Betrayal In Hamlet And The Lion King

The theme of betrayal is commonly explored throughout Disney’s film ‘The Lion King’ and Shakespeare’s novel ‘Hamlet’. Both texts show audiences that there will always be negative consequences for taking someone’s life. However, the ending of ‘The Lion King’ sends an optimistic message on the circle of life. This occurs when Simba and Nala present their cub. Drama and conflict are experienced. This is certainly the case in both texts. Especially in the novel ‘Hamlet’ as they reflect on all the tragedies towards the ending of the film.

Throughout ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Lion King’ numerous examples link both of these stories together. The first example is ‘The Lion King’ is set in an African jungle filled with animals. Its cartoons attract many young audiences to watch the film and its funky tunes create fun. However, ‘Hamlet’ is set in a castle in Denmark. It has a darker feel than ‘The Lion King’. It’s a very mature novel and it appeals to be quite full on and intense. The settings of both texts are very different, however the story line is quite similar. For example, both Simba and Hamlet’s fathers’ appear as ghost, but the setting is shown in a different way. Mufusa appears to Simba in the stars and tells him to take his proper place in the …show more content…
In both texts, the antagonist shows cruel actions towards the protagonist. This takes place in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ when Simba is exiled by Scar, the antagonist of the film. Very similar in ‘Hamlet’ when the protagonist, Hamlet is betrayed by his uncle Claudius. This shows the audiences that both the antagonists are lusting for power. Simba’s actions towards Scar lead him to take power and achieve his father’s wishes to become king. The protagonist of ‘Hamlet’ uses his anger and sadness to show his uncle Claudius some revenge. His actions lead to many deaths, including himself, however he was able to succeed in revenging his