It’s found all over Shakespeare’s works (especially the comedies), and, as mentioned above, it’s also in ancient Greek dramas. A deus ex machina is a situation where a character falls off a cliff and a flying robot appears out of nowhere to catch. If the aforementioned Alliance space headquarters had been previously referenced, even in passing, then the rescue would not qualify as a deus ex machina.įinally, a deus ex machina must fix an unsolvable problem. If there is a chance that common sense or ingenuity could solve the problem, then whatever solution swoops in is not a deus ex machina.ĭeus ex machina tends to be frowned upon in the writing world, but it can be implemented well.

It’s not enough to simply be a plot twist or sudden development the deus ex machina solves a problem.Ī deus ex machina is also sudden. There are a few requirements for a plot development to qualify as a deus ex machina.Ī deus ex machina is a solution. Without can not be used by it self, meaning that it has to be minimum one more condition included (all/at least one,etc) all: 'fish', without: 'bread', will search for verses that contains 'fish' but NOT 'bread'. Dates from ancient Greek times, where deus ex machina (god from the machine) in a play referred to the act of lowering a god on stage using a cable device. singular : a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve. Deus ex machina, which means God in the machine, refers to the improbable addition of a character or plot twist for the sole purpose of resolving a story. an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, esp. The phrase actually has its roots in Greek drama, where a crane would physically lower actors playing the gods onto the stage, usually to sweep up some mess the characters had gotten into. Britannica Dictionary definition of DEUS EX MACHINA. Deus ex machina is another fun Latin term that means “god from the machine,” and it refers to a plot snarl that is suddenly solved by the unexplained intervention of a completely new character or event.

Define deus ex machina