Similarities Between Hamlet And The Lion King

Before discovering that the beloved Lion King was based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, one may to not realize that the two tales have a lot in common. Hamlet and The Lion King both share themes of jealousy. They also both have main characters that have to deal with the deaths of their fathers. The two stories differ in the reactions that the main characters use to handle the deaths of their fathers. The tales also contradict in the tones that they end in.

The theme of envy was exemplified in both Hamlet and The Lion King. Scar, from The Lion King, and Claudius, from Hamlet, both were so filled with jealousy that they were willing to kill their own family for the crown. Scar killed Mufasa and Claudius killed King Hamlet, both because of their resentment for power. Besides sharing the theme of jealousy, Hamlet and The Lion King also are similar because their main characters have to face the challenge of living without their fathers. Hamlet and Simba both had relied on their fathers to help them overcome challenges that they encountered, and …show more content…
Hamlet plotted murder against his uncle Claudius, of which whom he suspected of murdering his father. He became very distant and many people thought he had gone crazy. Simba on the other hand, ran away from his problems and lead a ¨hakuna matata¨ life, meaning that he decided to leave all his worries behind and live in bliss. A second way in which Hamlet and the Lion king differ, are their endings. Hamlet ends tragically. Many significant characters die, including Hamlet, and only one person is alive to tell the others what happened. In contrast, The Lion King ends on quite a high note. Scar is justly been punished for his wrongs and Simba and Nala welcome their new cub into the world to carry on the circle of life on Pride Rock, their