A-Z: General definitions: Deus ex machina

Definition

A literary device whereby the plot is suddenly moved forward out of an apparently insolvable situation. In Greek drama, divine characters arrived on stage via a crane or from a scaffold and often intervened in the action outside of the play's internal logic. Authors are generally criticised for resorting to a 'deus ex machina' solution to their plots.

Translation

Latin: god from the machine
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