Thesis:
All Disney Film with animal characters, both minor and main characters, stereotype the creatures with human traits based upon preexisting characteristics. These stereotypes can be found reflected in common human language.
- The Lion King was written to reflect the story of hamlet, the betrayal of a brother avenged by the son. Illustrating these animals with Shakespeare puts them on especially human terms.
- Herds- the mentalities of grazing animals who move as one, almost mindlessly
Hyenas- disgusting barbaric hunters with little shame
- The stereotypes given to the lions and hyenas have created a rift, even though both are carnivorous predators, hyenas appear to be villainous and cruel.
- Aladdin is often criticized for racist themes. Jafar the villain of this film is the only character out of all of the Arabic people who has an Arabic accent. He maintains this accent when transformed into a snake, a symbol of evil use in common language to display cruelty.
- These characters are depicted using human stereotypes. Abu the mischievous and greedy monkey, Iago the parrot who literally “parrots” Jafar’s ideas, and Rajah a fierce and protective tiger.
- There is an important distinguishment between Abu and Iago, while both are animals Iago is characterized with more human attributes.
- Flounder the cowardly, Sebastian the crabby, the villainous sharks, and Flotsam and Jetsam, bringers or wreckage.
- The separation of Ariel's two halves: both human and fish
- The boundary between the human and mythical world.