Simba represent Hamlet because of several things. He is the son of the king and therefore the next heir to the throne. He is hated by his Uncle, which is the same situation in Hamlet, and he gets his revenge when he discovers who was actually responsible for his father's death. The differences between the two characters are still significant, like the fact that Hamlet is well aware of who killed his father and seeks revenge, where as Simba believes that he was resposible for his fathers death and wallows in his sorrow.
Hamlet
Lion King Characters in Hamlet
King Hamlet
Mufasa is the king of Pride Rock, just as King Hamlet was of Denmark. They were both extremely well respected leaders and were both murdered by their brothers so that they could inherit the throne. They also both appear as ghosts, making these two characters direct parallels. He is also a very feared and well respected character that foils his brother, Scar who is meek and not respected. This is a direct parallel to Hamlet's comparison of his father (a Hyperion) to his Uncle (a satyr).
Claudius
Scar, the evil brother of Mufasa, has been anxiously awaiting the day he will take the throne form his older brother. The same situation is found in Hamlet, where Claudius takes the throne from is brother by killing him. However, in The Lion King, scar makes Simba believe that he is the cause of his fathers death which does not occur in Hamlet.
Ophelia
Nala, Simba's love interest in The Lion King, can be compared to Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest. At one point in time they both get in a fight with their loved ones. The differences, however, outweigh the similarities. Ophelia is a weak minded woman who looses her mind throughout the play and eventually kills herself out of insanity, whereas Nala is a strong female character that is selfless and does not die at the end of the movie.
Character in Hamlet that is
NOT in The Lion King
Laertes, the son of Polonius, does not have a character match in The Lion King. After he learns of the death of his beloved father, he immediately seeks out his killer and vows to seek revenge. he serves as a foil to Hamlet, who is in the same exact situation as Laertes but chooses to procrastinate his plan for revenge.
