Applying Literary Theories to The Lion King
Feminist/Gender:
Shows the helpless role females have in society. The female lions are exploited to provide food and care for the young, while the males have all the power and status. The female lions are trapped by an arrogant and controlling patriarchy: when Mufasa dies his power transfers to another male (his wife is never even considered – can you even remember her name? Does she even have one?).
The constant power struggle between males causes destruction and bloodshed due to their male pride.
Nala is also clearly “stronger” than Simba yet she is considered inferior and although Simba is supposed to restore justice and balance, Nala loses her independence and strength, becoming only identifiable as his ‘wife’, whose sole purpose is to produce a male heir.
The ‘circle of life’ is actually a circle of male domination.
Feminist/Gender:
Shows the helpless role females have in society. The female lions are exploited to provide food and care for the young, while the males have all the power and status. The female lions are trapped by an arrogant and controlling patriarchy: when Mufasa dies his power transfers to another male (his wife is never even considered – can you even remember her name? Does she even have one?).
The constant power struggle between males causes destruction and bloodshed due to their male pride.
Nala is also clearly “stronger” than Simba yet she is considered inferior and although Simba is supposed to restore justice and balance, Nala loses her independence and strength, becoming only identifiable as his ‘wife’, whose sole purpose is to produce a male heir.
The ‘circle of life’ is actually a circle of male domination.
Marxist:
The upper class (lions) are determined to maintain power over an unhappy lower class (hyenas). Note how the lower classes are depicted as evil and ugly, reflecting the view of the elite over the proletariat (the workers).
The lower class resents the privileges of better food and hunting grounds that the upper class maintains. This conflict causes a rebellion, which disrupts the normal social order, causing chaos and destruction. The worker-hyenas are used by Scar (an outcast from the Upper Classes) to put him in power. He then proceeds to exploit them until they are forced to choose between labouring as the enforcers of a corrupt regime or escaping to the drudgery of their previous existence.
The rebellion is eventually crushed and the status quo is restored, with yet another dynastic dictatorship put in place as the ruling class.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how the proletariat is constantly exploited and cannot escape.
Narratology:
The Lion King represents the classic hero quest. Simba (Protagonist) suffers from a loss of a Father Figure (killed by the Antagonist, Scar, who disrupts the Equilibrium). Scar frames Simba, apparently taking the throne to restore order but is actually a False Hero, who continues to disrupt the equilibrium through a harsh regime of martial law. The lion’s kingdom is in danger and needs a protector: the kingdom itself is therefore the Princess.
During his exile and journey of self-discovery Simba meets Tricksters (Timon/Pumba) who also act as his Helpers and finds a Mentor (the crazy monkey with a stick) who is also the Quest Giver, insisting that he becomes King. Nala also acts as the Herald as she warns Simba of the danger to the kingdom (and is arguably a secondary Quest Giver), upsetting the sleepy equilibrium in which the Simba has lived. Simba initially rejects this, wanting to continue his more selfish life as an anti-hero but after a vision where he sees his father/himself as a Kingly figure, realises that he must restore order/equilibrium; this starts his growth as a heroic character.
He then has enough strength (mental and physical) to overcome the Antagonist, Scar, save the Princess (the kingdom) and restore everything to order.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how order/equilibrium can and must always be restored, despite disruption and chaos.
Historical criticism – there are plenty of arguments for seeing The Lion King as a political allegory (Scar as a facist leader, the goose-stepping hyena army as nazi soldiers).
The upper class (lions) are determined to maintain power over an unhappy lower class (hyenas). Note how the lower classes are depicted as evil and ugly, reflecting the view of the elite over the proletariat (the workers).
The lower class resents the privileges of better food and hunting grounds that the upper class maintains. This conflict causes a rebellion, which disrupts the normal social order, causing chaos and destruction. The worker-hyenas are used by Scar (an outcast from the Upper Classes) to put him in power. He then proceeds to exploit them until they are forced to choose between labouring as the enforcers of a corrupt regime or escaping to the drudgery of their previous existence.
The rebellion is eventually crushed and the status quo is restored, with yet another dynastic dictatorship put in place as the ruling class.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how the proletariat is constantly exploited and cannot escape.
