The Gigantic and FantasticThe Gigantic and FantasticMatrix Unit PowerPoint!Matrix Unit PowerPoint!

The Players in Our “Trilogy”The Players in Our “Trilogy”

• In order to “completely” understand the In order to “completely” understand the trilogy, we need to understand the trilogy, we need to understand the following: following: – Characters (humans, programs, and Characters (humans, programs, and

machines)machines)– ShipsShips– Reasons behind the namesReasons behind the names– MythologyMythology

NeoNeo

• A.K.A. Thomas A.K.A. Thomas AndersonAnderson

• The One (well, The One (well, the 6the 6thth One) One)

• Savior of Savior of humanityhumanity

• Anderson = Anderson = Andro (Greek Andro (Greek word for “man”) word for “man”) + Son+ Son

• Son of Man – Son of Man – ChristChrist

• Thomas – Thomas – Doubter (doubt Doubter (doubt is his strength!)is his strength!)

• Reflects many Reflects many traditional figures:traditional figures: – The Enlightened BuddhistThe Enlightened Buddhist– The Christian or Gnostic The Christian or Gnostic

Christ Christ – The Hindu VishnuThe Hindu Vishnu

MorpheusMorpheus

• Captain of the Captain of the NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar

• Neo’s rescuerNeo’s rescuer• A possible stand-in for A possible stand-in for

John the Baptist, or John the Baptist, or even Moses!even Moses!

• Faithful man who Faithful man who unquestioningly unquestioningly believes the Prophecybelieves the Prophecy

TrinityTrinity

• Crewmember aboard the Crewmember aboard the NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar

• Helps rescue both Neo and Helps rescue both Neo and MorpheusMorpheus

• Loves Neo/The One, and Loves Neo/The One, and contributes to his contributes to his resurrectionresurrection

• Could represent Mary Could represent Mary Magdalene, the Holy Magdalene, the Holy Trinity…or something else Trinity…or something else entirelyentirely– After all, she After all, she doesdoes die… die…

The The Nebuchadnezzar’sNebuchadnezzar’s Crew Crew

• Mouse is the youngest Mouse is the youngest membermember

• He helps design and He helps design and program the Training program the Training ScenariosScenarios

• Isn’t sure what Tastee Isn’t sure what Tastee Wheat tastes likeWheat tastes like

• May represent the Israelites May represent the Israelites – but certainly doesn’t – but certainly doesn’t subscribe to any school of subscribe to any school of Buddhist thoughtBuddhist thought– ““To deny our desires is to To deny our desires is to

deny what makes us human”deny what makes us human”• Killed as a result of Killed as a result of

Cypher’s betrayalCypher’s betrayal

The The Nebuchadnezzar’sNebuchadnezzar’s Crew Crew

• Switch (female) and Switch (female) and Apoc (male) represent Apoc (male) represent the “muscle” of the the “muscle” of the ship’s crewship’s crew

• Each serves as a guard Each serves as a guard during Matrix during Matrix invasionsinvasions

• Both are killed by Both are killed by Cypher himselfCypher himself

The The Nebuchadnezzar’sNebuchadnezzar’s Crew Crew• Tank (left) and Dozer Tank (left) and Dozer

(right) are Zion-born (right) are Zion-born brothers serving on the brothers serving on the same shipsame ship

• Both names refer to Both names refer to aspects of the Matrix: aspects of the Matrix: – Dozer Dozer sleep sleep– Tank Tank battery pod battery pod

• Can’t jack into the Can’t jack into the Matrix because they Matrix because they lack portslack ports

• Tank serves as “ship’s Tank serves as “ship’s operator” instead, and operator” instead, and Dozer pilots the Dozer pilots the NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar

• Dozer is killed by Dozer is killed by Cypher’s plasma gun, Cypher’s plasma gun, while Tank survives a while Tank survives a shot and kills Cypher shot and kills Cypher with his own gunwith his own gun

The Oracle (Both Shells)The Oracle (Both Shells)• The Oracle is a program from the The Oracle is a program from the

Machine WorldMachine World• Existing since the first MatrixExisting since the first Matrix• Figured out that humans needed to be Figured out that humans needed to be

able to “choose” to accept the Matrixable to “choose” to accept the Matrix• Intends to find a way to end the war Intends to find a way to end the war

between men and machines; between men and machines; eventually prevails over Smith and eventually prevails over Smith and assists in the creation of a Matrix assists in the creation of a Matrix where people can choose to leave where people can choose to leave without consequenceswithout consequences

