The Lion King A.K.A Hamlet
Watching The Lion King throughout the years, you would never have stopped and thought that it was based on an epic poem written in Old English times. We must give William Shakespeare credit; for if he did not write Hamlet, the creators of The Lion King would not have been able to base their animated movie off of it. The fun songs placed in to keep the children's attention could easily throw someone off in thinking this could no way be based off of Shakespeare's incredible tragedy. If you explore the movie and look at the details, you will see the ties between the two; and how it maintains the play's general outline.
Protruding relations of their works are found throughout both features. The basic story concerns a beloved king, Mufasa, and the aftermath of his death. His brother, Scar, takes over the throne only after the prince, Simba, runs away in an attempt to escape blame; or so it would seem.
David Garrick in Hamlet, I, 4
scar & a story
my scarred up legsWith Simba apparently unfit to rule, his uncle Scar assumes the throne, and when he does, the kingdom is in anything but safe hands. What is a prince to do? Take action? Simply accept his fate? With the help of good friends and a fatherly Ghost, Simba finds his answer. A showdown awaits him, along with his moment of truth. That sounds an awful like William Shakespeare's Hamlet, doesn't it? Tyranny, a prince, an apparition, and a final duel to expose the truth.
The characters in both are incredibly alike. Mufasa and King Hamlet equally ruled their kingdoms in peace and prosperity. After their deaths however, they became much more then the kings they once where. They became a martyr of sorts. The sons were compelled to avenge their deaths and take...