Hamlet and The Lion King
Today’s entertainment has lost most of its touch with the more classical influences of its antecedents. In the mid-1990’s, Walt Disney released what could arguably be the best animated feature- The Lion King. Unlike most movies released around this time, The Lion King placed a children’s facade on a very serious story of responsibility and revenge. However, this movie is portrayed as the oldest theme in history written by William Shakespeare. The Disney movie parallels none other than Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and shadows the play closely. The Lion King holds many similarities to Shakespeare’s tragedy; however, the adult content is changed and the characters live “happily ever after” for the audience.
In The Lion
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King, the role of the young prince whose father is murdered is played by Simba. In the acts alone, it is noticed that Simba is a direct representation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet II. Both Simba and Hamlet II “delay” their action of revenge for their father’s deaths. The loss of their parental companion leaves Hamlet sorrowful, and Simba without a royal teacher and father during his youthful years. Each character runs from their responsibilities, although both know what is needed to be done. Hamlet is expressed to be delaying his revenge due to mental instability caused by his father’s death. Simba exhibits the same behavior, venting his feeling in mournful retaliation against his responsibility, especially when his childhood friend Nala attempts to persuade him to return to the Pride Lands. The delay between our characters add a somewhat haunting effect between the two works. Not only do the protagonists allude to one another; the villains in both The Lion King and Hamlet can be directly and similarly compared to one another.
Both Scar, from The Lion King and Claudius, from Hamlet, are brothers of the kind, murder their sibling to rise to the throne and take their brother's wife as their queen. As stated by the King, “ Now, Hamlet, hear: ‘Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark is by forged process of my death rankly abused; but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown” (Shakespeare, 34). It is not so much the characterizations of the characters but their actions that provide the proof of how Shakespearean literature inspires writers today. Claudius appears at first satisfied by his deeds, enjoying the life of a king, parading around his riches, marrying his own brother’s wife, and holding dinners in his own selfish honor. Scar celebrates his gains as well, allowing the evil henchmen-like hyenas to prowl the Pride Lands while he relaxes in the former King’s cave. Scar, like Claudius, exploits his power and accelerates his kingdom into war. Even though the two characters are so alike, the two seem to diverge. Claudius, in Hamlet, is seen repenting for his sins against his brother while Scar never doubts about his actions. Unlike Claudius, Scar admits “And now here’s my little secret. I killed Mufasa!” (The Lion King). Although the characters are so …show more content…
similar, the adolescent movie was alternated to fit for a ‘Happily Ever After’ ending. Setting aside from the main protagonist and antagonist, the respective queens play a huge toll in the overall theme.
Both characters, Sarabi from The Lion King and Gertrude from Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, resemble each other by having the same place in social hierarchy, obtaining power over their kingdoms, and emotional attachments to the main protagonists of the stories. Sarabi is the Queen of Pride Rock, leader of the lionesses since the reign of Mufusa. ALthough she is not the deduction for the capturing of the kingdom, it is inferred that she has stayed on as Queen because she is responsible for her duties. Despite Sarabia, Gertrude is responsible for her duties as well, but seems to have a different aspect than Sarabia. Gertrude marries Claudius out of free will for the sake of love, while Sarabia is forced to stay with Scar because of her love for her kingdom and late husband. The differences are miniscule compared to their similarities. Both Sarabi and Gertrude are Queens, but both show little or no power over their subjects. Sarabi was almost murdered by Scar when she questions one of his decisions, which is strongly compared to the death of the queen by being accidentally murdered by Claudius. The affections between the characters and their sons are very similar as well. When Nala finds Simba, and realizes that he is not dead, she is enraptured and wonders aloud about his feeling of his mother. This has a strong effect on Simba. He backfires, the responsibility
that he believes is his is once again thrusted upon him. When returning to Pride Rock, he is enraged when he sees how his mother had been treated by Scar, just as how Hamlet is enraged how Claudius treats his mother as well. In a way, it is the queen in each story that adds to the somber of the main characters and drives motivation inside of them. Modern entertainment may look like new inventiveness, but with thorough research some of the greatest literature is lurking deep within. Shakespeare arguably one of the most influential writers of all time. His plays are continuously recreated, his sonnets are quoted in many songs and stories, his histories are taught in many school lessons, and his influences are proven in many modern-day productions. Even though modern entertainment has lost much of its roots, the comparisons such as this movie may prove the old principle: “There is no new literature being written, only old literature, redone” (Javiera Francisca Ramirez Cornejo, www.queen elizabethsfantasy.blogspot.com).
