The Hero’s Journey, much like The Lion King’s “Circle of Life”, is a cycle of intertwined events. Just as the "Circle of Life" keeps every animal in the Pride Lands connected, The Lion King draws many parallels with the archetypal Hero’s Journey and is a metaphorical representation of cultural values across the globe. The story portrays colorful characters and personal struggles that help the hero, Simba, realize the essence of life and where he truly belongs. Revolving around the strong belief, “The Circle of Life”, The Lion King symbolizes the noble sentiments of staying connected with every living being. As he matures and grows, the values that he learns from his Birth, Call to Adventure, and Final Battle, greatly influences the kind of hero Simba turns out to be. …show more content…
The animals of the land flock to Pride Rock, where the mystical baboon, Rafiki, cracks open a exotic fruit and anoints Simba’s head with a mark of the fruit juice. This symbolizes the initial stage of the “Circle of Life”: birth, while Simba’s celebration signifies the security at his home in the Pride Lands where he is safe from all dangers and has his parents to protect him. Acting like his mentors, Simba’s parents will be able to guide him and take care of him, though not for very long. During the rudimentary stages of his life, Simba is naive and gullible and has not learned many values that his journey has yet to teach him. Thus, Simba is carefree and gets into lots of trouble. Having his mentor, Mufasa, restrict him from doing many dangerous things, increases his crave for adventure, foreshadowing what Simba’s final battle will be for: his homeland and his throne. The birth stage of the Hero’s Journey unmasks many secrets about Simba’s experience, giving Simba the motivation to complete his journey when he receives his Call to