AN: Greetings, Lion King and Shakespeare fans!

Since I'm on vacation, due to having lots of free time, I fell into a true writing frenzy, wanting to realize some of my old ideas. One of them is this crazy thought-

You probably know that 'TLK' has been based on Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. That wasn't a bad idea at all and resulted in a smashing movie, but what if 'TLK' wasn't just based on 'Hamlet'? What if someone tried to transform the story in the movie with adding more elements from the tragedy?

So this is exactly what I tried to do here. It's cost me much work and I consider it a kind of magnum opus in writing fanfics. This isn't fully 'Hamlet' with TLK characters, but I've kind of mixed elements of both, adding a lot from my own imagination, still trying to keep it in drama-style.

Personally I'm satisfied with the result, but what is an author's own oppinion? You be the judges of how all these differences turned out in the end.

Anyway, whether you have or have not read 'Hamlet' before, find out if you enjoy my story.


*Disclaimer*

The characters and other parts of the text taken from the 'Lion King' belong to Disney.

The parts of the text taken from 'Hamlet' belong to William Shakespeare.

The rest belongs to moi.


Act I Scene 1

(Pride Rock on a bright, sunny morning, the dark figure of a lion slowly walks out of the cave there, sitting on top of the rocky ledge, admiring the landscape)

Scar (to himself, passionately):

The Pridelands…

A true paradise. I'd always thought so. These fields… these pastures… these herds… All a lion could ever want.

Now they're all mine. Contrary to what I'd been told and directly opposite to what they all had been trying to ensure me of for years… A long-awaited triumph of king Scar, that had come so suddenly. A shock to the whole world. A flawless victory. A sudden change in their carefully devised plans. And a mistake that became their doom.

It almost seems unlikely that everything turned out so perfectly as I had wanted. Oh, the sight of Mufasa's face! I hope he was perfectly sure of why he was dying- of the exact weight of his injustice against me!

Now I can finally rest, can't I? Now I have nothing more to fear. I am the king! The lionesses- my subordinates- will bow down before me just as the hyenas had.

I have captured everything I had ever craved for. I should be fully satisfied with it.

I should be. But yet…

(whispers)

Why am I not satisfied?

(lifts his head and screams towards the sky)

Why am I not satisfied?

What happened to the sweet taste of victory? Why does it turn to bitter ash? Why is it replaced by this cursed pain inside my heart? Why does it prevent me from seizing the happiness I have been trying so hard to obtain- the happiness that I deserve?

When my foe lies cold and dead,

Why is there no comfort

But just pain, instead?

I should have peace of spirit! What I had done was right! I should be able to enjoy what I've won, to feel content for once!

So where is the peace? Why does the voice of my conscience scourge me and burn inside me with white-hot fire? Who gave me this horrible remorse? I didn't permit it to invade my heart, I never would! But it still did enter me unsuspected, like a hidden thief. Like a…

(the wind blows forcefully)

Scar (startled):

What! Is it you?

Brother, can it be true? Have you become a shadow to haunt me- the one who took you your life?

Oh, my offence is so rank it smells to heaven! It has the primal eldest curse upon it- a brother's murder…

No! I must abandon this thought! Silence it somehow, or it will make me lose my mind!

(moves away, Sarabi appears and climbs the ledge from aside)

Sarabi (to herself, sadly):

The Pridelands…

A true paradise. I'd always thought so. These fields… these pastures… these herds… All a lion could ever want.

But not for me anymore…

(lifts her head towards the sky)

Oh Mufasa, my dear, my beloved… Simba, my beautiful son…

With both of you gone, gone is the light

And my every day has turned to night.

Scar (looking at her from above):

Behold, it is the queen! Not my queen, even though I am the king…

Such a shame! What is left now of her former pride? Why has her royal dignity become shattered?

But still, despite her sobbing, a queen is what she is…

Sarabi:

(cries)

Scar (turning away):

No! This isn't something I wanted! Not something I had foreseen!

I cannot listen to her painful wail!

Why are those brown eyes so hollow? So pale?

Sarabi (through tears):

My heart has died when you left me alone!

Scar:

What weight is the price for taking the throne!

Isn't the burden that crushes my conscience enough? Why am I to share her pain as well?

Sarabi:

Mufasa! Simba! Why did you have to die?

Scar (whispering with fear):

Mufasa… Simba… Why did you have to die?

Why does it all seem to be but a lie?

I have thought that killing you would remove the obstacle that stood in my way to power. Now I have the power… so why doesn't it please me? Why does it burn in my paws with every touch?

Why does it hurt so much?

Sarabi:

It hurts so much…

Scar (angrily):

Why does it hurt so much?

Each of her tears screams that I had committed an awful act!

Sarabi:

It hurts too much…

Scar:

Oh, why won't she stop crying?

Sarabi:

If only I could turn back the time.

Scar:

And how I wish I could undo this crime…

No! What am I thinking? I am the ruler of the Pridelands! Why can't I rule what is born in my own heart?

Sarabi (looking up towards the sky):

Please, Mufasa! Give me strength!

Scar:

He can't hear you, he's dead!

Sarabi:

This is still your land and I am still your queen. Please, protect us…

Scar:

No! I am the king! This nonsense is driving me mad…

Sarabi:

And protect your brother, as well.

Scar:

Shut up! Shut up, you unreasonable lioness! Your despair is making you lose your mind!

I've killed your mate. I've killed your son.

They are both dead.

They are both gone!

I have triumphed…

I have won.

They can't stop me anymore.

Sarabi:

Protect him, please…

Scar (looking up towards the sky, angrily):

You can't stop me anymore!

I will take what was once yours. And I will have the happiness you've once had. I've been able to rob you from your life… And I will do the same with your happiness!

Do you hear me?

Sarabi:

I know you can hear me, Mufasa…

Scar:

No! No! He is dead!

What is wrong with my poor head?

What is wrong with my poor heart?

Why's it broken, torn apart?

Oh Sarabi, sister-in-law!

Your tears are like a wound…

A flaw…

Sarabi:

I will keep your righteous law.

I'll endure and lead our pride.

I'll withstand this crushing tide…

But still the memories cause much pain…

Scar:

It's a flaw inside my brain!

Sarabi, once I've loved you… And even though you chose my brother, watching you mourn over him still makes me suffer…

(reaches towards her with his paw, whispers)

How I hate to see you cry…

Sarabi (looking up towards the sky):

Goodbye, my mate.

My son, goodbye.

(she leaves)

Scar (left alone, whispers sadly):

Oh Sarabi... I've carried out my plan, but I had not wondered about what I should do afterwards… But who can predict the future? Maybe someday we will be able to feel happy again? The love you've lost is the one I've never had. Will we be given a chance to heal the scars inside our hearts?

(he leaves as the curtain falls)


AN: In the movie, Scar was almost like an animated version of Stalin or Kaddafi- a merciless tyrant with an amputated conscience. But what if ol' Scar did have a conscience, like king Claudius had in 'Hamlet'? What if he was made to struggle with remorse? Wouldn't that make the story a lot more interesting? This we shall see yet.

So the story's not totally like the tragedy, even though some of the text will be actual quotes. And it's no for-real drama, either- the rhymes are spontaneous and I haven't been paying much attention to the number of syllables in the verses. I'm also not going to attempt copying Elizabethan period English, cause that is just way beyond my language skills. From time to time I'll be using fragments taken directly from the tragedy, but even then I'll try to make them a little more modern.

Do you like it this way? Every smallest review will make me inexpressively happy!

Scene 2 comming soon.