It has been said by many intelligent and informed people that Walt Disney's The Lion King is a children's version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. There are certainly many parallels between the two stories, and even in the actual dialogue. Both are the story of a young man who is torn apart by the early demise of his father and both stories have an uncle that takes over the thrown that should rightly belong to both of the young prince’s. The similarities between the storylines and the ways they are portrayed, especially on screen, are incredible. The three biggest parallels of the stories are the presence of death images and symbolism, the actions of the secondary characters, and the development of the tragic hero.
This is apparent through the appearance of his father. The apparition claims that “I am thy [Hamlet’s] father’s spirit” (I.v.14). This shows that the king’s physical body is dead but not his soul. But the king admits that he had done some bad things in his life therefore he is “doomed for a certain term to walk the night” (I.v.15). As hamlet figures it out that the husband of his mother is a murderer—Uncle Claudius—he realizes that his mother is at fault.
The dead king’s sons (Simba and Hamlet), the protagonists, despise the kings and do not really know what they had to do with their father’s death. With the boosting help of an outside force they take up the courage to confront and successfully vow their father’s revenge. The ghost motive plays a key role in both stories, when the spiritual form of the protogonist’s dead fathers appear, but there are differences. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s father reveals that it was Claudius who killed him. In The Lion King, Mufasa convinces Simba to reclaim the kingdom.
Hamlet also knew that he could not go around telling people that Claudius killed his father just because a ghost told him so. Therefore, instead Hamlet masterminded a plan that made the King, Claudius, show his guilt and then he would have proof that Claudius did in fact kill his father. Hamlet's obsession with his mother's remarriage to his uncle contributes to his insanity. In numerous occasions, Hamlet will make a comment about the little time that it took for his mother to move into his uncle's bed. Sarcastically, Hamlet states, "What should a man do but be merry?
Hamlet’s father’s ghost drives the whole plot by telling Hamlet that he must go for revenge against Claudius and avenge his death. This kick starts the plot and sets the theme of revenge. He also puts pressure on Hamlet to get revenge by telling him that if he ever loved him he would take revenge on Claudius. Hamlet’s main theme is revenge because there are many different plots within the play centered on revenge, Hamlets revenge on Claudius, and Laertes’s revenge on Hamlet for killing his father Polonius are just two examples of the theme of revenge. In The Lion King the theme of revenge is shown through the actions of Simba who returns to defeat Scar and avenge his father’s death by taking revenge on Scar.
Hamlet Sr. comes to Halmet Jr. in the middle of the night and tells him that the rightful heir is not on the throne. In the lion king, Mufasa's ghost also comes to Simba and say's “ Simba, you have forgoten me...You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me... You must take your place in the Circle of Life.” In both cases, the princes' realize something is wrong from their fathers. They in turn come to terms with who they are and seek to claim their rightful places after some encouragement from their fathers and best friends Horatio and
He only obtained the throne after killing his brother and marrying his brother’s widow. King Claudius appears to the audience as a civil, diplomatic ruler and it is only until the ghost first appears to Hamlet that is revealed he killed his brother with poison. The betrayal of his mother marrying King Claudius within a month after his King Hamlet’s death leaves Prince Hamlet feeling angry, bitter and revengeful towards his mother. Also the fact that she married her brother-in-law was considered to be incestuous and sinful in that era. When Prince Hamlet hires travelling actors to perform an act to the King Claudius and Queen Gertrude, they notice the plot to be similar to the murder of King Hamlet.
Androcles and the Lion Janet Stevens Fable/Folklore 32 Pages 1. In the Children’s book, “Androcles and the Lion,” a slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a Lion lying down moaning and growning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the Lion did not pursue him, he turned back and went to him. As he came near, the Lion put out his paw, which was swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a massive thorn had pierced it.
Prince Hamlet seems keen to avenge his father’s death, but throughout the narrative we see Hamlet hesitate to kill Claudius, he may be finding it hard as Claudius is the King and also a relative. The Ghost says he’s going to suffer in Purgatory until Prince Hamlet avenges his death by killing Claudius, as the way he died he didn’t have a chance to confess his sins, so he would go to heaven. “Doomed for a certain
Appearance vs. Reality in Hamlet In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, a young prince is confronted by his father’s ghost and is instructed to avenge his murder. Hamlet must uncover the truth of his father’s murder and devise a plan for revenge against his uncle, the king. This is impeded by Hamlet’s doubt, depression and the untrustworthy people surrounding the prince throughout the play. Appearance and reality are juxtaposed throughout the play as the characters hide their malignant intentions behind false behaviors.