The Movie ' 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.

“The Lion King” is watched by children all over the world. It is a classic Disney movie that many watch for fun and entertainment, but could there be something else to this film? The plot of “The Lion King” is very similar to Shakespeare’s play,” Hamlet”. Some similarities include the lives of Simba and prince Hamlet are changed due to their evil uncles, both fathers die, and both fathers come back as ghosts. Each character in “The Lion King” connects with a character in “Hamlet”. Simba plays as prince Hamlet, Mufasa plays as King Hamlet, Gertrude plays as Sarabi, Scar plays as King Claudius, Nala plays as Ophelia, Rafiki plays as Horatio, hyenas plays as Laertes, and Timon and Pumbaa plays as Rosencrantz and

As a child, I can remember watching the Lion King movie several times because my family loved this timeless movie. I always just thought of it as a story about the “circle of life” that we all hear so much about in church and from our parents. However, for this assignment I chose to watch this movie once more; giving particular attention to details and thoroughly examining Simba’s life stage development in relation to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages and Jean Piaget’s cognitive development stages. Needless to say, I was able to find significant evidence relating to these developmental theorists. The story not only displays the hardships of maturation, and the perplexities associated with growing, but it also deals with the search for one’s own identity and responsibility.

At the beginning of the film the camera angle looks up towards him, the lights shine on young Simba; the importance of his birth is immense, although Simba may be oblivious to the fact at the time. Another parallel is the fact that both Simba and Hamlet at one stage wish to be dead. When Timon and Pumbaa find him, they believe Simba to be dead when they first find him. He is not – but wishes to be. The same could be said about Hamlet when he questions his life – “To be, or not to be”. Like Hamlet, Simba tends to need to be on his own to reflect. Hamlet and Simba are near perfect examples of tragic heroes. Both are tested to the extent of their inner strength and faith in the triumph of good.

Rafiki teaches him that, "you can either run from the past, or learn from it." This statement is important because Simba needed to put the death of his father behind him instead of running from it. Simba realizes he needs to return to his rightful place as king. The struggles he knows he must face are regaining his kingdom and defeating Scar.

Review: A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame.

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.

Simba’s heroic qualities don’t just stand out when he is found by Nala begging him to return to Pride Rock to save everyone and the community, but also when he meets Pumbaa and Timon. He is learning how to survive on his own and how to be a true friend. Simba shows all characteristics of a hero throughout his journey, it begins with his separation from his family, and his choice to runaway. Simba has to deal with guilt and is tested emotionally, he has been told that he killed his father and needs

Simba takes his rightful place on pride rock on his road back home. Simba is resurrected he is accepted back into the Pride and he returns with the Elixir and the pride lands are returned to normal. Simba went through the journey from start to finish in what that viewer saw as continual growth and development of courage.

11. Simba knows that the throne is rightly his but does not seek revenge on his uncle unlike Hamlet who seeks revenge on his uncle in order to avenge his father’s death.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores and condones the same variety of themes in Disney’s The Lion King. Through a number of events, both the antagonists want to take revenge upon their evil uncles. The reader and audience learn the importance of finding happiness when Simba meets Timon and Pumba, but Hamlet is neglected leaving him to spiral into dark thoughts. Another theme explored by both texts is power and how easy it is to lose what’s all around you as well as the even bigger struggle it is to gain it all back. Both texts have a variety of differences, yet they are very similar which makes them unique. Especially The Lion King, being aimed at a younger audience, it is evident to see how Disney has purposely left out harsh topics, such as suicide, to cater for the indented audience.

He encounters “allies and enemies in the special world, and to pass certain tests and challenges” (Vogler, THE STAGES OF A HERO’S JOURNEY). Having test and challenges are very momentous in a hero’s journey. A major test that Simba faces is with his uncle Scar. Scar was the sibling to Mufasa and dependably had a jealousy toward him since Mufasa was the ruler of pride lands. His envy was exceptionally extraordinary and he happen to be the murder of Mufasa. At that point when Simba had discovered that Scar was the murder of Mufasa's death, he was extremely angry since Scar had accused it on Simba. “I killed Mufasa” (The Lion King 1994). When he had told the other lion about the truth the battle had begun. Hyenas were on the assault to Simba, yet with the assistance of his allies, Simba could get away. He had then battled with Scar. Simba was effortlessly ready to escape from him assault and pushed Scar away. As he had been pushed away every single one of the hyenas had begun to assault Scar and kill him in view of mistreatment and false accusing. From that battling scene it demonstrates that Scar was a test to Simba. An ally that helped Simba through his adventure incorporating the battle scene with Scar was Nala. Nala and Simba happen to be dear companions each since they were offspring. They would go a wide range of places together and do everything together. At the point when Simba was advised to never return to Pride Land, it has been numerous years since they have seen each other and the two have grown up into. Yet, later on, they wind up observing each other. Nala clarifies what all the ghastly things Scar has done to their home and how he had told everybody that Simba is dead. Yet, Nala realizes that since Simba is presently alive he is the correct heir to Pride Lands. “You are the King!”. Another moment where Nala demonstrates an ally to

Nala explains the wretched condition of the Pride Lands since Scar became King and urges Simba to return. Simba comes in contact with the wise baboon. He hesitates out of fear, and out of his rebellion he has a vision of his father that prompts him to return home. When he returns he challenges Scar and wins. He becomes King of the Pride Lands as his father had taught him he would. Nala gives birth to a cub of their own completing the circle of life.

On the other hand, in Disney's The Lion King, Simba's father is killed after he falls from a cliff into a herd of antelope. Simba falls into a deep depression after Scar twists things around and convinces Simba that he is the one responsible for Mufasa's death. Simba can not deal with what has happened and Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat, named Timon and Pumbaa, and develops a carefree lifestyle with them. Later on in the story, as an adult, Simba returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from Scar.