Deus ex machina flashcard sets

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deus ex machina definitions
# Definition Sets
1any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot16 sets
2in literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.12 sets
3"an unrealistic or unexpected intervention to rescue the protagonists or resolve the conflict. the term means ""the god out of the machine"" and refers to stage machinery."10 sets
4an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, esp. as a contrived plot device in a play, novel, or short story8 sets
5an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.8 sets
6in literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem6 sets
7god from machine5 sets
8any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve and insoluble difficulty4 sets
9divine intervention4 sets
10god from the machine4 sets
11a god from a machine.3 sets
12a god who resolves the entanglements of a play by supernatural intervention.3 sets
13god from a machine3 sets
14in literature, the use of an artifical device or gimmick to solve a problem3 sets
15god introduced by means of a crane2 sets
16any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.2 sets
17a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot2 sets
18"god out of the machine" – unlikely contrived solution to resolve the plot or conflict.2 sets
19god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot2 sets
20an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot2 sets
21"god from the machine" - conflicts quickly resolved at end of last act, often by sudden introduction of a power who solves all2 sets
22lame or contrived ending2 sets
23any artificial or contrived device used at the end of a plot to resolve or untangle the complications2 sets
24improbable device used to resolve a plot2 sets
25a mechanical device that lowered and raised actors on and off stage but which now means any improbable or easy means of ending a story.2 sets
26= "god from the machine." in modern drama and fiction, any forced or artificial device introduced by the author to solve some difficult problem with the resolution of a plot. for example, a last-minute reprieve saves the hero from wrongful execution. considered a weakness in serious drama, it is a common element in melodrama.2 sets
27god out of machine2 sets
28a god from a machine2 sets
29as in greek theater, uses of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situation, usually introduced suddenly and unexpectedly.2 sets
30god of the machine2 sets
31as in greek theater, the employment of any artificial device or gimmick that the author uses to solve a difficult situation2 sets
32a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot.2 sets
33something coming in fast at the last minute to save the day2 sets
34god as machine2 sets
35overly simplistic ending to a drama, god from the machine making everything better2 sets
36a god from the machine2 sets
37"god from machine" (saves the day)2 sets
38a god from the machine (miracle)2 sets
39literally "god from the machine"; in greek/roman drama the god lowered to the stage by machinery to resolve the conflict and extricate the protagonist from difficult situations2 sets
40any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an insoluble difficulty2 sets