Wednesday, November 6, 2013

All Hail King....Simba?

So I kept trying to think of modern renditions of Hamlet, and then I thought: The Lion King
I found a video with all the comparisons, because there are too many parallels to count. 
So here's the main breakdown:

Simba - Hamlet
Mufasa - Old Hamlet
Scar - Claudius
Sarabi - Gertrude
Nala - Ophelia 
Timone & Pumba - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 

However, I would like to point a few contrasts. First off, Timone and Pumba are not killed by Simba. Nor, as we all know, does Nala drown or Sarabi die. I think the most obvious one of all is that Simba does not actually die, and the circle of life *cue music* is completed (rather than in Hamlet, where everyone basically dies). 

I particularly like the use of Mozart's "Requiem in D Minor" in the video. I find it quite fitting to the mood of the play, and along with Rachmaninov's "All-night Vigil," will probably continue to play through my head throughout the remainder of the play. 

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I definitely see a connection between Hamlet and the Lion King. It's a very similar plot line, just with Lions and other various African animals rather than humans. However, one main flaw is that the Lion King lacks any connection to the Oedipal Complex. Simba's mother dies so Scar never marries her. Yet, I'm pretty sure you would never see that in a Disney movie, it doesn't exactly fit under the description of G rated movies.

Unknown said...

OMG JOKING HAHA. Just found out that Simba's mother actually doesn't die.... Sorry, it has been a while since I have seen The Lion King. Well, actually it hasn't been that long but I just forgot that minor detail.....

Brooke M. Hathaway said...

This is so cool. After seeing The Lion King countless times, including on Broadway (one of the best Broadway shows I've seen), never once did I make the connection. Yet again we see modern interpretations of classic plays, novels, ect. Disney, you trickster.

Kincy GIbson said...

I can definitely see the parallels between the two. But it's interesting that their isn't a ghost or the motif of revenge and guilt in the lion king. There isn't necessarily a major moral struggle that Simba must deal with.