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.
Some stories that are considered ‘classics’ often get reiterated to offer a similar message to a younger generation. As Shakespeare was such a strong author and playwright, many of his pieces are retold. The story of Hamlet is often retold with different characters, however, perhaps the most popular adaptation is the Walt Disney film, The Lion King. As The Lion King and Hamlet were developed for different demographics, there are similarities and differences between the main characters, and the supporting characters, which also affect the overall theme and plot tone.
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.
The lion king and hamlet are similar because Simba and Hamlet Lose their dads. Act 1 scene 5 the ghost is talking to hamlet about the murder. The king is sleeping and Claudius comes in and pours poison in his ear. “Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,/A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark/ Is by a forged process of my death/ Rankly abused. But know, thou
After examining the novel “Water for Elephants” and the play “Hamlet”, although differing in several aspects, the theme of suffering is thematically similar in these two works. Both pieces of literature portray this theme, a theme that adds much power to both of the plots. Although they both have this theme in common, each work treats the topic in a fairly different manner. In “Water for Elephants” they are suffering from emotional and physical pain whereas in “Hamlet” he is suffering internally. In “Water for Elephants” the circus seems like such a fun and exciting life to the audience but behind it is suffering and pain. Animals suffer, people suffer, but when show time comes they all have smiles on their faces because “The show must go on”.
The characters in The Lion King closely parallel Hamlet. Simba, the main character in The Lion King, embodies Hamlet, He is the son of the King and rightful heir to the throne. The King of the Pridelands, Mufasa, parallels Hamlet Senior, who is killed by the uncle figure. In The Lion King, the uncle is Scar, and in Hamlet, the uncle figure is Claudius. Laertes, the henchman and right-hand man of Claudius, becomes, in the movie, the Hyenas, Bansai, Shenzi, and Ed. The Hyenas collectively act as hero-worshippers to Scar, loyal subjects, and fellow doers-in-evil. They support Scar completely, just as Laertes supports Claudius. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the comic reliefs of Hamlet, and in The Lion King, this role is fulfilled by Timon and Pumbaa, who are a meercat and warthog, respectively. Both sets compliment each other, complete each other's sentences, act as caretakers to Hamlet/Simba, and are comical to the point of being farcical. The role of Horatio, Hamlet's right-hand man, is fulfilled in The Lion King by Nala. Nala concentrates on the aspect that Simba is the rightful King and that it is his responsibility to ascend to the throne. She is his best friend and someone whom he trusts. Just as Horatio loyally follows Hamlet, Nala is completely loyal to Simba. Not only are there ties of friendship, but there is also an element of respect and reverence in both friendships. Horatio and Nala both know that they are friends and loyal followers of the rightful king.
