The idea of revenge has existed in human nature since the dawn of man. It is human instinct for a person to want justice served on another person who has hurt, physically or mentally, that person. Many literary works use revenge as a main theme for the plot. Hamlet is a classic example where the theme of revenge is present. Revenge is sought by Hamlet for the murder of his father because the murder of one's brother is the oldest sin and "hath the primal eldest curse upon't" (Shakespeare 3.3.37). The Lion King is an animated film that greatly resembles Hamlet in many aspects. Simba firsts runs from his responsibilities after his father's death, but later returns to avenge his father's death. Gladiator is another movie in which betrayal and revenge are key themes. An emperor is overthrown in Gladiator by his own son. The emperor's trustworthy friend, Maximus, seeks vengeance on the new emperor, Commodus. Many literary works can be compared due to vast amounts of similarities between theme and characters; Hamlet, The Lion King, and Gladiator are three literary works in which character and theme are surprisingly similar throughout each work.

Hamlet is considered by many to be on

Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 5th ed. Boston/St. Martin's, 1999. 1383-1480.

The Lion King is an animated feature with a serious story line of responsibility and revenge. This movie parallels Shakespeare's Hamlet with many close comparisons. Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands in The Lion King, rules over his Kingdom peacefully and with few worries. Hamlet Sr. was once King of Denmark and ruled over his kingdom with peace and prosperity. Both Mufasa and Hamlet Sr. bear a striking resemblance to one another. They are both well-respected kings who were loved by almost everybody. The deaths of both Mufasa and Hamlet Sr. are also similar in that their own brothers killed each king. Claudius killed Hamlet Sr. by dropping poison in his ear to take over the thrown. Scar upsets the throne of the Pride Lands by killing Mufasa. After the deaths of the kings, both Mufasa and Hamlet Sr. appear to their sons through apparitions. Mufasa appears to his son, Simba, via the clouds in the sky and tells the prince indirectly that he must look over the kingdom in order to keep peace. Simba is quite similar to Hamlet Jr. in that both are sons of the wrongfully murdered kings. Both princes delay their decisions to seek vengeance for their murdered fathers. The death of Hamlet's father leaves him depressed and melancholy while the death of Simba's father leaves him without a royal teacher and male role model during his younger years. Each prince runs from their responsibilities after the death of their respected fathers, although they both know what they must do deep inside. Hamlet seeks to validate his suspicions about Claudius through indirect methods, such as staging the play to witness Claudius' reaction. Simba hides from his past by leaving the kingdom and "venting his feelings in mournful retaliation against responsibility." (McElveen Online). He thinks running off into the jungle to live a carefree will solve all of his problems since nobody will be able to remind him of his past in the jungle. Even the queens in both works seem to be mirrored images of each other. Both remain queens after the deaths of each respected king. Gertrude is the queen of Denmark who seems to have little power and is used mainly for show by Claudius. Sarabi is the queen of the Pride Lands and is almost killed by Scar when she questions one of his decisions. This shows the lack of power the queen is actually given. Shakespeare's influence on literature is apparent in many of today's literature and The Lion King is one example of a modern interpretation of literature's most influential writers.

Gladiator is another movie where betrayal and vengeance are main

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Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)