MODERN SHAKESPEAREAN ADAPTATIONS: INTERTEXTUAL STUDY OF HAMLET AND THE LION KING

Abstract

This paper examines how a canonical tragedy can be adapted into an animated feature to question the intertextual relations between Shakespeare's Hamlet (Shakespeare, 2012) and Disney's The Lion King (Allers & Minkoff, 1994). It deals with the rediscovery of theme, character, and plot, which appeases modern sensibilities, especially the sense of vengeance, piety, filial devotion, and ethical dilemma. Using a qualitative comparative research design, we adopt intertextual theory to map the structural patterns and thematic echoes common to the two texts. This observation indicates that, although the movie The Lion King retains the traditional narrative arc of Hamlet, it reconstructs the tragic denouement with a moral healing for family audiences. In addition, the adaptation preserves the main themes of justice and responsibility while diluting the psychological and philosophical depth of the original play. This rearrangement prefigures the important contributions of the medium, audience anticipation, and the cultural milieu in the process of developing adaptation. Altogether, the paper shows that intertextuality enables classical texts to be reinvented across media and thus ensures the survival of Shakespearean texts in modern popular culture.