A comparison and analysis of Rosencratz and Guildenstern in "Hamlet" to Timon and Pumbaa in "Lion King"

When taking a close look at the Disney movie "The Lion King", any one who has studied "Hamlet" can see the parallels between the two. The simple plot, a son's revenge for his father's death, is the basis for both stories. Simba bears many resemblances to Hamlet. Scar is, in many ways, like Claudius. Besides the likenesses between main characters, there are also similarities between secondary characters as well. In "The Lion King", Simba runs …

…the seriousness of the situation at hand. The idea of absurdity is often taken on in existentialism. While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern don't laugh at Hamlet, they do represent a sort of relief from the main focus of revenge. Timon and Pumbaa do not exactly fit the mold of existentialists. However they represent the same general philosophy that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do in Hamlet. Sources Breisach, Ernst. Introduction to Modern Existentialism. New York: Grove Press Inc. 1962.