The Lion King Theme of Manipulation

This section might as well be titled "All About Scar" because he's the king of manipulation. Every single negative event that occurs in this film occurs because of Scar's callous manipulations of his friends and family members.

In The Lion King, to gain power in such a manipulative, disrespectful way is anathema—a disgrace. Namely: if you've got to go around manipulating people to get powerful, then you probably don't deserve that power anyway. Scar definitely doesn't deserve his power.

Questions about Manipulation

  1. How does Scar manipulate other characters in The Lion King?
  2. What happens as a result of Scar's manipulations?
  3. Do Scar's manipulations actually work? Why or why not?

Chew on This

Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?

Although Scar manages to become king as a result of his manipulations, his reign is ill-won and doesn't last for long.

In The Lion King, manipulation and deceit typically lead to death.