LAUSR

The study examines the ironic and critical function that the “meta” reflection plays in dramatic and narrative works. In particular, a comparison is made between the metatheatrical strategies used in Golden Age comedies and the metaliterary discourse proposed by Cervantes in Don Quixote . These self-reflexive elements form part of a ludic structure of detachment and complicity that creates a dynamic and interactive relationship among author, characters and receiver. The main vehicle of this communication is the meta-character, which is projected outside the conventional confines of the work to dialogue with the spectator or the reader and to question the author’s control.