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of Hamlet and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    2485 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Comparison of the Character Hamlet, of Shakespeare's Hamlet, and McMurphy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    Read More

  • How Does The Lion King Relate To Psychology

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1

    255 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the play,”Hamlet, Act 3 scene 1” the target audiences between both plays were to a wide variety of people. Back when Hamlet was first written, it was made to be viewed by a wide variety of audiences. Typically during the renaissance era, plays were made more common to the lower part of society; this being why Hamlet was written. Although both plays are to the same audience, the first one is more distinct into who it wants viewed. It had elegance, and was more formal and professional. You could see in the audience people were wearing suits a formal attire. As to the second one, it was smaller scale, and the audience had people in shorts and sweats.

    Read More

  • Lion King vs Hamlet

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    The two stories have similar plots and characters. But in the end, the small differences in how the characters acted separated the tragedy of Hamlet from the happy ending of Disney’s The Lion King.

    Read More

  • King Lear and a Brave New World: Similar Themes and Motifs

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New world and William Shakespeare's King Lear, the reader will find that both works use similar motifs that mirror each other to increase further the similarities and

    Read More

  • Hamlet the Play and the Movie

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet the Play and the Movie Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story about a king that was murdered by his brother and the prince has been asked by his father?s ghost to avenge his murder. The original story line has been altered a few times since it has been written. The original Hamlet the play and the altered Hamlet the movie are shown differently in many different ways. Hamlet the movie with Mel Gibson shows different things than the play, but there are three major differences between the two. The three major differences are in the way both of the productions start out, differences in the scene that the players put on a play, and differences in the way the productions end.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Movie Vs Movie Comparison

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Life Of Pi And Hamlet Comparison Essay

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tragedy is an inevitable part of life. Everyone encounters it at some point in life. It is a darkness that befalls even the best of people and can present itself in many different ways. Yann Martel's Life of Pi and Shakespeare’s Hamlet both deal with the ultimate tragedy of death. Both Hamlet and Pi undergo the loss of loved ones; however, they handle these tragic events differently. Pi overcomes his losses by remaining positive and treasuring the gift of life, whereas Hamlet lets sadness consume him and makes death the centerpiece of his character. In this way, both Shakespeare and Martel make firm statements, suggesting that a positive outlook on life will afford one the greatest possibility to overcome even the most traumatic of events.

    Read More

  • Hamlet and The Lion King

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Parallels in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the importance of characters Laertes and Fortinbras have been an issue that's discussed and analyzed by many literary critics. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are parallel characters in the play. Laertes and Fortinbras are often use by Shakespeare to compare the actions and emotions of Hamlet throughout the play. "They are also important in Hamlet as they are imperative to the plot of the play and the final resolution" (Nardo, 88). Shakespeare placed these three men: Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras into similar circumstances, which is, to avenge for their fathers' deaths. The main difference between the three is the way that each of them comes to grief of their fathers' deaths and the way they planned their vengeance.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Myself to Hamlet

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    My worldview has changed drastically since I last took this class. I had always believed in God, believed he was the creator of all things, the maker of heaven and earth. However, I never knew there could be a relationship with him until I was born again. Now I know that all things are new, all the old has passed. Although, learning to love my enemies has not been easy, I know now that God should be the only one to judge. It is my position no longer to hold a grudge or seek vengeance. Vengeance is not mine and nor should vengeance be anyone’s. No good can ever come from vengeance. Vengeance is the root of all evil, Satan’s sole purpose to seek, kill and destroy.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Hamlet And Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

    1613 Words  | 4 Pages

    Different adaptations of William Shakespeare’s works have taken various forms. Through the creative license that artists, directors, and actors take, diverse incarnations of his classic works continue to arise. Gregory Doran’s Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet bring William Shakespeare’s work by the same title to the screen. These two film adaptations take different approaches in presenting the turmoil of Hamlet. From the diverging takes on atmosphere to the characterization of the characters themselves, the many possible readings of Hamlet create the ability for the modification of the presentation and the meaning of the play itself. Doran presents David Tenant as Hamlet in a dark, eerie, and minimal setting; his direction highlighting the

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Hamlet And Michael Almereyda's Hamlet

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • King Claudius And Hamlet Comparison Essay

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his multi-layered tragedy, Hamlet, William Shakespeare creates a comparison between the two foil characters of King Hamlet and King Claudius to further convey the theme of corruption, and the poor leadership that results from it. Shakespeare utilizes both explicit and implicit comparisons made by other characters and the two characters themselves to juxtapose the “Hyperion” King Hamlet to the “Satyr” and “rank” Claudius. These comparisons are made to emphasize the corruption of the current King that has led to “something rotten in the state of Denmark” and has left its citizens “sick at heart”.

    Read More

  • Hamlet: One Of The Four Great Tragedies In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is considered one of his four great tragedies. This play not only uses unearthly characters to instill fear, but it also uses foil characters to show the possible outcomes for the protagonist, Hamlet, himself. The crucial contrast Shakespeare creates between “what is” and “what seems to be” causes Hamlet, along with many other characters, to act in order to create the outcome they 9-want. However, no matter their attempts the play still ends with an inescapable tragedy for all of the characters.

    Read More

More about The Lion King Hamlet Comparison

Open Document