Topic > Compare and Contrast The Lion King and Hamlet - 977

The Lion King is a story based on the betrayal of a king by his brother. The brother's ambition to become king leads him to kill the real and current king. In The Lion King, Scar betrays his brother by killing him to gain the throne for himself. Through psychoanalytic theory, it is clear that Scar is ashamed because he is not the king and next in line to the throne is his nephew. This shame ultimately leads Scar to betray his brother due to his ambition. The plot of Hamlet is similar to that of The Lion King in that it is also based on betrayal and ambition. Claudius, the brother of the former king Hamlet, poisons his brother to gain the throne and the Kingdom of Denmark. The same element of shame in psychoanalytic theory can be applied once again here to show that Claudius' shame, combined with his ambition, leads him to betray his brother. The story's elements of betrayal and ambition appeal to audiences of both The Lion King and