Comparing Classic Literature to the Lion King

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2009 adaptation of Hamlet shows resembance to Disney’s 1994 production of the Lion King. Each film revolves around a male protagonist, who must cope with the death of his father, murdered by his uncle. Both characters are a prince, and threats to the throne which makes them targets for murder. They each experience emotional trauma in order to overthrow the corrupt king. Gregory Duncan had an unusual vision for his modern rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, just as Roger Allen had for his African themed one. One parallel event which stands prominent is Hamlet’s second encounter with his father’s spirit compared to Simba’s with his. Each director effectively used characterization, as well as manipulated their script to fulfill their interpretation of this scene from the classic story. Thus, proving that each film reflects the positive and negative connections within a family in a monarchy's society.

After the process of making their way back home, both princes end up with fighting with their uncles. In “The Lion King”, Simba fights with Scar and Scar gets killed by the hyenas. Prince Hamlet in Hamlet kills king Claudius with a poisonous knife. Both “The Lion King” and “Hamlet” allows the main character to overcome a moral struggle. In “The Lion King”, Simba must act and be the king of his palace for sake of the animals of the kingdom and his father instead of running from what happened in the past. In “Hamlet”, prince Hamlet must decide to kill his uncle and take the risk of getting himself killed, or to keep the secret of King Claudius killing King Hamlet and live with it for the rest of his life.

When contrasting the characters in William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet to the characters in Walt Disney’s film, The Lion King, there are many differences in characterization. Hamlet is a play set in Denmark that tells the story of the tragic murder of King Hamlet and the emotional effects it has on his son, Prince Hamlet. The Prince’s mental instability causes him to go wildly insane over his love for Ophelia, who he will never have. He seeks vengeance on his uncle who is guilty of his father's murder. The Lion King is a film about Simba, a young lion prince who grieves over the untimely death of his father, the King of the Pride Lands. Simba discovers his Uncle Scar was the cause of his father's death. He must now return to Pride Rock in order to save his home and all who live there from the chaos under the ruling of Scar while he finds his place in society. When analyzing the characters Ophelia and Nala, they are dissimilar in their traits of obedience, dependence, and inner strength.

They both love Ophelia. Hamlet is a scholar at Wittenberg and Laertes at France. Both are admired for their swordsmanship. Both men loved and respected their fathers.

Many literary works can be compared due to vast amounts of similarities between theme and characters; Hamlet and the Lion King are two literary works in which character and theme are surprisingly similar throughout each work. The Lion King is thought to be just an animated children’s film, however, it is in fact a modern translation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The main characters in the Lion King are definite parallels to those in Hamlet. Along with the main characters and plot details, the stories were similar in the representation of the secondary characters. "Here's my little secret, I killed Mufasa.” The theme in Hamlet can be compared to the Walt Disney movie The Lion King. Hamlet and Simba are betrayed by their uncles whom murder their

There is a lot of similarities between the Lion King and Hamlet. One of the biggest similarities is the characters, their traits, and their aspiration. In the Lion King Simba’s uncle Scar killed Simba’s dad and in the play Hamlet, Claudius killed Hamlet’s father. Simba and Hamlet are super alike. They both are loving, caring, empowered, fighters and they both want to kill their uncles because of what they did to their dads. Ophelia and Nala are both loving, caring and care about Simba/Hamlet. Ophelia and Nala are both the love interest of the main character. Scar and Claudius both want control of the kingdom. Simba and Hamlet both disappear from their families for a little. Both of the families in the Lion King and Hamlet are royal families. There is still a lot more similarities, but they mostly all have to do with character traits and what they do.

The Lion King is a true hero's journey that takes place in the savannas of Africa. The title "the Lion King" emphasizes that a lion is king, most likely referring to the main character, Simba. Simba is the main hero in the story because he regains his kingdom and defeats evil. The main character's archetype is "king"; he takes responsibility for his actions and his kingdom, he regains order and control. Simba takes part in a hero's journey by being a part of the departure, initiation, and the return.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a largely known tragic play with many different interpretations, one of them being The Lion King. The Lion King is a Disney film indicating that the film was targeted for children. Considering Hamlet is largely violent it would not be suitable for children, hence differences were required to make it suitable and understandable for children. However, to keep the origin of Hamlet in The Lion King similarities are also required.

Almost everyone in the world is familiar with the infamous Disney movie The Lion King, but very few have gone into detail and analyzed the rhetoric within the film. Each scene is filled with a sense of pathos that tugs on the emotions of the audience and inevitably pushes them to one side over the other. It is interesting to see how the voices, color, and actions of each character have such an effect on their personalities which then has an effect on the audience and leaves them judging the morals of the characters. For people who grew up watching the original Disney movies, this is a great film to watch in depth and really figure out the meaning behind each scene.

Disney films are more than just magical fairytales. They are gateways back into our childhoods where dragons needed to be defeated and where fairy godmothers granted our deepest desires. These magical films also encourages little girls to feel confident about themselves.

When comparing the characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet to Disney’s The Lion King, they are similar. Hamlet is a play about a boy who lost his father and had to get revenge on his uncle, the new King and the killer of his father. The Lion King is a movie about a young lion who loses his father and then struggles with his uncle and finding his place in the circle of life. When specifically looking at Scar and Claudius they are similar because they are cruel, selfish, and two-faced.

The instinct for justice to be served and the idea of revenge to be sought has existed upon us to be a natural part of human nature for many years. Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Disney’s 1994 film “The Lion King” directed by Roger Allers share many parallels between the relationship of brothers, resulting for the seek of revenge and restored order to compare. Green with envy, Scar and Claudius result to murder to achieve victory in gaining power over the thrown. The comparison between Claudius and Cain are evident to portray revenge upon their brothers and later to be exiled With both king deaths, Mufasa and King Hamlet bring meaning and actions to lend hand in the motive to their sons to restore what is right.

Today, many stories are recreated from one another, and linked together in unexpected ways. Stories can be altered to fit a better audience, gain a clearer outline, or to simply be more enjoyable. These slight changes can affect the overall themes very easily. This deems true for the relationship between Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, and the reconstructed version, The Lion King. The two stories have a very similar plot along with corresponding characters that almost make them seem like duplications. Although, there are a few reasonable differences that alter The Lion King from the original Hamlet script. The omitting of the mother-to-uncle remarriage, the addition of Simba’s moral support, and the more positive ending of the story are all alternations that affect the overall theme.

One of the main aspects that connects The Lion King and Hamlet is the characters. Simba and Hamlet are both princes of their kingdoms. Hamlet, a man, and Simba, a lion cub, are in the same situation which is coping with and avenging their fathers’ deaths. Hamlet goes crazy and creates a whole plan of revenge but Simba simply runs from the problem altogether

    Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.