Deus ex machina is a tool used in stories to solve a difficult problem suddenly. It happens when an unexpected event fixes a problem that seemed impossible to solve. This tool helps end the story, surprise readers, create a happy ending, or add humor. The term comes from Latin, meaning "God from the machine," which refers to a sudden, unexpected solution.

Etymology

"Deus ex machina" is a Latin term that copies a Greek phrase meaning "god from the machine." The term comes from ancient Greek theater, where actors playing gods were brought on stage using a machine. The machine could be a crane (called "mechane") that lowered actors from above or a platform that raised them through a trapdoor. Aeschylus first used this method, and it was often used to end plays and solve conflicts. This technique is mostly linked to Greek tragedies, though it also appeared in comedies.

Aeschylus used this method in his play Eumenides, but it became a common stage tool with Euripides. More than half of Euripides' surviving tragedies use "deus ex machina" in their endings. Some critics believe Euripides, not Aeschylus, invented the device. A well-known example is in Euripides' Medea, where a chariot pulled by dragons, sent by the sun god Helios, appears to rescue Medea from her husband Jason and take her to Athens. In Alcestis, the main character agrees to die to save her husband Admetus. At the end, Heracles appears, takes Alcestis from Death, and brings her back to life.

In Aristophanes' play Thesmophoriazusae, the playwright mocks Euripides' frequent use of the crane by making Euripides a character in the play and bringing him onstage using the same machine.

This device created strong emotions in Greek audiences. People felt amazed and surprised when gods appeared, which often added to the moral message of the play.

Shakespeare used this technique in As You Like It, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, and Cymbeline. John Gay used it in The Beggar's Opera, where a character interrupts the story and changes the ending to save another character from being hanged. During the 17th and 18th centuries, "deus ex machina" was sometimes used to make controversial ideas easier for powerful people to accept. For example, in Molière's Tartuffe, the main characters are saved from a bad situation by an agent of King Louis XIV, the same king who influenced Molière's career.

Plot device

Aristotle, in his work Poetics, was the first to use a Greek word that matches the Latin phrase deus ex machina to describe a technique used in tragedies. This technique involves introducing an unexpected solution to fix the story's plot. It is usually seen as a poor writing choice because it can make the story seem illogical and hard to believe. This happens because the solution is often too strange or sudden, making it difficult for readers to stay engaged in the story.

• In Avengers: Endgame (2019), writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely explained that the time travel plot was created because they faced a problem in the earlier movie. The sudden appearance of Captain Marvel in the film’s climax has been criticized as similar to deus ex machina because her arrival felt too late and relied on her powerful abilities.
• In The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Great Eagles rescuing Frodo and Samwise from Mordor has been criticized as deus ex machina.
• In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a navy officer saves the stranded children at the end of the story. Golding called this a "gimmick," while other critics see it as deus ex machina. The ending shows how dangerous the children’s situation would have been if the officer had not arrived.
• In Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, the story resolves when Rose Maylie is revealed to be Oliver’s long-lost aunt. She marries Harry, allowing Oliver to live with his benefactor, Mr. Brownlow.
• In The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, the Martians seem to have defeated humanity, but they are suddenly killed by bacteria.

In medicine

In medicine, the term "deus ex machina" is sometimes used to describe treatments that are claimed to be powerful solutions but are unlikely to be effective. For example, during the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19, some people suggested using double lung transplants for patients with severe illness. This idea was quickly criticized as a deus ex machina. In 2006, electronic fetal heart monitoring was promoted as a way to prevent brain damage in babies. However, The New England Journal of Medicine called this approach a deus ex machina.

Criticism

The deus ex machina device is often seen as not artistic, too easy, and overly simple. However, some people support the device, saying it can open up new ideas and creative possibilities.

Antiphanes was one of the first people to criticize the device. He believed that using it showed a playwright could not handle the problems in their story well enough.

Another criticism of the device appears in Plato’s dialogue Cratylus, at 425d, though the comment is not directly about drama.

Aristotle criticized the device in his work Poetics, where he said that the ending of a story must come from within the story itself, based on what happened before:

— Poetics (1454a33–1454b9)

Aristotle praised Euripides, though, for ending his plays with sad outcomes, which he believed was correct for tragedy. He also somewhat accepted the use of a god to solve a problem, saying that "astonishment" should be a goal in tragic plays:

Horace mentioned the device in his Ars Poetica (lines 191–2), where he told poets not to use a "god from the machine" to solve their stories unless a problem truly worthy of a god’s help happened:

— Ars Poetica (lines 191–2)

After Aristotle, Renaissance critics continued to see the deus ex machina as a weak tool for storytelling, even though it was still used by playwrights of that time.

At the end of the 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche criticized Euripides for making tragedy seem too happy by using the device. He doubted the "Greek cheerfulness" and believed the device showed a focus on knowledge over music, which he thought led to the end of tragedy:

— Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche said the device creates a false sense of comfort that should not be part of stories. His view about the device has influenced many critics over time.

In Euripides the Rationalist (1895), Arthur Woollgar Verrall wrote about how some critics called the device "burlesque," "coup de théâtre," and "catastrophe." He noted that critics often looked down on writers who used the device, thinking it showed the author was trying to ruin their work and make it less important.

However, other scholars studied Euripides’ use of the device and saw it as a natural part of his stories. Many of Euripides’ plays started with gods, so it made sense for the gods to end them, too. The problems in his plays often came from the gods’ actions, so it was logical for the gods to solve them. Half of Euripides’ 18 surviving plays ended with the device, showing it was not just a way to avoid hard endings. Instead, it helped create endings that felt natural and respectful.

Some supporters of the device say it can be used to challenge common ideas and question the special role of tragedy in storytelling.

Some 20th-century critics said the device should not be seen as simple. They argued it allowed characters to explore their relationship with the divine. Rush Rehm pointed out that in some Greek plays, the device made characters’ lives more complicated and made the audience think more deeply. Sometimes, the unexpected use of the device was intentional, like in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, where a character is saved from a fall by a spaceship, creating a humorous effect.