The background of both is that “both of the families are royal” (Hub Pages 1) and the characters’ relationships are similar as well. Simba and Hamlet are similar because they are both main characters. Simba’s personality after his father’s death is the same as Hamlet’s which includes being depressed and lonely. Scar and Claudius are the same because they are both jealous of their brothers for having the title of king, which leads to both of them killing their brothers. As both stories move forward, Mufasa and King Hamlet both reappear to their sons as ghosts stating that Hamlet and Simba need to take their place to the royal crown. At the end of the story, both Simba and Hamlet fight their uncles in a bloody battle. In the end, “The hyenas ultimately kill Scar,” but Hamlet strikes Claudius “with a sword and wine with poison in it” (Hub Pages 1). Unfortunately, Hamlet dies after the dual, but Simba returns to his home where he is pronounced as king of the lions. The moral struggle for Simba is that he “has to learn to step up and take his place as king instead of running from his past” (Hub Pages 1). The moral struggle for Hamlet is that he “has to make the decision to kill his uncle, and also not to kill himself (a struggle that takes place in his famous ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy)” (Hub Pages
To overcome his jealousy, he betrays his own brother by letting him fall off of a cliff into a stampeding herd of wild animals. Scar’s final words to Mufasa were, “Long live the King” (www.wikiquote.org). Similar to that of The Lion King, Claudius is extremely jealous of his brother, Old Hamlet, for his role as the King of Denmark. Claudius murders his brother by poisoning him during his sleep, in order for him to take over the role as King of Denmark. The stories contain a brother that is so consumed with jealousy, that he begins to feel that royalty is more important than family. The actions of both Scar and Claudius affect the characters of each story in several different ways, which in turn profoundly impacted the state of the
Star Lord and hamlet despite coming from completely different lives and time periods are very similar. They both have family issues that make their lives more complicated. They both share the ability to adapt and that they are both outcasts from society. They also both share a tendency to be disrespectful especially to those who are rank or privileged. They share the same tendency to accomplish the greater good through skewed methods.They are both different, however, in the fact that Star Lord is extremely charismatic in comparison with Hamlet.
In Hamlet, the old Hamlet is murdered by being poisoned in the ear by his brother but in The Lion King, Mufasa is killed by falling off the hill after being pushed by Scar, who is also his brother. Later in the stories, the villiains are killed by the quietly similar ways such as Claudius is killed from the blade’s poison which is supposed to be prepared for Hamlet and Scar is dead after falling off the hill. Moreover, their two love stories are totally unalike to each other as well. Hamlet and Ophelia have a sad love story in general as they are not allowed to be together since the beginning of the play. Polonius would say anything to make Ophelia stay away from Hamlet and later in the story, unfortunately, Ophelia was also found commited suicide after being insane. However, Simba has a happy ending with his lover known as Nala although it is originally a prearranged marriage. They are friends since their childhood but the feelings develop through time and they later build a strong relationship
The movie The Lion King is a good representation of Hamlet since a lot of the same events that happen in Hamlet also happen in The Lion King. In the movie Hamlet and The
Walt Disney’s The Lion King manages to put on a façade of revenge and responsibility by retelling the story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare through a children’s perspective. At first glance, The Lion King looks like another children’s film with its plethora of talking cartoon animals, goofy songs, and jokes but, with the overarching themes of revenge and responsibility playing a major factor in the movie, the comparison to Shakespeare’s most memorable play, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark isn’t unexpected. It might be hard to imagine Shakespeare’s mature themes and complex characters being put successfully put into a children’s film without completely ruining the meaning the original work but Disney does it very eloquently. Both Hamlet and The Lion King share similar characters, plots and themes and the influence of Hamlet on The Lion King is evident throughout the entire movie. Although both works are very similar, they are also different in many ways.
...udius and Hamlet pose various similarities, but they hate each other. They plot to kill one another because of the death of Hamlet’s biological father. Their similarities come from the time period that they are living in, and the fact that Hamlet’s father was king and was involved in war leaving Hamlet with his uncle. His uncle’s behavior had an impact on the man that Hamlet became. They both have similar situations; plotting to kill someone, scheming, etc. They both create similar situations for themselves, for example having advisors or their inability to act, but they do have differences. Hamlet is angry whereas Claudius is just trying to save himself.
To begin, Gertrude is presented in differing manners throughout Hamlet the play versus Hamlet (2000) the film. In Shakespeare’s play, she originally is cast as a woman who has power due to her husband, but sits as a trophy wife. Craving power, safety, and comfort, she depends on men for her position and control. Seeming to have poor judgment, she never expresses self-reflection throughout the play and just seems to be a bit oblivious to everything, ultimately resulting in her death as an unaware victim of a game she ensnared herself