hi everyone

Today I'm going to explain how to reinterpret a classic work of literature through a story for a
general audience with my example: William Shakespeare's classic the famous trgedy Hamlet and the
classic Disney film that we all know The King Lyon in 1994 To understand the idea behind this
reinterpretation, we will start with the story told by the two works we will talk about differences and
the common points

Let's start with the story

Once upon a time there was a king (The King of Denmark / Mufasa) who raised his son (Hamlet /
Simba) to rule after his death. This is not long in coming, as the king is murdered by his own brother
(Claudius / Scar), who thus becomes king. Eager for revenge, the prince is slow to confront this
because he was exiled from the kingdom by his uncle. Back from exile and influenced by his future
wife (Ophelia/Nala) the prince finally confronts his uncle.

There are therefore strong similarities between the two works, but there are some differences. The
first and perhaps most obvious difference is a difference in genre. Hamlet is a tragedy written in
Shakespeare's 'dark period' along with other works such as Macbeth and Othello which show the
dark side of humanity. Hamlet is a bloody story of revenge. Despite the exploration of an elephant
graveyard and the death of Mufasa, it is impossible to describe The Lion King as a grim tragedy!

The scenarios are not identical either. Hamlet is a teenager, almost a young adult when his father
dies. Simba, on the other hand, is only a child when Mufasa's death occurs. This crucial difference
explains the following: Simba's thirst for revenge only comes late in the story, whereas it is the red
thread in Hamlet's plot.

There is also a particularly interesting character, which reflects both the similarities and differences
between the two works, that of Nala/Ophelia. In the play, Ophelia goes mad when Hamlet (her jilted
lover) kills the girl's father. Hamlet is therefore responsible for Ophelia's tragic fate, whereas in The
Lion King the roles are reversed. It is Nala's arrival in the jungle that triggers Simba to question
himself and to confront his past. Nala thus forges Simba's destiny.

It is however indisputable to talk about the message and the moral of these two stories which
remain the same. In Hamlet, Shakespeare denounces human weaknesses and their evil. However,
this message is almost blurred in the Disney cartoon. This is not so much a weakness of The Lion
King, as it is a requirement of an adaptation for a child audience.

Another essential component of Hamlet is the evolution of its main character. From a teenager who
does not dare to take his revenge and claim what is his, we move on to a man who is sure of himself
and his rights. As for Simba, the little lion cub is far away when he goes to fight Scar to become king!
Our two heroes manage to overcome their fears and confront their past. The works are true
journeys of initiation, although their outcomes differ. Hamlet dies killing his uncle while Simba
succeeds in completely defeating his father's killer. a happy ending versus a bitter sweet ending