x_los | See, but Scar kind of reminds me of Ainley!Master anyway...

...and Claudius was played by Derek Jacobi once, so really, it's The Circle of Life at work here...

In the song "Be Prepared" in the Lion King, Scar tells his hyena henchmen that 'my words are a matter of pride.' We're all down with Lion King being an adaptation of Hamlet, right? Like, I don't have to sell anyone on that?* The ego-pride/lion-pride pun here mirrors Hamlet's bawdy line to Ophelia, 'did you think I meant country matters?' It's actually BRILLIANT. The similarity for me hinged on the double meaning consisting of personally satisfying/political, and the word 'matters,' despite the different in speakers: Scar/Claudius in one, Simba/Hamlet in the other.

Also, if you haven't seen it, Lion King 1 1/2 is [1] cuteness and [2] totally Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are ~~Dead~~ A Meerkat and A Warthog. No seriously, Stoppard should sue. Or LOL. OR BOTH AT ONCE.

Also Kronk's New Groove is surprisingly funny, in an odd vignette-y way.

I kind of want Kelley to be 'round so we can watch Enchanted, which I've never seen.

...and I think it's the Scar-Cheetah!Master connection, the somewhat reminiscent of each other hair (inc. a beard...on a lion. And I SWEAR Scar is like, rubbing up against a tree that's exuding sap or something b/c that mane? Is gelled.), the cackling, the weird cat-like leering and the domination plots that makes me see it, tbh.

*EDIT* Also it's the Ainley-levels of pure camp in Scar's delivery of "sensational news!"

*Edit x2* Something to quote in case of Sycorax invasion (btw, the whole awkwardly translating "Sycorax rocks. In the modern sense, 'they rock.' " line is amazing and I love it to death.). Also: Is Rafiki in some ways Yorick? Though fulfilling more of a wise fool role like Feste in Twelfth Night, going beyond simply being 'a fellow of infinite jest'? Even as Zazu is obviously Polonious? I think Nala may be a fusion Ophelia and Horatio.

This is probably Too Much Thought About The Lion King.