SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASK
Introduction
Intertextuality is the relationship between texts, writers and directors use this technique to reference other text all the time. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff’s The Lion King uses the intertextuality technique of allusion of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark written by William Shakespeare. There are lots of similarities that connect the two together but also a lot of differences that keep them there own separate texts. The context, plot and characters all have some sort of intertextuality.
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The Lion King and hamlet have very similar characters. At first you might not see the references but there definitely there. Both the families are royalty and the main character is the prince hair to the throne. In both movies there is a so called evil uncle of the main character that kills his brother the king. In the Lion King its scar and in hamlet its
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Hamlet was written in around 1600 and the Lion King in 1994 which means there were lots of cultural differences which reflect differences in the two. The language used in the two varied a lot in the 1600s English was a very different language as we know it now. The fact that the Lion King is a Disney movie that was written for kids changes a lot as well a lot of the dark scenes you see in Hamlet aren’t in The Lion King, being disney as well its a happy movie with a happy ending.Hamlet was written to a mature audience and hence it being a dark play
Conclusion
The Lion King and hamlet are very similar. Its unsure wether or not the directors used the technique of allusion to reference the play but its a really big coincident if they didn’t. If so the directors hid it well enough that you don’t notice the reference straight away many people don’t know the reference after watching it many times. The similarities are definitely there but the differences are what keep it its own
An example of intertextuality is in West Side Story. Although this is a play, I could connect it back to Romeo and Juliet. The musical is a modern day version of the Shakespeare book, so there was a lot of intertextuality between the two. When watching the play, I noticed that two gangs have always been enemies and are fighting for control over the area. This is much like the on going battle between the Capulets and Montagues. Knowing this helped me see the rivalry between the two gangs. On top of this, one of the gang members falls in love with a rival’s sister. Again, having read Romeo and Juliet,I could relate this part to it. The both have the same theme of wanting something you can’t have. Another example
Throughout literature and novels we can find authors who will reference history, other authors works and most often the Bible. One may ask themselves the reasoning behind allusions and how it can affect our perspective and the authors meaning when reading the novel. In the late sixties, Julia Kristeve, who studied the elements of literature and other communication systems, introduced the word “Intertextuality”. In Kristave’s essay “Word, Dialogue, and Novel” she went into deep analysis of an authors work and its text, “A literary work, then, is not simply the product of a single author, but of its relationship to other texts and to the strucutures of language itself. Any text," she argues, "is constructed of a mosaic of quotations; any text
Hamlet and a popular amount of Disney movies share many parallels. The Lion King was actually based entirely off the play Hamlet. There are many themes in this play that are relevant in many other pieces, such as Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, and Hercules. Beauty and the Beast helps convey betrayal among people who care for each other, while Mulan allows people to see a deeper meaning in Hamlet’s own personal passion. Furthermore, Hercules allows one to connect the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia to a romance that is almost as complicated. While constructing this essay, I was able to discern a deeper meaning from the wise words of Shakespeare by taking the minute details, and linking them back to something similar and familiar.
The two stories had similar plots and characters. But in the end, the small differences in how the characters acted separated the tragedy of Hamlet from the happy ending of Disney’s The Lion King.
The major foil for Hamlet is Laertes, the son of Polonius. The most obvious similarity is that they are both young men. They also come from relatively similar backgrounds, a Danish aristocratic upbringing. They also both have some college education. This leads us to another similarity; [Semicolons vs. colons] they both have the ability to use logical and rational reasoning. However, they do differ on their applications of logical reasoning.
Shakespeare is known for being a great writer, his play have been rewritten, re-adapted, and turned into films to keep their magic alive. However what many people do not know is that many of Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted into many Disney Films. More precisely “Hamlet” is one of the most used plays. Movies such as “Tarzan," “Aladdin," and “101 Dalmatians” used many scenes in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” to inspire scenes in the films. The movie The Lion King by Disney, however, is one of the strongest and more closely related to “Hamlet” than any other Disney film, but how? More importantly what makes this movie more important and the focus of this essay?
The characters in The Lion King closely resemble the characters in Hamlet. Simba, the main character in The Lion King, embodies Hamlet. Simba and Hamlet are the son of kings and both are the rightful heirs to the throne. “By pairing the play Hamlet with the Disney movie, The Lion King, students discover that both Hamlet and Simba represent the mythical archetype of exiled child whose role is to restore world order and who has an heroic task. Students also realize that they too are unique individuals on heroic journeys.”(Gavin 55) Hamlet and Simba, when he was a lion cub, were banished from their homes. Simba exiled himself because he believed that he killed his own father but, it was in fact his uncle scar that killed him. Hamlet, on the under hand, was sent off to college by his uncle Claudius. Claudius became the king of Denmark after death of Hamlet’s father. Claudius believed that Hamlet played a h...