Narratology:
The Lion King represents the classic hero quest. Simba (Protagonist) suffers from a loss of a Father Figure (killed by the Antagonist, Scar, who disrupts the Equilibrium). Scar frames Simba, apparently taking the throne to restore order but is actually a False Hero, who continues to disrupt the equilibrium through a harsh regime of martial law. The lion’s kingdom is in danger and needs a protector: the kingdom itself is therefore the Princess.
During his exile and journey of self-discovery Simba meets Tricksters (Timon/Pumba) who also act as his Helpers and finds a Mentor (the crazy monkey with a stick) who is also the Quest Giver, insisting that he becomes King. Nala also acts as the Herald as she warns Simba of the danger to the kingdom (and is arguably a secondary Quest Giver), upsetting the sleepy equilibrium in which the Simba has lived. Simba initially rejects this, wanting to continue his more selfish life as an anti-hero but after a vision where he sees his father/himself as a Kingly figure, realises that he must restore order/equilibrium; this starts his growth as a heroic character.
He then has enough strength (mental and physical) to overcome the Antagonist, Scar, save the Princess (the kingdom) and restore everything to order.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how order/equilibrium can and must always be restored, despite disruption and chaos.
Historical criticism – there are plenty of arguments for seeing The Lion King as a political allegory (Scar as a facist leader, the goose-stepping hyena army as nazi soldiers).
Post-Colonial
Note how the obviously ‘native’ characters (pumba, the Meerkat, the crazy monkey) are shown as strange and ‘other’. For instance, they are represented as vulgar, uneducated, ‘homey’ comedy relief or as full of tribal superstition. All of these characters are voiced by actors from non-anglo ethnicities (Hispanic, African-American etc). In contast, the Lions are voiced by classically-trained Shakespearan actors and shown as noble and intelligent. Mufasa is voiced by James Earl Jones, an African-American actor but he is a Shakespearan-trained actor with a vocal range and delivery in keeping with this style).
Note how the obviously ‘native’ characters (pumba, the Meerkat, the crazy monkey) are shown as strange and ‘other’. For instance, they are represented as vulgar, uneducated, ‘homey’ comedy relief or as full of tribal superstition. All of these characters are voiced by actors from non-anglo ethnicities (Hispanic, African-American etc). In contast, the Lions are voiced by classically-trained Shakespearan actors and shown as noble and intelligent. Mufasa is voiced by James Earl Jones, an African-American actor but he is a Shakespearan-trained actor with a vocal range and delivery in keeping with this style).
Post modern – basically a knowing reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in some repects and a reworking of existing and overused literary/cultural stereotypes (the humourous but vacuous ‘ethnic’ characters singing jolly songs, the noble father figure, etc). More importantly, it is a near copy of a Japanese anime film, Kimba, the White Lion.
In this respect it shows how postmodernism acknowledges that everything is merely a construction, an illusion, borrowing heavily from other sources.
The audience is therefore challenged to admit complicity in the lack of originality – they enjoy and accept unoriginal content, showing the lack of creativity in modern culture and society’s devaluing of culture. In short, the audience themselves are responsible for the pillaging and dumbing down of literature and art: we are the true villains and the circle of life represents the never-ending recycling of existing ideas supporting the status quo that we are responsible for. There is no potential for hope or change in a society that repeats itself culturally.
Psychoanalytic:
A classic Freudian case of sibling rivalry—Scar is savagely jealous of his much stronger and better looking older brother (leading to homoerotic jealousy). There is potential scope to explore an Oedipus complex (Scar feels that Mufasa was loved by his mother more and wants to punish him) or other Freudian aspects. Also shows the struggle to overcome feelings of guilt or inadequacy—both of which Simba has after the death of his father, where he is constantly attempting to simultaneously break free from his father’s shadow and emulate him.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how our identities are formed by our parents and we cannot break free from their influence.
A classic Freudian case of sibling rivalry—Scar is savagely jealous of his much stronger and better looking older brother (leading to homoerotic jealousy). There is potential scope to explore an Oedipus complex (Scar feels that Mufasa was loved by his mother more and wants to punish him) or other Freudian aspects. Also shows the struggle to overcome feelings of guilt or inadequacy—both of which Simba has after the death of his father, where he is constantly attempting to simultaneously break free from his father’s shadow and emulate him.
The ‘circle of life’ shows how our identities are formed by our parents and we cannot break free from their influence.