Why "The Lion King" Completes a Classroom's Circle of Life

Ryan Rodrigues 

Disney’s magnificent animated adventure is one of the best films to grace humanity's eyes, yet there has always been a particular glass ceiling that has stopped it from reaching its true potential. This glass ceiling is that of teachers believing that “The Lion King shouldn’t be played in class.” This simple minded thought comes from the half-baked idea that it doesn’t relate to class. This couldn’t be more wrong.

“The Lion King” teaches very essential values that are applicable in all places, especially the classroom. Say you’re in a journalism class, “The Lion King” could help teach students how going somewhere you’re not supposed to could be dangerous for a journalist, because of when Simba and Nala went to the elephant graveyard (which is forbidden) and they got attacked by hyenas.

Another excuse I hear to not watch it is “It’s just an animated ‘Hamlet’.” Now I’m just confused as to why this is a problem, “Hamlet” is a classic that gets watched in school all the time. “The Lion King” is a better version of “Hamlet” because it has more life and soul, also it has talking lions which makes everything better. “The Lion King” is one of the best films to be in theaters but it is now time for it to become one of the best films to be in classrooms.