King Hamlet and Hamlet compare in that they are both upset by the Queen’s marriage, they both hate Claudius, they are both brave, and they are both dead by the end of the play. They contrast in that while Hamlet’s father was king, Hamlet will never have the kingship, Hamlet does not leave a legacy and they die differently. Hamlet looked up to his father because he felt that he was a great leader and the bravest man that he knew, as Hamlet mentioned, "so excellent a king” (I. ii.149). He wanted to be so much like him, but couldn't because of a couple of barriers that he had to deal with. He became a lot like his father in the end. Hamlet was very disappointed with his life because he knew that becoming king was one thing that he didn't have in common with his father, because his stepfather was king, “married with my uncle, my father's brother" (I. ii.
The difference between the setting shows how modern the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet is compared to the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet. One of the difference between the two films is the setting and time period. Mel Gibson version of Hamlet is set in a dark and medieval time castle during the 19th century. Kenneth Branagh's movie of Hamlet was set in 19th century making the setting of the castle more of a luxurious modern palace. For instance, In Act 4 Scene 4 during Hamlet’s soliloquy, Hamlet is seen in a setting full of snow in which he emphasize his anger towards the world and Claudius, “How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! What is a man if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.”(4.4. 31-34). The lighting of the movie plays a major role in the production of the film because it demonstrates emotions and feelings from the characters. For instance, in Hamlet starring Mel Gibson the lighting was adjusted to make the scenes darker to show sadness and grief. However in the Branagh version of hamlet the lighting was fairly bri...
No story is entirely original. Authors, playwrights, and songwriters all pick and choose elements from stories regardless of whether they intend to or not. Some stories mirror those of the past more similarly than others while adding a fresh, new twist. The Disney movie The Lion King contains many similarities to Shakespeare's play Hamlet, some of which are more obvious than others. Similarities in the character complexes of the three hyenas and Polonius's family, betrayal from Scar and Claudius, and the kingdoms deterioration and resolution are a few examples of the likenesses of the movie and play.
Hamlet and The Lion King shared majority of the themes that were found in each story. A theme of revenge was prominent in both the film and the original play as Simba and Prince Hamlet worked towards avenging their fathers throughout the story. Politics can also be seen in both as the stories explain to the viewer/reader that a bad king can mean a corrupt and equally bad kingdom (murders committed by the new kings). Although some harsh themes, family also seems to be mutual in both tales, more so seen in The Lion King. Shakespeare was able to show the reader the importance of family throughout Hamlet, when there is a power-hungry family member, and the rest of the family must stick together to overcome the struggle. The producers of The Lion King do a similar job as they explain the same thing, however also digging into the loyalty of Sarabi for Mufasa. The reason for a greater theme of positivity in the newer film is due to the demographics. The Lion King was primarily a children’s film, thus it required a simpler and happier tone. This also changes the overall plot by reducing the number of deaths and ruling out madness. This tone also affects the number of comic relief moments in the story. In Hamlet, there were only a few moments in which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were able to lighten the mood of the play by offering comedic anecdotes. In The Lion
“I like the movie but it was not as good as the book” is a saying that is said by most people. In most cases, a movie changes drastically from the book it is based on. Hamlet is one of those cases. Although it does not change completely, there are some big differences and similarities within the book and movie. Reading the play and then watching the movie makes it easier to pick out the differences and similarities. Being able to compare and contrast the movie and play of Hamlet might make it easier to decide which one is better or which one gives a better story. The movie and play of Hamlet are different because of the chronological order, parts being left out and parts being added. They are the same in ways through dialogue, characters,
The first difference is in the way the play and the movie begins. The play starts out with guards standing guard at the castle with Horatio, Hamlet?s friend. The guards and Horatio are waiting for the ghost of Old Hamlet to arrive so they can find out why he is there. The ghost does arrive twice but does not speak. The scene ends with the guards and Horatio discussing that they should get Hamlet to try to speak to the ghost. Hamlet the movie starts out differently. It starts out with the funeral for King Hamlet with Gertrude standing beside the coffin. Hamlet sprinkles dust over his father?s dead body. The coffin is then covered and Claudius, Old Hamlet?s brother, places his sword over the coffin and Gertrude cries.
There are several differences between Shakespeare’s Hamlet: the play and the movie. Both stories offer the same general plot, but there are certain aspects of each that make them different. The biggest difference between the play and the movie is the way they make the reader and viewer interpret the story. The play, however, is better than the movie because the play forces the reader the form their own conclusion. The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is a very confusing one, making it hard to truly understand and comprehend.
Macbeth and Hamlet both start out the same with supernatural occurrences and end the same with a lot of blood and death. They have many things in common such as all of the bloodshed and craziness, but the main characters have different purposes. Hamlet killed for revenge while Macbeth only killed for power and greed. Both Macbeth and Claudius killed a king because of their greed but they both end up dying at the end of each play. Malcolm and Hamlet complete their goals of seeking revenge, but Hamlet ends up dying as well. The plays involve much of the same themes and tragedies; however the main purposes are distinctive.