The Lion King and Hamlet Essay
The Lion King & Hamlet - Comparative Essay

“All it takes for Evil to prevail in this world is for good men to do nothing.” Disney’s The Lion King placed a children’s façade on a very serious story of responsibility and revenge. This theme, however, is one of the oldest in history, and while it is not the most apparent, it does exist by William Shakespeare. The Lion King seems not to be based on a fairytale, but rather on the Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The basic character archetypes are concealed, and the storyline is simplified for children. But with a closer inspection of the characters themselves and the storyline, we the seasoned readers, can see just how apparent these similarities are.
The story of The Lion King closely parallels that of Hamlet. It is about the jealousy of an uncle named Scar towards his nephew, Simba, who is the son of the king, and rightful heir to the throne. This jealousy drives him to take drastic action to secure himself to the throne. The only way he can do this is to kill his brother, King Mufasa and Simba. He accomplishes this by killing Mufasa and goes on to become the King of the Pride Lands and leader of the pack, thus “marrying” Simba’s mother, Sarobi. After the plan that Scar puts into action is completed, Scar finds his plan was only half successful; Simba survives. However, the clever, smooth talking uncle tricks the young and susceptible Simba into thinking that he is responsible for his father’s death. Similarly In Hamlet (which is also based upon the jealousy of a king’s brother, Claudius), Hamlet Senior is poisoned by Claudius, who then ascends to the throne and marries Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. The poison makes the king look like he died in his sleep naturally. Like the young Simba who is weak because of his young age, Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play is powerless to take the throne because of his absence. Another plot similarity presents itself between the movie and the play. When Simba is convinced that he caused his father’s death, his uncle tells him to “run away and never return”. In doing so, he allows his uncle to rule as king without disruption. Hamlet, as well, lets his uncle hold the throne without interlude; he does this by not doing anything to take what is rightfully his. However, he remains as an observer of the things going on in the castle. He is not bothered in his observations because he takes on the mask of insanity. No one pays him much mind because of his acting. Yet another place of common ground between the two stories is the usage of images of the supernatural. In both of these stories, spirits play an important role. Both deceased fathers approach their sons in the same way – through a vision, giving them a vague speech. After their deaths, their sons consider them as harbingers. What’s worth pointing out is that neither king tells their sons to kill their uncles; leaving the interpretation up to them, yet forcing them to avenge their deaths. However, Simba and Hamlet both reach a point of inactivity where they seem to unnecessarily stall further any action to right the wrongdoings of their respective uncles. After seeing their sons lose their assertiveness and strength, the spectral kings take personal insult in their son’s apparent inactivity. Mufasa says to his son (in the form of an apparition), “You have forgotten yourself and so you have forgotten me. Both of the princes seem to forget their purposes in life as they distance themselves away from the pain of their fathers’ death.
Simba’s naiveté acquires him more than just destitution. Simba’s actions are as reflective as Hamlet’s, particularly when Hamlet delays his action of reprisal for his father’s death. Simba shows identical behavior, using his feelings as a shield, retaliating against responsibility especially when Nala (his childhood friend), attempts to convince him to return to the Pride Lands. Nala believes that Simba is the lawful King and that it his responsibility to reclaim his father’s throne. She is his right-hand lioness and someone whom he trusts. This role in Hamlet is fulfilled by Horatio. Horatio is completely loyal to Hamlet. There is a constituent of mutual respect in both friendships. In Hamlet, Hamlet is absent for most of the play because he is away at college. He only returns when he feels something urgent needs to be done. As well, Simba is not in the Pride Lands, he is in the jungle when Scar is a miserable king. He only returns when he is needed the most. Both princes return to reclaim their honor.

