Why The Northman Has The Same Plot As The Lion King

With “The Lion King” being for children, a lot of the more ferocious aspects of the stories were understandably sugarcoated for younger audiences. Eggers has spoken at length about how he intentionally made “The Northman” as a way to bring back the savage nature of the Vikings. When people think of Vikings, he explained, “they think cartoon guys with horn helmets or certain TV shows where Vikings dress like science-fiction rock stars,” he said. “This is something very different.”

The film also folds in story elements from “Hamlet,” the best-known retelling of Amleth’s story. In one of the most prominent examples of this, Willem Dafoe’s Heimir the Fool becomes an echo of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic dead guys: poor, poor Yorick. Heimir is beheaded when Fjölnir purges his new kingdom of Aurvandil’s allies, but he “returns” later when the He-Witch reveals that he has kept Heimir’s severed head and “restored” the eyes and tongue that Fjölnir ripped out. It’s gross, it’s awesome, and it’s creepy as hell. 

Though “save mother” is initially an important part of Amleth’s mantra, that changes after Queen Gudrún gleefully confesses that she begged Fjölnir to murder her first husband, and willingly became Fjölnir’s queen afterwards. Amleth eventually kills his mother and half-brother, Gunnar, in a moment that echoes the deaths of Gertrude and Laertes in the final scene of “Hamlet.” In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet isn’t responsible for these deaths; Laertes dies by his own poison-tipped sword, and Gertrude drinks a poisoned cup intended for her son. Though his role is more direct, Amleth kills both Gudrún and Gunnar in self-defense and greatly regrets it, mourning their deaths and forgiving his mother for her actions before he and his uncle battle to their own mutual deaths.

Obviously comparing a high-concept, R-rated film like “The Northman” to a family friendly animated musical is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but it’s a testament to the tale of Amleth/Hamlet/Simba as one of the quintessential examples of “the hero’s journey.” The story is easy to digest and comprehend, and can appeal to a variety of ages — regardless of whether or not we’re dealing with Norse Vikings or adorable creatures on the plains of Africa. Themes of revenge, corruption, spirituality, politics, perception vs. reality, and the influence of love and pain have been present for over eight centuries, and if the positive reviews of “The Northman” are any indicator, these are themes that will continue to resonate for many more years to come.