Understanding Terminology That Describes Fiction - CLEP Humanities

Card 1 of 8

0
Didn't Know
Knew It
0
1 of 87 left
Question

A miraculous or unexpected intervention that quickly resolves a seemingly impossible plotline is called a                     .

Tap to reveal answer

Answer

"Deus ex machina," Latin for the god from the machine, is an ancient theater term that described a play's conclusion that found actual gods intervening from contraptions to quickly resolve a plot. The term is used more widely in literature and film in modern parlance to refer to a contrived ending to a plot that relies heavily on a miraculous or contrived intervention by some other figure than the main characters.

← Didn't Know|Knew It →