However, while “The Lion King” is set in a predatorial patriarchy, where some are born to greatness, there is still the message that one’s place must still be earned, even if the title is inherited. And while Hamlet struggles with indecision, so does Simba, and both are approached by women – Ophelia and Nala – who wonder if their love interests have gone mad.

Like Bambi’s loss of his mother, Simba’s loss of Mufasa is painful. However, darkness comes with the light of hope, and Simba, unlike his father, must learn to confront and overcome evil to become a stronger king and to protect his pride of lions, as well as the other animals in the herd. No matter where one falls in the food chain, all living things are mortal, and none are exempt from the suffering life brings. The story follows Simba through his rites of passage, some playful, some painful and others devastating.

Scar, villain that he is, has an important role in the story, as well as a pivotal line, reminding one that, “Life isn’t fair, is it?”

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