HAMLET VS. THE LION KING
Ms. Gilbert’s Sophomore English
RECAP THE MAJOR EVENTS IN
HAMLET THUS FAR…
• Hamlet’s Ghost appears and tells Hamlet to avenge him
• Claudius really killed Hamlet with poison.
• Hamlet starts acting weird so Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are asked by
King and Queen to figure out what’s going on with him.
• Ophelia and Hamlet having an emotional fling, but Ophelia is told to stay
away from Hamlet because he is a young boy who doesn’t want her for the
right reasons.
• Play within the Play to call out Claudius on his evil doings.
• Claudius shows his true colors by getting offended by the play…Hamlet
decides to “take action”.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE
LION KING’S PLOT?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Simba is born, and King Mufasa says, that when Mufasa dies, Simba will become
King of the Pride Lands.
Simba's Uncle Scar would have been king after Musafa had Mufasa not had a child.
Fuelled by rage, Scar plots to kill Mufasa and Simba so he is able to take over the
throne.
He uses the 3 hyenas to cause a stampede through the canyon where Mufasa and
Simba are, and personally ensures Mufasa falls to his death.
Simba survives so Scar implies that the stampede was Simba's fault and that the
pride will blame him. Simba flees the Pride Lands meaning never to return home.
Simba is found by Timon and Pummba and the trio become fast friends.
Simba stays with them well into adulthood until his childhood friend, Nala, hunting
beyond the Pride Lands stumbles upon Simba's new home.
Nala begs Simba to return to the Pride Lands, where Scar has reigned as King for
years, and ruined everything. All of the animals will starve if Simba does not
return.
Simba is visited by the ghost of his father Mufasa and is told to “remember who he
is”, seeing that there is a lot of Mufasa within Simba. Simba eventually agrees to
fight for his kingdom. Simba battles Scar, and learns his father's death was Scar's
fault, not his own. Simba prevails
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE?
Hamlet written in 1601, serves as an archetype to Lion King which came out
in 1994. We’re going to look at the archetypal similarities between the two.
An Archetype is: A universal pattern in all stories and mythologies regardless
of culture or historical period. Part of the human mind contains a collective
unconscious shared by all people, a sort of universal, primal memory.
Image
Theme
Idea
Symbol
Character type
Plot Pattern
CHARACTER MATCH UP
Hamlet:
King Hamlet:
Ophelia:
Gertrude:
Claudius:
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern:
Polonius:
Horatio:
CLIP OF LION KING
Hamlet in The Lion King
CHARACTER MATCH UP
Hamlet: Simba
King Hamlet: Mufasa
Ophelia: Nala
Gertrude: Sarabi
Claudius: Scar
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern: Timon and Pumba
Polonius: Hyenas
Horatio: Rafiki
FINDING SIMILARITIES
In your group list and describe all of the similarities you can find between
Hamlet and The Lion King pertaining to either
Characters/Conflicts/Themes. Choose one group member to act as a
scribe and one to act as a spokes- person.
*Mainly focus on events/character development in Act 3, but may also list
ideas from other Acts.
WHAT IS A HERO?
What defines a hero? What roles do a hero possess?
Discuss in groups:
From what we’ve found in similarities between Hamlet and The
Lion King, can you argue whether or not Hamlet/Simba’s
character is a hero?
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
• Are hamlets actions brave or hero like?
• Is it more heroic to simply act right away or is it more heroic to be
smart and clever about your actions to make sure what you’re doing
is right?
• Do you think living a “Hakuna Matata” lifestyle would be the better
way of life for Hamlet, or should he have focused on gaining back
his role as the “leader of his pride” and avenging his father?
HOMEWORK
On a separate piece of paper continue working on defending whether or not
Hamlet is a hero. Write a 2 page paper, Times New Roman, double spaced, 12
font with at least 3 quotes from Hamlet that support your argument. You can
use some of the similarities found from the Lion King to better help support
your claim, but all quotes must be from Hamlet.