What does "deus ex machina" mean?

Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that refers to an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. The phrase has been extended to refer to any resolution to a story which does not pay due regard to the story's internal logic and is so unlikely it challenges suspension of disbelief; allowing the author to conclude the story with an unlikely, but more palatable ending. In modern terms the Deus ex machina has also come to describe a person or thing that suddenly arrives and solves a seemingly insoluble difficulty. While in storytelling this might seem unfulfilling, in real life this type of figure might be welcome and heroic.



for example:

In Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Just as Darth Vader is about to deliver a fatal blow on Luke Skywalker's X-Wing, Han Solo and Chewbacca fly the Millenium Falcon in, shooting and destroying one of Vader's wingmen. Panicked, the second wingman attempts to take evasive action, but his fighter hits Vader's and sends it flying out of control into deep space, while the wingman's own fighter crashes into the Death Star. Luke, hearing Obi-Wan's voice, turns off his targeting computer of the Rebel fighter, and successfully launches torpedoes down the shaft, destroying the Death Star and scoring a huge victory for the Rebellion against the Empire.What does "deus ex machina" mean?
noWhat does "deus ex machina" mean?
Machine of God or Hand of God.

It is a term used to describe a common occurance in Greek plays. The protagonist would end up in a situation that was impossible to get out of. Then, the gods would step in a save the protagonist.

It is a term used in literature and even tv and movie critiques today to describe when the author of a book or show has but their characters into an impossible situation and then uses something fantastical to get them out.What does "deus ex machina" mean?
deus ex machina

someone or something which comes to the rescue at the last moment (especially in a book or play)







deus ex machina

an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a narrative device in a play or novel.
In some ancient Greek drama, an apparently insoluble crisis was solved by the intervention of a god, often brought on stage by an elaborate piece of equipment. This "god from the machine" was literally a deus ex machina.



Few modern works feature deities suspended by wires from the ceiling, but the term deus ex machina is still used for cases where an author uses some improbable (and often clumsy) plot device to work his or her way out of a difficult situation. When the cavalry comes charging over the hill or when the impoverished hero is relieved by an unexpected inheritance, it's often called a deus ex machina.