The Crown Prince in Shakespearean Drama: Mythopoetic Transformation and Political Legitimacy in Hamletand Henry V

The image of the crown prince occupies a central position in the dramaturgy of William Shakespeare, where succession becomes not merely a political issue but a philosophical and mythopoetic problem. This article examines the representation of princely transformation and political legitimacy in Hamlet and Henry V through the frameworks of archetypal criticism, mythopoetics, and political symbolism. Drawing upon the theories of Carl Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Renaissance political thought, the study argues that Shakespeare transforms the traditional crown prince archetype into a psychologically complex and historically conscious figure. The article demonstrates that Hamlet and Prince Hal represent two contrasting paradigms of princely evolution: existential paralysis and political transformation. While Hamlet embodies metaphysical fragmentation and crisis of legitimacy, Prince Hal undergoes ritualized symbolic transformation culminating in the idealized sovereignty of Henry V. Through comparative analysis, the research establishes that Shakespeare preserves the mythopoetic structure of initiation and succession while simultaneously redefining kingship within the political and philosophical tensions of the Renaissance period. The study concludes that Shakespearean princely figures function as symbolic mediators between medieval sacred kingship and emerging modern political consciousness.

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