Who is the deus ex machina in A Midsummer Night’s Dream? How/Why?

de⋅us ex ma⋅chi⋅na
Pronunciation [dey-uhs eks mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uhs eks mak-uh-nuh]
–noun
1. (in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot.
2. any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.

Oberon, more than Puck, is the deus ex machina. Although Puck uses the drops to work one piece of mischief, Oberson sends him on that errand to try to work things out for Helena. He has seen her doggedly pursuing Demetrius and wants Puck to use the drops to make Demetrius return her love. What he doesn’t even know is that, if Demetrius loves Helena, he will no longer want to marry Hermia, and things will work out for her and Lysander–and all of this IS what eventually happens.

One could also argue that Theseus is something of a deus ex machina himself. After hearing the complaint of Herma’s father and telling her her alternatives, he then summons her father and Demetrius into another room–ostensibly to ask their advice about his upcoming wedding, but one can easily imagine him winking at Hermia and Lysander over his shoulder as he leaves the two of them alone together. If they don’t take advantage of the opportunity to make plans to run away, it’s not his fault. Little wonder that in performances of MSND, Theseus and Oberon are often played by the same actor!

Play Reading: Sophocles’ Philoctetes

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