Deus ex machina is a Latin theatrical term for introducing a fictional character, often a god or goddess, to save the hero or solve a complicated plot. It was used in Greek and Roman comedies and has expanded to include any character or force of nature. It appears in soap operas and action films and can also be applied to real-life situations. The concept has been criticized as unsophisticated, but its occurrence in real life can seem heroic or miraculous.
The phrase deus ex machina is a Latin theatrical term meaning “god from a machine,” although many sources translate machina as the crane used to lower actors onto the stage. When the Romans conquered Greece, many of the Roman playwrights retained the traditions of Greek theater, including the idea of using this technique as a legitimate plot device. Deus ex machina is the introduction of a fictional character, often a god or goddess, into a play to miraculously save the hero or solve a complicated plot. In many Greek and Roman comedies, a god or goddess who has been watching the trial from afar is suddenly lowered onto the stage by means of a cloud or a chariot drawn by a crane. Even if the character introduction makes little dramatic sense, the playwright could always be assured of an ending.
Over time, this plot device has expanded to include any number of characters suddenly introduced for the sole purpose of solving a complicated plot. Even the forces of nature could be used as a form of deus ex machina. The entire set could be destroyed in a fire or a sudden earthquake, for example. Audiences who watched a Greek or Roman comedy were usually quite willing to suspend disbelief as long as the characters enjoyed themselves. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, as well as other critics, often derided the practice as deceptive and unsophisticated.
In modern times, the plot device appears more often in soap operas or action/adventure films. Often, a complicated plot on a daytime soap opera is resolved by the sudden reappearance of a character who is presumed dead. Other storylines may be resolved as the work of an evil twin or a character who has gone criminally insane. One of the more controversial uses occurred on the television series Dallas. For actor Patrick Duffy to return to the cast, an entire season had to be explained as a nightmare suffered by his character’s wife.
The concept of deus ex machina can also be applied to the corporate or social sphere. Sometimes a hostile takeover is thwarted by the last-minute appearance of a new investor or financier, for example. Travelers stranded on the side of the road can be rescued by the driver of an empty bus. While the use of this type of ending in a play may seem artificial or contrived, their occurrence in real life often seems heroic or miraculous. A god or goddess may not arrive in a chariot in real life, but a tow truck driver or police officer often works just as well.
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