Leo Rex: Epic

The lion King is an excellent story due in part to its having a clear beginning (birth of Simba) Middle (Simba's time with Timone and Pumba), and end (coming full circle with the birth of Simba's child). It also has fine characters, excellent music, and an intense storyline. Beyond this, I wish to argue, that it is not only an excellent story, but also an epic.

"Epic", in the traditional sense, has certain key characteristics, among which are:

• An Invocation of the Muse
• in media res
• lacrimae rerum
• A concern with the fate of a nation or people
• A visit to the underworld

(What I know of epics I attribute to Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian.)

To the first, the entire opening sequence is a song dedicated to "The Circle of Life" which is an invocation of the muse of nature. This is to be a natural story; a story of the perception of cycles in nature. The song deals with the cosmos and heavenly bodies of the sun and earth. It speaks of the beginnings which we do not see and of the destinies of all creatures. "It's the Circle of Life, and it rules us all... til' we find our way on the path unwinding." So does the story start. Sing then, muse, of Simba, the creature on this path; of his tragedies and of his joys and of how he traveled to the houses of death to find the path to life.


"In media res" is a Latin phrase translated: "in the middle of things". This refers to the way epics start as something is happening. The Iliad, for instance, starts with how Agamemnon, during the siege of Troy, angers a god by stealing the daughter of a priest. This one small event leads to a cascade of other events, ending with the burial of Hector of Troy.

In The Lion King, the birth of Simba intercepts the kingship from passing to his nasty uncle Scar. It is for this reason that Scar refuses to attend the presentation of Simba. This small event leads to the quarrel of the brothers and all the tragedy and eventual glory that follows. Stay tuned for the continuing exposition.