• Lost a “shell” to an attack by the Lost a “shell” to an attack by the Merovingian; agrees to watch Sati Merovingian; agrees to watch Sati despite the attackdespite the attack

• Based on the Oracle of Delphi (check Based on the Oracle of Delphi (check your “How to Really Bake Your your “How to Really Bake Your Noodle” packet)Noodle” packet)

““Matrix” Villains - CypherMatrix” Villains - Cypher• Cypher is “shallow and stupid,” Cypher is “shallow and stupid,”

according to one criticaccording to one critic• He serves as a member of He serves as a member of

Morpheus’s crew, but betrays the Morpheus’s crew, but betrays the others when offered the chance to others when offered the chance to return to the Matrixreturn to the Matrix

• His betrayal leads to Morpheus’s His betrayal leads to Morpheus’s capture, and he murders Apoc, capture, and he murders Apoc, Switch, and Dozer before being Switch, and Dozer before being killed by Tankkilled by Tank

• While he’s presented as an amoral While he’s presented as an amoral monster (Judas?) by the film, he monster (Judas?) by the film, he doesn’t doesn’t quitequite work as Judas work as Judas– After all, he’d need to betray Neo to After all, he’d need to betray Neo to

qualify, while he betrays Morpheusqualify, while he betrays Morpheus• Interestingly, more and more of you Interestingly, more and more of you

felt more sympathy towards his felt more sympathy towards his actions as you thought about his actions as you thought about his options a bitoptions a bit

““Matrix” Villains – Agent SmithMatrix” Villains – Agent Smith

• Smith’s role shifts from film to film; Smith’s role shifts from film to film; – He’s the coldly evil face of the Matrix He’s the coldly evil face of the Matrix

during the first movieduring the first movie– He begins corrupting the Matrix in the He begins corrupting the Matrix in the

second movie, but remains a threat to second movie, but remains a threat to Neo and companyNeo and company

– By the third movie, he’s controlling Bane, By the third movie, he’s controlling Bane, destroyed the human fleet, blinded Neo, destroyed the human fleet, blinded Neo, and taken over virtually the entire Matrixand taken over virtually the entire Matrix

• He has become a threat that must He has become a threat that must be destroyed, and ironically be destroyed, and ironically serves as the catalyst for a peace serves as the catalyst for a peace

agreement between the humans agreement between the humans and 01and 01

The Deus ex MachinaThe Deus ex Machina

• The central Machine God/IntelligenceThe central Machine God/Intelligence• Guards the Source in the Machine CityGuards the Source in the Machine City• Teams with Neo to destroy Smith, and ends Teams with Neo to destroy Smith, and ends

the war between the humans and machinesthe war between the humans and machines

NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar

• The trilogy’s main shipThe trilogy’s main ship• Used to rescue Neo and ferry Morpheus aboutUsed to rescue Neo and ferry Morpheus about• Named after a king of Babylon from Biblical timesNamed after a king of Babylon from Biblical times• Nebuchadnezzar was haunted by a prophetic, Nebuchadnezzar was haunted by a prophetic,

recurring dream about the rise and fall of empires in recurring dream about the rise and fall of empires in the worldthe world

• He refused to heed the prophicies, and was He refused to heed the prophicies, and was eventually driven insane when he is humbled by Godeventually driven insane when he is humbled by God– Ironic, considering that the ship’s destruction follows an Ironic, considering that the ship’s destruction follows an

entire film in which characters put too entire film in which characters put too much much stock in stock in prophecyprophecy

Religion and Philosophy Religion and Philosophy in Our “Trilogy”in Our “Trilogy”

• In order to “completely” understand the trilogy, we In order to “completely” understand the trilogy, we need to understand the ways in which the following need to understand the ways in which the following are important to the films: are important to the films: – Plato (Allegory of the Cave)Plato (Allegory of the Cave)– Socrates & the OracleSocrates & the Oracle– Descartes and Dream SkepticismDescartes and Dream Skepticism– Soren Kirkegaard, the Nature of Faith, and the Effects of Soren Kirkegaard, the Nature of Faith, and the Effects of

ChoiceChoice– Causality, Determinism, Compatibilism, and Free WillCausality, Determinism, Compatibilism, and Free Will– ChristianityChristianity– BuddhismBuddhism– GnosticismGnosticism– HinduismHinduism– TaoismTaoism

Let’s Start with SorenLet’s Start with Soren

• Soren Kirkegaard was a 19Soren Kirkegaard was a 19thth-century -century philosopher who served as the source for philosopher who served as the source for Captain Soren’s last nameCaptain Soren’s last name

