Comparing Hamlet And The Lion King

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“Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done” (William Shakespeare). Hamlet is a Shakespearean tragedy set in Denmark that follows the story of a young prince, Hamlet, who seeks revenge on his uncle for murdering his father, the previous king of Denmark. Throughout the play, Hamlet is recognized as a madman after he harasses his old flame Ophelia and hints at his uncle, King Claudius, that he was aware of the dreadful murder of Old Hamlet. Similarly, The Lion King tells the tale of a cub, Simba, who sets on an adventure to reclaim his rightful throne from his uncle, Scar, who had killed his father, Mufasa. Simba, too, is framed as a rogue and forced to leave the house. Hamlet and The Lion King do share many similarities when it …show more content…

After Old Hamlet’s ghost orders Hamlet to seek direct revenge on King Claudius, the first person to suffer at the hands of Hamlet was Polonius, Ophelia’s father and King Claudius’ right hand man, who schemed against Hamlet multiple times to prove that his madness was due to Ophelia’s rejection. He ultimately dies amidst carrying out one of his plans, as Hamlet blindly stabs him through the curtain that hid him while he eavesdropped on Hamlet and Queen Gertrude’s private conversation. Following Polonius’ death, Ophelia is seen to go mad and drown herself, causing Laertes to form an alliance with King Claudius and plan to kill Hamlet shortly after they received news that he had returned from England. Plan A was for Laertes to stab Hamlet with the contaminated tip of his rapier and kill him in a duel; Plan B was King Claudius offering Hamlet a poison-infused drink during his break. However, after Hamlet is wounded by Laertes, they accidentally switch rapiers, and Laertes is then injured by Hamlet. At the same time, Queen Gertrude dies after unknowingly drinking from the cup prepared for

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