Comment on the use of deux ex machina in Euripedes' Medea. Or, What do you understand by the term deus ex machina ? Is its use justified in Medea ? Refer closely to the text.

Comment on the use of deux ex machina in Euripedes' Medea. 

Or,

What do you understand by the term deus ex machina ? Is its use justified in Medea ? Refer closely to the text.

The term deus ex machine is derived from Latin and means “God in machine”. This term was coined from the Greek tragedies where a machine was used to bring actors who played the Greek Gods to the stage. It was a popular Greek plot device in which an unexpected power, being, or occurrence enters the plot and saves a seemingly hopeless situation. In Greek drama this device often took the form of an actual god swooping in and rescuing the protagonist. Deus ex machina is often criticized as writer’s sudden resort to accidental, insupportable and implausible twists to obtain an ending highlights the inherent deficiencies of the plot. Deus ex machina is often considered to be a sign of an ill-structured plot. It is considered to be undesirable since it is an indication of the writer’s lack of creativity. Euripides' Medea is a frequently cited example of  Deus ex machina  in which the deus ex machina, a dragon-drawn chariot sent by the sun god, is used to convey his granddaughter Medea, who has just committed murder and infanticide, away from her husband Jason to the safety and civilization of Athens.

Euripides' Medea ends with Medea murdering her children to get back at Jason. What shocked the audience at the time was how she did not face any repercussions for her actions. Instead, the gods send her a chariot to fly away from the situation. There has been a lot of discussion about why Euripides ended his play like this. It is my opinion that Euripides lets Medea get off scot-free because the text is an allegory that shows how rebellion can result from oppression. He does this through shocking the audience. 

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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