The Lion King Hamlet Comparison

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Today, many people often notice that as they read or watch a story, they get an intense feeling of déjà vu – like they have already come across something strikingly similar to what they are experiencing at that moment. This is largely because many modern writers will create their ideas and visions from stories that have been successful in years past. Some argue that originality is lost in modern day story telling, but is it really? Imitation and recreation of a classic story can lead to some of the most successful and (in their own way) original stories in modern times. This essay will show just this; by using one example of many, in comparing the classic play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, with a more modern adaption based on Shakespeare’s work, The Lion King. …show more content…

The basis differs from most other Disney movies released at the time, as it focuses on a serious storyline of responsibility and revenge. The work that Disney's The Lion King resembles is none other than one of William Shakespeare’s most popular pieces, Hamlet. The modern day movie not only closely resembles the overall moral of Shakespeare’s piece, but the similarities between the specific characters are apparent as well. For example, the storylines in Hamlet and The Lion King are both tales about a prince (Prince Hamlet and Prince Simba, respectively) who experience the loss of a father by some dishonorable action by the prince’s uncle. Overall, Hamlet is a little less forgiving and ends in a lot more death than The Lion King - given that it is a children’s movie - where the end result just leads to the death of Simba’s

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