Hamlet and The Lion King

What’s better then ending a long weekend run by sipping hot chocolate in front of the fireplace? Doing all this while watching arguably Disney’s greatest film; The Lion King. Up until this point, I thought The Lion King was an original movie, but now, I am beginning to wonder if this is in fact true. As my knowledge of Hamlet lengthens, so to does this question in my mind. What if, The Lion King was truly inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet?

Connections between the characters and the plot of both Hamlet and The Lion King are clearly evident. Aside from the typical similarities of the plot and the main characters (the royal families) are some subtle connections. One of which are the roles of Horatio and Rafiki.

Similiar to Horatio, is Rafiki’s role in The Lion King. Just as Horatio had done for Hamlet, Rafiki directed Simba to the ghost of his father. In both cases this event is of great significance as it marks the beginning of their respective revenge plots. Additionally, Horatio and Rafiki are similar based on their relationship with their prince; both tend to act like a mentor, by giving advice throughout the play. For such reasons, Horatio may be presented as the inspiration for Rafiki’s character.

Sure, people say their are only a few plots in which most stories are based upon. But, with such subtle connections is it safe to assume The Lion King is a child-friendly interpretation of this Shakspearean masterpiece? Personally, I cannot definitively proclaim this to be true, however, I do strongly believe it did offer inspiration.