Aplot device orplot mechanism[1]is anytechnique in anarrative used to move theplot forward.[2]
Aclichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing a loss of thesuspension of disbelief. However, a well-crafted plot device, or one that emerges naturally from the setting or characters of the story, may be entirely accepted, or may even be unnoticed by the audience.[citation needed]
Many stories, especially in the fantasy genre, feature an object or objects with some great magical power, such as a crown, sword, or jewel. Often what drives the plot is the hero's need to find the object and use it for good, before the villain can use it for evil, or if the object has been broken by the villains, to retrieve each piece that must be gathered from each antagonist to restore it, or, if the object itself is evil, to destroy it. In some cases destroying the object will lead to the destruction of the villain.
In theIndiana Jones film series, each film portrays Jones on the hunt for a mystical artifact. InRaiders of the Lost Ark, he is trying to retrieve theArk of the Covenant; inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jones is on a search for theHoly Grail. This plot device is also used in theArabian Nights tale of "The City of Brass," in which a group of travelers on anarchaeological expedition journeys across theSahara to find a brass vessel thatSolomon once used to trap ajinn.[3][4]
Several books in theHarry Potter series orient around a search for a special object. InHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry believes there is a magical stone inHogwarts with special powers.Lord Voldemort needs this stone to bring back his body, and Harry looks for the stone first to prevent Voldemort's return.
TheOne Ring fromJ. R. R. Tolkien's novel,The Lord of the Rings has been labeled a plot device, since the quest to destroy it drives the entire plot of the novel. However, British Classical scholarNick Lowe said: "Tolkien, on the whole, gets away with the trick by minimizing the arbitrariness of the ring's plot-power and putting more stress than his imitators on the way the ring's power moulds the character of its wielder and vice-versa."[5]
The termdeus ex machina is used to refer to a narrative ending in which an improbable event is used to resolve all problematic situations and bring the story to a (generally happy) conclusion.[6]
The Latin phrase "deus ex machina" has its origins in the conventions ofGreek tragedy, and refers to situations in which amechane (crane) was used to lower actors playing agod or gods onto the stage at the end of a play.
The GreektragedianEuripides is notorious for using this plot device as a means to resolve a hopeless situation. For example, in Euripides' playAlcestis, theeponymous heroine agrees to give up her own life to Death in exchange for sparing the life of her husband, Admetus. In doing so, however, Admetus grows to regret his choice, realizing that the grief of her death would never leave him. Admetus is seized by guilt and sadness, wishing to keep her or die alongside her, but held by his obligations to raise their children. In the end, though,Heracles shows up and seizes Alcestis from Death, restoring her to life and freeing Admetus from the grief that consumed him.[7] Another example of adeus ex machina isGandalf inThe Hobbit.[8] With the help of seemingly limitless magical capabilities, he rescues the other main characters from all sorts of troubles. Likewise, the eagles in bothThe Hobbit andThe Lord of the Rings perform unexpected rescues, serving both as the eucatastrophic emissary and the agent of redemption.[9] The first person known to have criticized the device wasAristotle in hisPoetics, where he argued that the resolution of a plot must arise internally, following from previous action of the play.[10]
A frequently used plot mechanism in romances and dramas is thelove triangle, a conflict where two characters compete for the affection of a third character.[11]
A MacGuffin is a term, popularized byfilm directorAlfred Hitchcock, referring to a plot device wherein a character pursues an object, though the object's actual nature is not important to the story. Another object would work just as well if the characters treated it with the same importance.[12] Regarding the MacGuffin, Alfred Hitchcock stated, "In crook stories it is almost always the necklace and in spy stories it is almost always the papers."[13] This contrasts with, for example, the One Ring fromThe Lord of the Rings, whose very nature is essential to the entire story. Not all film directors or scholars agree with Hitchcock's understanding of a MacGuffin. According to George Lucas, "The audience should care about it [the MacGuffin] almost as much as the dueling heroes and villains on-screen".[14] Thus MacGuffins, according to Lucas, are important to the characters and plot.
MacGuffins are sometimes referred to asplot coupons, especially if multiple ones are required, as the protagonist only needs to "collect enough plot coupons and trade them in for adénouement".[15] The term was coined byNick Lowe.[5]
Aplot voucher, as defined by Nick Lowe,[5] is an object given to a character (especially to the protagonist) before they encounter an obstacle that requires the use of the object. An example of a plot voucher is a gift received by a character, which later impedes a deadly bullet.
A quibble is based on an argument that an agreement's intended meaning holds no legal value and that only the exact, literal words agreed on apply. For example,William Shakespeare used a quibble inThe Merchant of Venice: Portia saves Antonio in a court of law by pointing out that the agreement called for a pound of flesh, but no blood, so Shylock can collect only if he sheds no blood.
The function of a red herring is to divert the audience's attention away from something significant. Red herrings are very common plot devices in mystery, horror, and crime stories. The typical example is inwhodunits, in which facts are presented so that the audience is tricked into thinking that an innocent character is the murderer.
A shoulder angel is a plot device[16] used for either dramatic or humorous effect in animation and comic strips. The angel represents conscience and is often accompanied by a shoulder devil representing temptation. They are used to easily showing inner conflict of a character. Usually, the angel is depicted on or hovering near the right shoulder and the devil or demon on the left, as theleft side traditionally represents dishonesty or impurity.
The idea of a shoulder angel and devil consulting the person in the center of the dispute is a tripartite view of the divided soul, that contributes to a rich tradition involving Plato'sChariot Allegory as well asid, ego and super-ego from Freudianpsychoanalysis. The difference with other views is that the shoulder angel and devil emphasize the universal ideas of good and bad.[17]