Is Disney's The Lion King Based On Another Story?

The plot of “The Lion King” is loosely based on the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare. The Lion King was released in 1994 and is one of the most successful Disney films of all time.

The plot centres around a young lion cub named Simba. The film opens with an introduction to the Circle of Life. A ceremony takes place on Pride Rock, where King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi celebrate the arrival of their son, Simba. He is presented to the other animals by a monkey named Rafiki. After the introduction, the story moves onto Scar, Mufasa's brother. He has missed the ceremony and it becomes clear that he is not happy about the birth of Simba as he wishes to be the next in line to the throne. Mufasa and his majordomo, who is a hornbill named Zazu, express their disappointment at Scar for not attending the ceremony. Later, Mufasa teaches Simba about the Circle of Life.

Despite Scar being unhappy with Simba's birth, Simba appears to enjoy his uncle's company and one day, when he Scar are together, Scar intentionally tells Simba about a dangerous elephant graveyard, knowing that the young cub will be curious. Scar's aim is to tempt Simba into going into the graveyard so that he will get into danger and be killed. Sure enough, the mention of the graveyard prompts Simba to go there. He tells his mother that he and his friend Nala, a female cub, wish to go to the waterhole. Simba's plan is for them to go to the graveyard. They are supervised by Zazu. Simba and Nala manage to distract Zazu and end up in the elephant graveyard.

Whilst there, the cubs encounter three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The hyenas chase the cubs and try to kill them, but Mafasa arrives just in time and chases the hyenas away. He tells Zazu to take Nala home and then expresses his disappointment in Simba for going to the dangerous graveyard. Simba tells Mufusa that he simply wanted to be brave like him. Mufasa responds by telling Simba that he is only brave when he has to be. He then says that he was scared of losing Simba and the two begin to play. Simba asks his father if they will be together forever and Mufasa tells Simba to “look at the stars”. He says that the kings of the past are in the sky, looking down on them to protect them.

Scar, meanwhile, is plotting to become king. He convinces the hyenas to join him and tells them that they will never go hungry again if he becomes king. He announces his plan to kill Mufasa and Simba. A little later, Scar takes Simba to a gorge and tells him to wait there as his father has a surprise for him. Before he leaves, Scar tells Simba to “work on that little roar” of his. Scar leaves and gives the signal for Shenzi, Banzai and Ed to cause a stampede. At the same time, Simba is still in the gorge, working on his roar. He gives a particularly load roar that causes an echo and then looks up to see the stampede rushing towards him. Panicking, Simba begins to run whilst Scar rushes off to tell Mufasa. Scar watches as Mufasa jumps into the crowd of wildebeest in an attempt to save Simba.

Mufasa manages to get Simba to safety, but is dragged back into the stampede. He manages to jump out and clings to a rock. As he approaches Scar, he begs his brother to help him climb up. Scar reaches out to Mufasa, but instead of helping him, he makes Mufasa lose his grip, causing him to go hurtling to the ground below. Simba rushes down to his father, but Mufasa is already dead. Scar appears and manages to convince Simba that the stampede was his fault and therefore he is responsible for his father's death. Simba asks Scar what he should do and Scar tells him to “run away and never return”. As Simba runs away, Scar orders Shenzi, Banzai and Ed to kill him. He then later takes over Pride Rock as king and announces to Sarabi, Nala and the rest of the pride that both Mufasa and Simba are dead.

Simba escapes and is found by a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa, who teach him about their no worry philosophy. Simba grows up with this philosophy and becomes good friends with Timon and Pumbaa. Later, whilst Timon and Pumbaa are out, Pumbaa is chased by a lioness. Simba saves him. As he fights with the lioness, he realises that it is Nala. At first she does not recognise the adult Simba, but is pleased to see that he is alive when she does. She tells Simba about Scar taking over Pride Rock and that everyone believes Simba is dead. She tells him she has missed him and the two become closer, but later have a disagreement when Simba refuses to take his rightful place as king. He chooses to follow the problem free philosophy that Timon and Pumbaa have taught him and tells Nala he will not return to Pride Rock, which angers her.

Rafiki appears after realising that Simba is still alive and tells him that his father is not dead. Curious, Simba follows Rafiki, but is disappointed when Rafiki simply shows Simba his reflection in some water. He tells Rafiki that it is not his father he is looking at, but his own reflection. Rafiki tells Simba to look harder and Simba begins to see Mufasa. He looks up into the sky and Mufasa tells Simba that he is “the one true king”. Mufusa's ghost then disappears, but Simba is still reluctant to return because of the past. Rafiki tells Simba that whilst the past can hurt, you can either run from it or learn from it. Rafiki's words convince Simba to return to Pride Rock.

Nala, Timon and Pumbaa follow and help Simba to sneak into Pride Rock by distracting some hyenas. Simba's mother is shocked at his return but pleased to see him alive. Scar, who is shocked and angry to discover that Shenzi, Banzai and Ed failed to kill Simba, tells the pride that Simba is responsible for Mufusa's death. He pushes Simba off the edge of the rock and Simba ends up in the same position as his father was before he died. Just as Scar is about the push him off the rock, he announces to Simba quietly that it was he who killed Mufasa. Simba leaps up and pins Scar down. Scar becomes nervous and tells Simba that it was the hyenas idea to kill Mufusa. Simba then makes Scar announce that he was the one who killed Mufasa and tells him to run and never return, the same words that Scar said to Simba just after Mufasa died. Scar goes to leave, but then attacks Simba and the two fight.

Simba throws Scar over the edge of the rock, where he is cornered by the hyenas. They are angry that Scar tried to blame them for everything and have their revenge by killing him. Simba takes his rightful place as king and Nala becomes his queen. They have a child, and the film ends as it started, with Rafiki presenting a newborn cub, continuing the Circle of Life.