Just as their actions, the fate of the uncles in both the play and the movie are identical. Both meet their deaths at the hands of their nephews. In The Lion King, Simba, upon returning from exile, confronts Scar and defeats him. Hamlet, on the other hand, is more passive at first. He poisons his uncle but before the poison takes effect, hamlet stabs Claudius, finishing the job. These two plays have several plot points in common. These points have inferred the similarity of characters such as Mufasa and King Hamlet, Scar and Claudius, Simba and Prince Hamlet.
Laertes from Hamlet, is Claudius’ right-hand man. Although it may seem like he does not share any similarities with Simba, one must think again. Laertes and Simba both display impulsive behavior when angered. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered, Laertes immediately assumes the slayer is Claudius. As a result of Laertes’ speculation, he instinctively moves to avenge Polonius's death. Provide insight into Laertes’ mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. Similarly, once Simba discovers his father has been murdered by Scar, he is infuriated and seeks to avenge his father’s death at any cost (Atop Pride Rock). Uncoincidently, Laertes and Simba are similar in the way they associate with their families. Laertes highly respects and loves his father Polonius. Similarly, Simba holds a great respect for his father. After the death of their fathers, Laertes and Simba strive to seek revenge on the assassins (Although, Simba discovers who it is near the very end). As well, the fathers of Laertes and Simba both attempted to use “spies” to gain information on their sons. Although, Mufasa merely sent Zazu (Mufasa’s loyal friend and servant) to “spy” on Simba for his protection. Not to mention the fact that Laertes and Simba demonstrate rash behavior when exasperated.

Another two farcical characters in The Lion King, which are worth mentioning, are Timon and Pumba. These two characters are quite prominent throughout the story, especially when Simba encounters them in the jungle. Timon and Pumba act as a relief for Simba, they free him from responsibilities implementing the phrase “Hakuna Matata” into his life, which means “no worries”, making his life more care-free. Consistently do they try to make Simba forget his past, and consistently do they fail. They actually act as a constant reminder for Simba about the responsibilities he has to his father, and to his kingdom. Hamlet on the other hand did not have the privilege of having such loyal subordinates, although Horatio does act as one, and is his right-hand man.

When Simba encounters Nala in the jungle, Nala is enthralled and the first thing she says to him is “What will your mother think?”. This shows the gravity of his mother’s feelings towards him. After this scene, the sense of his mother’s feelings towards his past deeds sends him further into melancholy. When Simba returns to Pride Rock, he is enraged with the way Scar treats his mother, just as Hamlet is with Claudius. Nevertheless, both queens are a key foundation for the extensive depression these Young Princes endure.
As the story comes to end, the uncles attempt to pursue the killings of their nephews. In Hamlet, Claudius attempts to poison Hamlet, just as he poisoned Old Hamlet. In The Lion King, Scar again attempts to push Simba off a cliff, the same way he killed Mufasa. However, these attempts fail. Ironically, it is the uncles’ right-hand men that are responsible for their death at the end. Laertes turns on Claudius, telling Hamlet that it was Claudius who used the poison. In The Lion King, the hyenas turn on Scar, after years of loyalty. Evidently, Claudius is killed by Hamlet, as Scar is killed by Simba. Nevertheless, in The Lion King, Simba becomes king, and in Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark makes certain that his kingdom is left in good hands, that of Fortinbras. In the end, both princes are heroes.

After the scenes in the Jungle, Simba invokes on a journey with strong determination and faith to regain control of the Pride Lands which his father “lost” to Scar. He wishes to re-capture it from Scar, who has devastated the land. His past memories of the once beautiful, captivating Pride Lands keeps him resolute. Undoubtfully, he is successful in reclaiming the lands from Scar and his hyena accomplices, and proclaims their downfall. The characters of Fortinbras and Simba are very much alike in terms of devotion and vigor.
With all that being said, there is one vital difference between the two works, and that is The Lion King ends in triumph, while Hamlet, to the contrary - tragedy. Simba rids the kingdom of his evil uncle and reclaims his rightful throne, while the circle of life is completed again -- the future looking much more promising than it did when Scar was ruling. As for Hamlet, considered to be the greatest tragedy ever written, the hero of the play dies. It ends in treachery.

But even with a different ending, there is a resemblance: the future of the kingdom. Both Hamlet and Simba ensure the renewal of their domains, and they do so by assuming their lawful roles: rightful king and avenging son. By doing so, they free their kingdoms from evil’s grasp.