The_Character_Analysis_of_Simba

“Life's greatest adventure is finding your place in the Circle of Life.” The Disney film: The lion King tells the story of an epic journey of a young lion named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king. Simba is the son of Mufasa and the next heir to the throne, the future king of Pride land. In the beginning of the movie, when Simba was young, he had a very high curiosity drive. From the first time that his father showed him the kingdom, he wondered about "the shadowy place" just outside of the kingdom's boundaries. And that is how Simba's curiosity worked against him. Simba felt that he never got to go anywhere or do anything. Simba wanted, so much, to be like his father, and he felt like he had gotten the chance to "play king" when his Uncle Scar told him that there was an elephant graveyard just beyond the boundaries of the Pride Lands, Simba just had to go check it out. Consequently, he put not only himself in danger, but also Nala and Zazu. As a carefree cub, he "just can't wait to be king," and spends his days frolicking with his pal, Nala. His father, King Mufasa, teaches him about the "circle of life" -- the delicate balance of nature which bonds all animals together -- and cautions him to prepare for the day when he will be called upon to lead. However, Mufasa’s evil brother, Scar, is jealous of Simba and plots to kill Simba and Mufasa, making him the throne he longed for. He and his hyena henchmen lured Simba into the path of a wildebeest stampede in which Mufasa is killed trying to save his son. Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible for his father's death and urges him to run far away from the Pride Lands and never return. A frightened and guilt-ridden Simba flees into exile where he is befriended by a wacky but warm-hearted warthog named Pumbaa and his free-wheeling meerkat companion, Timon. Under the dubious guidance of this nature's odd couple, Simba adopts their "Hakuna Matata" (no worries) attitude towards life, living on a diet of bugs and taking things one day at a time. The cub matures into a young adult and is able to put his past behind him until a beautiful young lioness, who turns out to be his childhood friend Nala, arrives on the scene… She tells him of the hard times and suffering that has come to the Pride Lands under Scar's reign and beseeches him to take his place as king. Simba refuses to as he did not want to confront his upsetting past. Simba was confused and ambivalent of whether he should go back or not. This is where the famous quote from ‘Hamlet’ came in: “TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT’S A QUESTION…” Just when Simba could not decide for himself and struggles between the edges of facing his past or running away from it…Rafiki comes along and persuades Simba; the following is a dialogue of their conversation: Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back will mean facing my past. I've been running from it for so long. [Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick] Simba: Oww! Jeez, what was that for' Rafiki: It doesn't matter. It's in the past. Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts. Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it. Therefore with the help of Rafiki, Simba realizes that running away from the past is not the answer and you cannot change the past. But you can learn from what have happened and prevent it from happening again. He eventually realizes he must accept the responsibility of his destined role. In a climactic battle with his uncle and an army of hyenas, Simba attempts to reclaim his rightful place in the "circle of life." From the beginning to the ending of this movie, the character of Simba changed and matured through life time experiences and learning to realize who he is.