Before He Becomes a Man: The Adolescence of Shakespeare’s Prince Hal

Advanced Seminar in Child and Adolescent Analysis:

“Before He Becomes a Man: The Adolescence of Shakespeare’s Prince Hal”

Thursday, April 19, 2018

8:00 pm

Presenter: Leon Hoffman, M.D.

This talk discusses Shakespeare’s adolescent Prince Hal, his relationship to his father, his rebellion, including a turn to an anti-social mentor, a substitute father, Falstaff. This study explores Shakespeare’s portrayal of the evolution of the complex father-son relationship. Eventually, Prince Hal gives up his rebellion and takes on his adult role, becoming Henry V. Relevant aspects of adolescence are highlighted, including the transition from an adolescence dominated by a narcissistic object choice to an adulthood in which the ego ideal is the most prominent driving force of his behavior.

Leon Hoffman, MD is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist; Training and Supervising Analyst in adult, child, and adolescent analysis; co-Director, Pacella Research Center at NYPSI (New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute); Faculty, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Chief Psychiatrist, West End Day School in NYC.

He has published the Manual for Regulation-Focused Psychotherapy for Children with Externalizing Behaviors (RFP-C): A Psychodynamic Approach, co-authored with Timothy Rice and with Tracy Prout. A clinical trial using the manual has been underway at Yeshiva University’s School-Clinical Child Psychology Program at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, with Tracy Prout as Principal Investigator.

2 CME/CE credits offered.

Educational Objectives: Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

1. describe contemporary formulations of adolescence as a result of Shakespeare’s depictions of the father-son relationship during adolescence
2. describe contemporary formulations of adolescence as a result of Shakespeare’s depictions of the transition from adolescence to adulthood