What does the term 'machinery' refer to in the critical theory of the epic genre, as codified by Alexander Pope and neoclassicists?
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Correct answer: The active intervention of supernatural beings—gods, angels, or demons—in human affairs
In epic criticism, 'machinery' refers to the supernatural architecture of the poem—the gods, angels, spirits, or demons who interfere with human characters and drive the plot forward. Alexander Pope humorously defined it as the part that the deities perform. This cosmic intervention ensures that the mortal conflicts carry grand, universal stakes.
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