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The Journey Of Vengeance In The Lion King By William Shakespeare

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Poison to the ear, a stab wound to the ribs, scavengers hyenas and the circle of life. Believe it or not, Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ was based off of the 400 year old tragedy by William Shakespeare. In the play, main character Hamlet embarks upon a journey of vengeance and is entirely self-reliant. The aim of his eye for an eye? His fathers murderer, and Norway’s wrongful king; Claudius. (Hamlet 1.5) Hamlet outwardly mourns, proclaiming his adoration for his “noble” father, and when prompted by the spirit representative of his dead father, Hamlet immediately becomes completely dedicated to avenging his fathers death with orders to kill his uncle Claudius. (Hamlet 1.2.71) Similarly, in the Disney animation, ‘The Lion King’, the protagonist, Simba, …show more content…

(The Lion King) Just after Simba is presented as the next king of the lions on Pride Rock, his jealousy ridden uncle Scar begins plotting with the enemy hyenas and creates a giant stampede below the iconic Pride Rock. (The Lion King) Scary wrestles with Mufasa at the top, pinning him down and letting his grip go; finally sending Mufasa falling to the stampede which takes him victim. (The Lion King) Simba now runs off, however on his solo journey he is encountered by the spirit of his late father in the water's reflection who tells him that ruling the Pridelands is his destiny and it is his responsibility to protect that land and his people. (The Lion King). Like in Hamlet the corrupt uncle now becomes king and the two main characters are presented with a responsibility; to retrieve their kingdoms. By examining ‘The Lion King’ side by side with Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ it can be determined that Hamlet is motivated by duty and seeking revenge for his fathers murder whereas Simba is more motivated by honor and loving …show more content…

In the beginning of the play ‘Hamlet’, the lead character Hamlet is approached by a ghost; something that people in the Elizabethan Era believed, due to underdeveloped scientific understanding, to be in the realm of reality. (“British Library” par. 3) The ghost in the play claims to be Hamlet's father and informs Hamlet of a great injustice and instructs him to take revenge. (Hamlet 1.5.45) Since Hamlet is the only person holding this secret truth, it causes turmoil between Hamlet and even his closest friends. (Hamlet 2.2.336) Claudius, in sneaky desperation manipulates Hamlet’s friends, family and the citizens of his kingdom of Denmark into believing that Hamlet has gone dangerously mad and must be removed in the name of public safety. (Hamlet 4.3.2-3) Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet, and report back their conversation to make sense of his actions. (Hamlet 2.2.68) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were Hamlet's friends first, however like many underclass citizens, were desperate to prove themselves to the King, they hit their knees in his

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Claudius, in Hamlet, kills his brother to become king. Mufasa and Old Hamlet were both murdered by their brothers. Both of their fathers reappear as ghosts. Simba’s father appeared to him in the stars, while Hamlet’s father appeared to him as a ghost. Both Simba and Hamlet are sent away to fight their uncles.

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In Hamlet, the protagonist is motivated to avenge his father's death, while in The Lion King, Simba is driven to reclaim his rightful place as king. Both works feature protagonists who must face their enemies and overcome obstacles in order to restore order. However, the contexts of these two works differ significantly. Hamlet is set in a monarchy with a rigid class structure, while The Lion King is set in a world of animals. These differences create distinct themes and messages in each work.

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In Hamlet the uncle, Claudius, wants the late king’s wife, and in The Lion King, Scar wants the Mufasa’s power over the land. Scar and Claudius also share some similar characteristics, both are very deceptive, ruthless, and egocentric. For example, Uncles from both the Lion and Hamlet have attempted to kill off their nephews. In Hamlet, Claudius sends Hamlet off to England where he assumes that Hamlet would not survive (Act 1, Scene 3). In The Lion King, Scar scares Simba off making him run into the wilderness where he could be killed by the hyenas (Stampede Scene).

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When Hamlet is assured by the ghost of his father, that Claudius was the cause

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Simba, however, does not have such a heavy feeling to accompany him. As the audience travels through Simba’s life with him, they feel a sort of fond attachment to Simba. Because the audience watched Simba grow up through the pain, the confusion, and the frustration, they end the movie with a feeling of pride towards Simba as he takes the throne. This pride has a much lighter feeling than the feeling Hamlet leaves the audience

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In the play Hamlet, we find that Hamlet meets with his father’s ghost, and about his father murder by the hands of blood related brother, Hamlet takes a decision, to revenge and restore the glory back

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