"What is Deus Ex Machina?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

What does deus ex machina mean? What are some examples of deus ex machina in literature? The novelist and Senior Lecturer John Larison answers these questions using examples from William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Euripides' Medea, and everyday life. The short video is designed to help high school and college English students to not only identify deus ex machinas in literature and film but also to analyze the plot conventions they break.

This video now contains Spanish as well as English subtitles. To switch between languages, click on the "settings" button in the video.

The video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary topics and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the free SWLF YouTube Channel or visit https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/w...

Timestamps
0:00 Deus Ex Machina Simple Example
1:05 Deus Ex Machina Definition
1:41 Deus Ex Machina Literary Examples
2:08 Deus Ex Machina Problems
3:45 Deus Ex Machina Lord of the Flies

Below are a few more videos in the series. Please drop us a comment letting us know what literary terms you would like us to explore in future videos!

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"What is a graphic narrative? (Part II)":    • "What is a Graphic Novel? (Part II)":...  
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"What is a frame story?":    • "What is a Frame Story?": A Literary ...  
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