Prince Hal

Prince Hal is the standard term used in literary criticism to refer to Shakespeare's portrayal of the young <a href="/facts/Henry_V_of_England/62A15n6K">Henry V of England</a> as a prince before his accession to the throne, taken from the diminutive form of his name used in the plays almost exclusively by <a href="/facts/Falstaff/hY8L8L7K">Falstaff</a>. Henry is called "Prince Hal" in critical commentary on his character in <a href="/facts/Henry_IV%2c_Part_1/S8who7ml">Henry IV, Part 1</a> and <a href="/facts/Henry_IV%2c_Part_2/mAzzw8Ib">Henry IV, Part 2</a>, though also sometimes in <a href="/facts/Henry_V_(play)/TqEb0NlA">Henry V</a> when discussed in the context of the wider <a href="/facts/Henriad/oov3r5tD">Henriad</a>.
Hal is portrayed as a wayward youth who enjoys the society of petty criminals and wastrels, a depiction which draws on exaggerations of the historical Prince Henry's supposed youthful behaviour. The question of whether Hal's character is cynical or sincere has been widely discussed by critics.

Prince Hal open-in-new

Prince Hal