Guest guest Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that is used to describe 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 (e.g., having the protagonist wake up and realize it was all a dream, or an angel suddenly appearing to solve all the plot problems of a story that the characters can't or won't resolve on their own). 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 that it challenges suspension of disbelief, allowing the author to conclude the story with an unlikely, though more palatable, ending. In modern terms the deus ex machina has also come to describe a being, object or event that suddenly appears and solves a seemingly insoluble difficulty (e. g. the cavalry arriving). A classic example of this type of deus ex machina is Homer's Odyssey; a more contemporary example is Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. While in storytelling this might seem unfulfilling, in real life this type of figure might be welcome and heroic, due to the low probability of such an event occurring. It sometimes also can mean, usually in an episode of a sitcom, an event or plot device which does not necessarily solve the conflict of the plot, but demotes the character(s) into the financial, emotional, mental, or geographical state they were in when the episode began, restoring the series' status quo in order to more easily allow another situation in the next episode. However, this usage, which is somewhat different from classical deus ex machina, is more commonly called the " reset button technique " . The notion of deus ex machina can also be applied to a revelation within a story experienced by a character which involves the individual realizing that the complicated, sometimes perilous or mundane and perhaps seemingly unrelated sequence of events leading up to this point in the story are joined together by some profound concept. Thus the unexpected and timely intervention is aimed at the meaning of the story rather than a physical event in the plot. This may more accurately be described as a plot twist. The Greek tragedian Euripides is notorious for using this plot device. The first person known to have criticized the device was Aristotle in his Poetics, where he argues that a good tragedy must remain plausible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords wrote: > > Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that is used to describe 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 (e.g., having the protagonist wake up and > realize it was all a dream, or an angel suddenly appearing to solve > all the plot problems of a story that the characters can't or won't > resolve on their own). 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 that it challenges suspension of > disbelief, allowing the author to conclude the story with an unlikely, > though more palatable, ending. In modern terms the deus ex machina has > also come to describe a being, object or event that suddenly appears > and solves a seemingly insoluble difficulty (e. g. the cavalry > arriving). A classic example of this type of deus ex machina is > Homer's Odyssey; a more contemporary example is Michael Crichton's The > Andromeda Strain. While in storytelling this might seem unfulfilling, > in real life this type of figure might be welcome and heroic, due to > the low probability of such an event occurring. > > It sometimes also can mean, usually in an episode of a sitcom, an > event or plot device which does not necessarily solve the conflict of > the plot, but demotes the character(s) into the financial, emotional, > mental, or geographical state they were in when the episode began, > restoring the series' status quo in order to more easily allow another > situation in the next episode. However, this usage, which is somewhat > different from classical deus ex machina, is more commonly called the > " reset button technique " . > > The notion of deus ex machina can also be applied to a revelation > within a story experienced by a character which involves the > individual realizing that the complicated, sometimes perilous or > mundane and perhaps seemingly unrelated sequence of events leading up > to this point in the story are joined together by some profound > concept. Thus the unexpected and timely intervention is aimed at the > meaning of the story rather than a physical event in the plot. This > may more accurately be described as a plot twist. > > The Greek tragedian Euripides is notorious for using this plot device. > The first person known to have criticized the device was Aristotle in > his Poetics, where he argues that a good tragedy must remain plausible. > that's unbelievable.that's a tragedy! as unremainingly inplausible as it seems. Ari always was sort of a party pooper. maybe he'll be different whenever he gets rebooted into windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Nisargadatta , " roberibus111 " <Roberibus111 wrote: > > Nisargadatta , " skywhilds " <skywords@> wrote: > > > > Deus ex machina is a Latin phrase that is used to describe 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 (e.g., having the protagonist wake up and > > realize it was all a dream, or an angel suddenly appearing to solve > > all the plot problems of a story that the characters can't or won't > > resolve on their own). 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 that it challenges suspension of > > disbelief, allowing the author to conclude the story with an unlikely, > > though more palatable, ending. In modern terms the deus ex machina has > > also come to describe a being, object or event that suddenly appears > > and solves a seemingly insoluble difficulty (e. g. the cavalry > > arriving). A classic example of this type of deus ex machina is > > Homer's Odyssey; a more contemporary example is Michael Crichton's The > > Andromeda Strain. While in storytelling this might seem unfulfilling, > > in real life this type of figure might be welcome and heroic, due to > > the low probability of such an event occurring. > > > > It sometimes also can mean, usually in an episode of a sitcom, an > > event or plot device which does not necessarily solve the conflict of > > the plot, but demotes the character(s) into the financial, emotional, > > mental, or geographical state they were in when the episode began, > > restoring the series' status quo in order to more easily allow another > > situation in the next episode. However, this usage, which is somewhat > > different from classical deus ex machina, is more commonly called the > > " reset button technique " . > > > > The notion of deus ex machina can also be applied to a revelation > > within a story experienced by a character which involves the > > individual realizing that the complicated, sometimes perilous or > > mundane and perhaps seemingly unrelated sequence of events leading up > > to this point in the story are joined together by some profound > > concept. Thus the unexpected and timely intervention is aimed at the > > meaning of the story rather than a physical event in the plot. This > > may more accurately be described as a plot twist. > > > > The Greek tragedian Euripides is notorious for using this plot device. > > The first person known to have criticized the device was Aristotle in > > his Poetics, where he argues that a good tragedy must remain plausible. > that's unbelievable.that's a tragedy! as unremainingly inplausible as > it seems. Ari always was sort of a party pooper. maybe he'll be > different whenever he gets rebooted into windows. > or another way of seeing 'it', is that there is no such thing as a tragedy. no such thing as a " plausible " tragedy anyway. I think I'm beginning to appreciate old Ali's humor better. he's saying that a 'good' tragedy must be plausible, which of course it cannot be; therefore, a good tragedy should be that which it is not, thereby becoming that what it is. which is pure deus ex machina...but of course he didn't know the right term because he didn't speak Latin..not even in the Romantic sense. you see, he was a Greek guy. which reminds me of a story.... .b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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