Aristotle pioneered the term “Deus ex Machina” as a way to describe the technique as a device to resolve the plot of tragedies (Chondros et al). Although many critics referred to it as in artistic‚ convenient‚ and overly simplistic (Breton)‚ Antiphanes in particular believed any playwright who used the term was unable to properly manage the complications of his plot. “Deus ex Machina” is a common form of Writer Cop Out; it is an outside force that solves a seemingly unsolvable problem in a very unlikely
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The use of deus ex machina at the end of Sophocles’ ‘Philoctetes’ serves as a final anchor point to tie together the events which unfolded prior. Heracle’s intervention allows us to reflect on the nature of events in the play and the themes of the play. Finally it gives us insight into divine influence and the role of fate. Throughout the play‚ the characters have conflicting objectives‚ ideals‚ etc. Neoptolemus struggles with an internal conflict between doing what he thinks is right‚ and what
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I know many people won’t like this review‚ so I prepare myself at the outset for a barrage of unhelpful votes. I am not planning any major spoilers‚ but be warned: this review is mainly meant for the consumption of people who’ve read the book. After all‚ how many people out there are really planning to base their decision to read this on the opinion of a few internet reviewers? This book provides pretty much everything we’ve been promised from the outset: an ending‚ and a satisfying one at that
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The government in Fables and Ex Machina: True Democracies or Not? In this essay I am going to be putting the governments of both Fables and Ex Machina side by side and analyzing whether they are democracies or something different. At first sight we can see the way Fabletown is
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The future is frightening according to the book The Circle‚ by Dave Eggers‚ and the movie Ex Machina‚ directed by Alex Garland. The Circle is about a woman‚ Mae Holland‚ who starts working The Circle. The Circle is a powerful tech company that creates an all-in-one password solution and transforms the Internet by pushing users to embrace their real names online. Mae quickly rises her way to the top by going transparent and having an inexpensive‚ high-quality camera around her neck that streams HD
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Alex Garland’s critically acclaimed film‚ Ex Machina‚ has received national attention as a tech-based creation story. The film is abound with biblical references and imagery‚ along with strong parallels to Ovid’s tale of Pygmalion in his Metamorphoses. In the film‚ Nathan Bateman‚ the pseudo-genius founder and CEO of Blue Book‚ a massive tech company complete with a Google-esque search engine‚ has been working on advanced A.I. The film begins with Caleb Smith‚ an unassuming programmer employed by
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information. However‚ the truth is that even though movies are a source of entertainment‚ they can also teach their viewers important lessons. For example‚ the movie Selma teaches its audience about the American civil rights movement. The movie Ex Machina teaches audiences about the dangers of artificial intelligence. In the same way as these films‚ the 2009 Star Trek movie is able to teach audiences about science and space.
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Ex Machina is one of‚ if not‚ the most revolutionary Sci-Fi movie of this generation. Directed by Alex Garland‚ the film tackles an increasingly controversial and ethical issue about modern humanity’s dependence on technology; the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson)‚ a young programmer at fictional Google-esque company‚ Bluebook‚ wins a competition to spend a week with the company’s reclusive CEO‚ Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Upon arrival‚ Caleb discovers he is to be the
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Throughout the film‚ Ex Machina‚ director Alex Garland provides the main characters with biblical names symbolic to their personality and uses parallels between events seen within the Bible such as the Garden of Eden and the temptation of the apple. Nathan‚ an intelligent CEO who has removed himself from the world‚ selects Caleb‚ a programmer at Nathan’s company‚ for a random trip to Nathan’s private compound. Unknowingly to Caleb‚ his task is to test the consciousness and abilities of Nathan’s creation
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The film‚ Ex Machina‚ brings up the different views one can have on technology and humanity. Ava is the subject being tested by Caleb to see if she can possibly have a consciousness of her own. As a machine‚ she is highly intelligent but it is uncertain whether she has her own will or if she’s only acting the way she was programmed to. By the end of the film‚ it can be seen that Ava clearly takes initiative‚ using her abilities as a female‚ to get Kyoko on her side‚ kill Nathan and then leave Caleb
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