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semiotics/ˌmiːz ɒn əˈbiːm/
Mise en Abyme
Etymology: French heraldry term (placing a miniature shield at the exact center of a larger shield).
Theorist Origin: André Gide (1893) / Lucien Dällenbach (1977)
Definition
A recursive self-embedding wherein an artwork contains a miniature replication of itself, summarizing or commenting upon the overarching macro-structure.
Mathematical or diagrammatic model:
Structure(MacroText) ≅ Structure(MicroText_Embedded)Example from literature
“The Mousetrap play-within-a-play in Hamlet, which mirrors the murder of King Hamlet and triggers Claudius's public confession.”
Related terms
DiegesisMetalepsisStory Genome