Deus ex machina is a plot device in which a seemingly unsolvable problem or conflict is resolved suddenly and unexpectedly by the introduction of a new character, event, or object. This resolution is often contrived, improbable, or artificial and does not arise organically from the story. The term originates from ancient Greek theater, where a god would be lowered onto the stage by a machine to resolve the conflicts of the play. Deus ex machina is often considered a flawed or unsatisfactory form of storytelling because it can undermine the coherence and believability of the narrative.
Examples of deus ex machina:
In “The Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, the boys are rescued by a passing naval officer who appears unexpectedly and resolves the conflict.
In “The War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells, the alien invaders are ultimately defeated by a virus that affects them but not humans, providing an unexpected resolution to the conflict.
In “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling, the resolution of the conflict comes through the intervention of a phoenix, which suddenly appears to save the day.
In “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo, Quasimodo saves Esmeralda by unexpectedly appearing at the last minute and killing her captor.
In “The Matrix Revolutions” film, the appearance of the character Deus ex Machina, who resolves the conflict between humans and machines, is a literal example of the literary device.
In “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri, the poet Virgil serves as a deus ex machina who guides Dante through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
In “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien, the resolution of the conflict with the dragon Smaug is aided by the sudden appearance of the character Bard the Bowman.
In “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, the sudden appearance of a long-lost character provides an unexpected resolution to the story.
Deus ex Machina is very cool
Deus ex machina means desperation at the typewriter.
No, it means, literally, God from the Machine
The Owl House Season 2 Finale should be on that examples list, its a very popular show and it actually uses Deus ex machina very well.
personally, I think that lots of authors use Deus ex Machina as an excuse to stop writing a book and solve all of the problems
lots of lazy wrighters just throw in this device so they don’t have to write a proper ending
While your comment may be true with some writers, some other writers use the device well. It is often used as a way to resolve a story that needs a happy ending, but there is none in sight.
One of the examples this definition provides is “The Lord of the Flies,” widely considered one of the best stories of all time.
Ah, now I know the proper term for the innumerable unlikely things that occur in the John Carter books.
What is it called when the happenings inside a book are unbelievable like most of the Martha Grimes book I tried to read? It’s a made up story, yeah it’s fiction, but that book was impossible to not close up and put down because it was so outrageous.
is it coincidence that “the chrysalids” ends this way, and even mentions “deus ex machina”? or is it because of that story that this lit device is called that, or what??????? seriously, its bugging me.
no, its been a thing for a while.