Understanding Deus Ex Machina: Definition and Examples in Literature

In literary terms, deus ex machina is a plot device used when a seemingly unsolvable conflict or impossible problem is solved by the sudden appearance of an unexpected person, object, or event. Deus ex machina does not have to refer to a literal machine—it can be the emergence of a new character, a surprising use of magic, or even the realization that “it was all just a dream.”

Deus ex machina is a Latin term literally translated from a Greek phrase meaning “god from the machine.” The term originated in ancient Greek theater as a reference to the stage machinery that would bring statues of deities or actors playing gods to and from the stage. The machine could be a crane to lift the actor or statue, or a mechanism letting it rise through a trapdoor in the floor. This machine would allow the “gods” to appear and provide divine intervention at the end of a play in order to provide a neat solution or happy ending.

Deus ex machina refers to when a previously unforeseen event, ability, or object outside the story suddenly appears to save the day. According to some critics, in order for it to be a true deus ex machina, the new element cannot have been foreshadowed or predicted in any way. Some view the use of the deus ex machina device as a way to introduce a simple solution into a hopeless situation—a lazy author wrote themselves into a corner and has taken the easy way out in order to produce a happy ending. However, deus ex machina can also provide a means of comic relief—a solution so bizarre and ridiculous it becomes funny.

It is important to note that deus ex machina is often considered a contrived solution, and is not the same as a plot twist. A plot twist is a turn of events that offers opportunities for growth and development for your characters. When a plot twist appears near the midway point of a narrative, it grips your audience’s attention and inspires the careful study of all the details that will follow. When a plot twist appears at the end of the film or in the final pages of a novel, it tends to form the lasting memories that an audience associates with your narrative.

An interesting narrative needs real story twists that are fueled by plot progression and character motivations—and deus ex machina rarely, if ever, provides a satisfying enough payoff for readers who have become invested in your world and the trajectory of its inhabitants.

There are many examples of deus ex machina as a literary device used in Greek plays, as well as some (albeit disputed) contemporary examples:

1. 1. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It (1603): Hymen, the god of marriage, appears during the final act to “fix” the romantic entanglements of the main characters.
2. 2. Euripides’s Medea (431 BCE): Euripides’s use of deus ex machina in this Greek drama shows flawed protagonist Medea commit atrocious crimes throughout the narrative, only to completely escape punishment when she is saved by a chariot sent by her grandfather and god of the sun, Helios.
3. 3. Aeschylus’s Oresteia (458 BCE): The protagonist is saved at the last minute from an honor killing by the god Apollo, who has decided that only evidence and reason will be used to serve justice from now on—not killing.
4. 4. Batman: Batman’s utility belt often contains some unexpected but very convenient life-saving device he’s able to employ right in the nick of time. While many expect Batman to come equipped with tools like this, their sometimes convenient specificity qualifies as deus ex machina.
5. 5. H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds (1898): Some critics consider the ending of Wells’ story—where the unstoppable alien onslaught ends due to a biological oversight—to be an example of deus ex machina.

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