• Many of Kirkegaard’s philosophical writings Many of Kirkegaard’s philosophical writings concerned the nature of faith (or aspects of concerned the nature of faith (or aspects of it)it)– Kirkegaard was also fascinated by human beings’ Kirkegaard was also fascinated by human beings’

relationship with choice, and the emotional relationship with choice, and the emotional factors that influence choicefactors that influence choice

– The themes Kirkegaard explored fascinated the The themes Kirkegaard explored fascinated the Wachowskis, who based a significant chunk of Wachowskis, who based a significant chunk of their trilogy around the exploration of these ideas their trilogy around the exploration of these ideas (choice, faith, emotion, etc.)(choice, faith, emotion, etc.)

Hinduism and the MatrixHinduism and the Matrix

• ““Everything which has a beginning has an Everything which has a beginning has an ending” is adapted from the ending” is adapted from the Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita

• Hinduism looms large over the trilogy, Hinduism looms large over the trilogy, particularly in the idea that all we see is particularly in the idea that all we see is illusory, and that reality lies behind the lies illusory, and that reality lies behind the lies before our eyesbefore our eyes– This idea is tied into the definition of This idea is tied into the definition of mayamaya, which , which

I’ll get into on the next slideI’ll get into on the next slide

MayaMaya

• Theoretically, everything you experience is not Theoretically, everything you experience is not everything there everything there isis to experience – you see only to experience – you see only Maya, and not Brahman, the ultimate spirit of the Maya, and not Brahman, the ultimate spirit of the universeuniverse

• This makes Maya part of an illusion – a fake reality This makes Maya part of an illusion – a fake reality that exists only in the parts of our mind that perceive that exists only in the parts of our mind that perceive physicality – because it is extremely limited, and physicality – because it is extremely limited, and serves to divorce us from the “truth” of Brahmaserves to divorce us from the “truth” of Brahma– Lesser minds simply accept what they see; these minds are Lesser minds simply accept what they see; these minds are

trapped, and will never experience the world as it existstrapped, and will never experience the world as it exists– In order to develop, humans must learn to discipline their In order to develop, humans must learn to discipline their

minds and see past/reject the illusory worldminds and see past/reject the illusory world– Sound familiar?Sound familiar?

• The most fundamental problem according to Buddhismis our ignorance of existential reality.

• Yogacara, also known as the “consciousness Only”school (Vijnavada), asserts that the objective world weperceive to be real is ultimately a product of our minds.

Buddhist Parallels in The Matrix

• Yogacarins emphasize the essential path andprocess toward to discerning the world free ofdelusion.

• Meditation techniques were developed to, in assense, deconstruct one’s conditioned way ofseeing the world and help one awaken to the waythe world truly is.

• According to tradition, as one progresses alongthis path, one procures powers to manipulate theperceived “objective” world. A Buddha actuallyattains the power to create his/her own cosmicrealm.

Buddhist Parallels in The Matrix

Last Important SlideLast Important Slide• Triads/triangles/trinities are almost, if not as, important to the trilogy Triads/triangles/trinities are almost, if not as, important to the trilogy

(look, another three!) as dualism and duality(look, another three!) as dualism and duality• Hinduism features a triad, called the Trimurti, composed of Brahman, Hinduism features a triad, called the Trimurti, composed of Brahman,

Vishnu, and ShivaVishnu, and Shiva• In the trilogy, we can see each of these aspects in the In the trilogy, we can see each of these aspects in the

machines/programsmachines/programs– Brahman, who represents “the Source,” is represented here by the Brahman, who represents “the Source,” is represented here by the

Architect (creation)Architect (creation)– Vishnu, who represents preservation, is represented here by the OracleVishnu, who represents preservation, is represented here by the Oracle– Shiva, who represents destruction, is represented here by NeoShiva, who represents destruction, is represented here by Neo– However, the characters can fulfill many roles; one could argue that the However, the characters can fulfill many roles; one could argue that the

Architect serves as destroyer, and that the Oracle is responsible for just as Architect serves as destroyer, and that the Oracle is responsible for just as much destruction as Neo. For that matter, Neo helps to create (resetting the much destruction as Neo. For that matter, Neo helps to create (resetting the Matrix) and maintain (preserving the Matrix cycle)Matrix) and maintain (preserving the Matrix cycle)

– ……so the Wachowski’s haven’t established a clear-cut framework here. But so the Wachowski’s haven’t established a clear-cut framework here. But what else is new?what else is new?