A Cultivated Metaverse: The Tirsification of Lope’s Garden Variety Pastoral in La fingida Arcadia (1622)

Abstract: The garden serves as a leitmotiv in Tirso de Molina’s drama. In La fingida Arcadia , the playwright exploits the liminality and hybridity of garden spaces, as imagined during the Renaissance and Baroque, to cultivate his trademark metatheatricality in a parodic adaptation of Lope de Vega’s pastoral novel, La Arcadia . This essay analyzes how Tirso’s dramatic conception of garden spaces creates metatheatrical effects, examining both the technical elements of staging and the cultural resonance for audiences at its 1622 premiere. Through this analysis, one finds commentary on shifting power dynamics at King Philip IV’s court during the early years of his reign. Additionally, new insights emerge regarding the much-debated relationship between Tirso and Lope de Vega.