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Reading and Writing Skills (Enrichment Activity 2)

The students will write a 5-paragraph analysis comparing the plotlines of Disney's The Lion King and Shakespeare's Hamlet. Both stories involve the death of the king, which sets the plot in motion. The king's brother/uncle (Scar and Claudius) kills the king and takes the throne. This causes the king's son (Simba and Hamlet) to seek revenge later in the story. The document analyzes the similarities between several key characters and plot points in the two works.

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Hannah Sampiano
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39 views2 pages

Reading and Writing Skills (Enrichment Activity 2)

The students will write a 5-paragraph analysis comparing the plotlines of Disney's The Lion King and Shakespeare's Hamlet. Both stories involve the death of the king, which sets the plot in motion. The king's brother/uncle (Scar and Claudius) kills the king and takes the throne. This causes the king's son (Simba and Hamlet) to seek revenge later in the story. The document analyzes the similarities between several key characters and plot points in the two works.

Uploaded by

Hannah Sampiano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The students will make a 5-paragraph analysis about the

intertextuality of the main plotline of Disney’s The Lion King


on the take in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The students will use the
given synopsis to get the relation between the two literary
pieces.

The two literary pieces have interrelationships, especially in terms of monarchy.


Disney’s The Lion King portrays animals, particularly lions, in the musical film. There
was a king, a queen, and an heir. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s Hamlet consists of
humans or people as its characters. The Lion King differs in terms of its characters but
it is visible that The Lion King (1994) is inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet (1599-1601) as
the play contains a king, a queen, and an heir. Monarchy has played a big role in both
literature and film, as it gave rise to an understanding of why the heirs—Simba and
Hamlet—have similar objectives in their own storylines.

Fathers played a crucial role in both literary pieces; another thing that The Lion King
acquired from the Hamlet. Mufasa in The Lion King and Hamlet’s father are similar in
terms of monarchy and death. Both died in their own storylines; both are kings in their
own storylines. Their deaths as kings became the beginning of each story’s plot.
Simba and Hamlet did what they had to do in their stories for the sake of their fathers
and the monarchy. This has created a moral lesson for both stories: to love and
cherish fathers.

Moreover, fathers are not the only significant characters aside from the leading actor
in both literary pieces. Simba and Hamlet’s uncles, in their own storylines, also
contributed to the plot. The uncles, Scar (The Lion King) and Claudius (Hamlet), are
the antagonists. Both came from greed and pride to take over the position of the late
fathers. However, Scar in The Lion King had no relations with Queen Sarabi or Simba’s
mother (except when they were young). In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Claudius had
romantic relations with Queen Gertrude, or Hamlet’s mother, as they were wed after
the death of Hamlet’s father. Scar blamed Mufasa's death on Simba, while there is no
statement that Claudius had an intention to blame Hamlet over the King's death. Scar
and Claudius share the same objective: to take over the highest position by executing
the King.
Everything said previously is some of the most important aspects that made
Shakespeare’s Hamlet a well-known literary piece and made the creator of The Lion
King be inspired by its story. Since the death of the fathers and the greed of the
uncles happened in the first place, the leading characters in their own storylines,
Simba and Hamlet, shared the same objective: to get revenge for their loved fathers.
Both leading characters were heirs who, unfortunately, were deposed by their own
uncles. In the end, Simba and Hamlet waged a battle against the antagonists of their
own stories. Simba got his position back as the king of the Pride Lands in Africa. While
Hamlet chose to give his position as king to Prince Fortinbras of Norway, since he is
slowly dying due to poisoning.

To sum it all up, Disney’s The Lion King and Shakespeare’s Hamlet have
interrelationships when it comes to plot, characters, and the objectives of the leading
actors. Both stories have a moral lesson to be learned. The differences of the two
literary pieces shows that the creator of The Lion King respected Shakespeare's work.
Watching the film of The Lion King will get viewers know the inspiration of the film,
especially when a viewer knows the plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Furthermore, one
of these lessons is to be fearless when facing challenges in life. Simba and Hamlet
faced their challenge not only to avenge their fathers but also to protect their
community and neighborhoods, which were at risk in the hands of the antagonists.

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