A hierarchy of competing reals : metatheatre, fictional worlds and representation in Thomas Kyd’s the spanish tragedy

Abstract EN

The paper is concerned with the metatheatrical aspect of Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy.

It argues that the confusion generated by the play is due to its unique ontological structure with its characteristically proliferating fictional worlds.

The paper addresses these issues using modern theories of fictionality, like possible worlds and make-believe theories, as metatheatre incarnates the multiplicity of worlds and as its effect is generated by the success of the make-believe games.

Through this analysis the play is shown to decentralize the concept of the ‘actual’, redefines the concept of mimesis itself, and emphasizes the peculiarity and indispensability of dramatic representation in general.