Can someone break this down for me? I’ve read explanations and I’m not grasping it. An example would be great. Cheers y’all
In: 1945
While use of the phrase has a figurative meaning nowadays, it should be noted that its origins are exactly what it says.
Ancient greek theater tragedies had literally a machine/device that carried an actor depicting a god (Zeus for example) at the theatrical stage and then that character (being a god) gave a solution/resolution to the conflict happening in the theatric plot.
So this kind of interference has now a figurative meaning that could be explained as “something unexpectedly giving a solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem” with emphasis on unexpectedly and unsolvable.
So being held hostage at gunpoint and a police sniper killing the hostage taker isn’t deus ex machina as police is trained to deal with situations like this and expected to act accordingly. But being held hostage at gunpoint and a thunder striking and incapacitating the hostage taker is deus ex machina as it was unexpected and non-relevant to the plot until that point.
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