Comparing Shakespeare's Parody In Hamlet And The Lion King

Shakespeare is nearly everywhere in modern media. Two forbidden lovers, a rightful heir with a power-hungry uncle, and dozens of people in endless love triangles; the list goes on. Shakespeare’s work is everywhere nowadays and some renditions are easier to pick out than others. Shakespeare has been parodied and modernized more than anyone else, and his work has inspired countless films and other works of art.

In recent years, Shakespeare has been parodied in television shows and films more than almost anything else. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines parodies as “a literary or musical work in which that style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule” or “a feeble or ridiculous imitation”(Merriam-Webster). One of the most notable parodies of Shakespeare is The Lion King; because the famous child film has some outstanding parallels to Hamlet it has drawn a considerable amount of attention.

Comparing the two main characters, Simba and Hamlet, there are definitely similarities. Both of the princes leave their own homes, face life-threatening dangers, survive, and return home to right the wrongs of their power-hungry uncles. Scar can also easily be compared to Claudius, both villainous uncles who killed for their own benefit (Gavin 55). The comic relief characters Timon and Pumbaa are counterparts to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from the original. Even a ghost of the late king, Mufasa or King Hamlet, appear to their son, Simba or Hamlet