DEUS+EX+MACHINA

=A //**deus ex machina**// (literally "god from the machine") is a [|plot device] in which a surprising or unexpected event occurs in a story's plot, often to resolve flaws or tie up loose ends in the narrative.=

Example: from soap opera //Dallas//, Bobby Ewing [|dies] at the end of season 8... and [|returns] at the end of season 9.

This reliance on 'the Gods' (in more modern texts, simple coincidence often takes the place of the Gods themselves) is generally seen as a rather lazy way to resolve narratives, unless it is being done for ironic or self-reflexive reasons (and even that doesn't automatically mean it is a good idea...)

Does it apply in **//Oedipus Rex//**? How about **//The Importance of Being Earnest//**?

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