Have you ever heard of the term 'Deus ex Machina' and wondered, what kind of fancy word is that? For those hearing the word for the first time, or others who have faintly heard it before but are still unsure of its meaning, let's try to break it down here.
Definition of the term
Deus ex Machina is a plot device that deals with how an author deals with an ending of a story. Despite sounding very sophisticated, there is a tad irony in the fact that the application of this device actually emphasizes the simplification to the ending of the story itself. Imagine if you are reading a book and the story is reaching its climax where maybe the protagonist experiences some kinds of dramatic tragedies that look impossible to resolve. Deus ex Machina comes to play when, suddenly, the author introduces a surprising appearance of a character, be it an object or person, that magically resolves the conflict or the seemingly unsolvable situation the protagonist is in.
Some may call it a 'plot twist' and others may call it a 'shortcut to a happy ending'. However, there have been many scrutinies against the use of Deus ex Machina because it is considered as a lazy attempt to end a story. However, we think that as long as the authors utilize it well, it will still contribute well to the story regardless.
Origin of the term
The word itself comes from, like most very sophisticated alien words, a Greek phrase that means 'God from the Machine'. In a stage or a play, machinery would be built to aid actors in the stage with the divine intervention that will untie the knots, unravel the conflicts, and ultimately play the savior role.
Example of Deus ex Machina
There are many applications of such a method in both literature and popular culture. One of my favorite examples is from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the trio (Harry, Hermionie, and Ron) had an expedition to the Slytherin underground chamber which was rumored to house a vicious monster, Basilisk. In the attempt to save Ginny, Ron's sister, Harry who fought the serpent monster, suffered an injury from being bitten by the serpent which was supposed to kill him in an instant. However, when the hope seemed to dissipate slowly, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, came to rescue, healing both wounded Harry and Ginny. Known for its power, the bird also successfully got everyone out of the chamber and all was well again.
From that example, Fawkes or the phoenix is the manifestation of the plot device Deus ex Machina.
Other examples of Deux ex Machina in literature are:
Euripides’s Medea
Aeschylus’s Oresteia
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